Ask a Mexican!

Orange County Weekly:

Mexicans long ago learned that government won’t bail your culo out of anything, whether it’s a devastating earthquake, howling hurricane or tanking economy. So we learned to be self-sufficient in a way that makes libertarians look like socialists.

This entire column concerns me: I'm not sure if it's just a tiny bit racist or really tongue-in-cheek. I've read most of the back issues, now, and I'm not entirely sure it's one thing or another.

The columnist is hilarious in his gentle poking of fun at what I hope are his own people. He chuckles at the mannerisms and how they shake up our staid, lame social scene, and while he praises the opportunities available to the immigrant - illegal or no - who doesn't mind taking your order or cleaning house after you slobs, he also seems to be pretty fair about the country that's under invasion by hard-working generally peaceful people.

This column provides some answer to some common concerns which arise out of our preconceptions, even if it does so in a very light manner. In the end, I think I enjoy the humour, I do think that it's being done in the spirit of humour and assimilation vs discrimination and bigotry, but I fear that too much of the humour is subtly disguised by something that idiot busybodies will (half-read before they) decide must be racist.

Expect lawsuits, unfortunately.