What’s in a Name? The Defamation of the National Council of La Raza
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In a recent posting to National Review Online, long-time columnist John Derbyshire (right) attacked the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), for the last two words in its name, which Derbyshire translated as “The Race.” With that, Derbyshire joined thousands of other Americans who use the organization’s name to claim — entirely without foundation — that NCLR is a race-based, supremacist organization.
Said Derbyshire: “The idea, as I had it explained to me, is that by blending the European race with the Mesoamerican, Mexico has brought forth a new race, the mestizo or bronze race, which is claimed to be superior to both the contributing races, I suppose by dint of hybrid vigor. This bronze über-race is ‘La Raza.’”
Next time, Derbyshire — who has described himself as a “racist,” albeit a “mild and tolerant” one — might want to consult a dictionary, or perhaps a linguist, before he goes public with his proposed translations of the Spanish language. If he had, he’d have learned that “La Raza,” in the context of the organization’s name, doesn’t mean “The Race” at all. In fact, the term is much more commonly translated as “the people” or “the community” and it is intended to be inclusive, encompassing the blending of European, African, and indigenous peoples in the Americas.
Derbyshire might even have paid a visit to NCLR’s website, which includes a nuanced explanation of the term: “While it is true that one meaning ‘raza’ in Spanish is indeed ‘race,’ in Spanish, as in English and any other language, words can and do have multiple meanings. Translating our name as ‘the race’ is not only inaccurate, it is factually incorrect. ‘Hispanic’ is an ethnicity, not a race. As anyone who has ever met a Dominican American, Mexican American, or Spanish American can attest, Hispanics can be and are members of any and all races.”
The NCLR site continues: “The term ‘La Raza’ has its origins in early 20th century Latin American literature and translates into English most closely as ‘the people,’ or, according to some scholars, ‘the Hispanic people of the New World.’ The term was coined by Mexican scholar José Vasconcelos to reflect the fact that the people of Latin America are a mixture of many of the world’s races, cultures, and religions. Mistranslating ‘La Raza’ to mean ‘the race’ implies that it is a term meant to exclude others. In fact, the full term coined by Vasconcelos, ‘La Raza Cósmica,’ meaning the ‘cosmic people,’ was developed to reflect not purity but the mixture inherent in the Hispanic people. This is an inclusive concept, meaning that Hispanics share with all other peoples of the world a common heritage and destiny.”
Had he bothered to check it out — rather than simply grasping for an argument to support his angry nativism — Derbyshire also would have found that the NCLR site clearly condemns ethnic separatist organizations. The group even has repeatedly disavowed certain founding documents of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlan (MEChA), a fellow Latino rights organization that is not a racist separatist group but did, more than 40 years ago, publish what NCLR characterizes as “inappropriate rhetoric.” NCLR publicly condemns Voz de Aztlan, a virulently anti-Semitic outfit that has long been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
But none of this prevented Derbyshire from characterizing NCLR as a hotbed of racism, with “published material [that] shouts an ethic of racial triumphalism.” He argues that NCLR publications belong on the library shelf next to materials from bona fide hate groups like the neo-Nazi Aryan Nations. In employing this kind of propaganda — almost identical to what groups like the Klan falsely claim about organizations such as the multiracial NAACP — Derbyshire sounds similar to many on the radical right. For example, the hate group American Patrol, whose leader Glenn Spencer has spoken at several white supremacist events, regularly refers to the NCLR as the “Race Mob” or the “Tan Klan.” His close friend and fellow racist Barbara Coe — who is a member of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a group that has described blacks as “a retrograde species of humanity” — characterizes NCLR similarly.
It’s not much of a surprise that Derbyshire has taken up against NCLR, given his attachment to organizations like the anti-immigrant hate website VDARE, named after Virginia Dare, said to be the first white child born in the New World (see, for example, here, here and here for 2008 posts). In 2005, Derbyshire took up for the rabid British xenophobe Enoch Powell, who warned in his infamous 1968 “Rivers of Blood” speech that mass immigration would destroy the United Kingdom. Derbyshire also has called those who support multiculturalism “pod people, whose nervous systems have been taken over by alien intelligences.”
In his latest diatribe, Derbyshire rages at the acceptance by the mainstream press and many corporate sponsors of NCLR. “How,” he fumes, “do they get away with it?”
That question might well be directed to Derbyshire, a British native who became a naturalized American citizen in 2002 — after having illegally overstayed his own visa here by nearly five years.
on June 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Satirist Stan Freberg had a rather effective solution to diffuse the argument on his summer-replacement radio series in 1957: Referring to all foreigners as, in his words, “Swiss–that way, we don’t offend anybody.”
on June 10th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
But of course you protect your assets. You’d be out of a job if we could get rid of all of these raced based groups. The SPLC thinks most people are really stupid. LaRaza doesn’t mean the race it just means community. Of course it means the Hispaninc community but pay that no mind.
on June 10th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I on the other hand ,want to offend everybody!!!! Until political correct bites the dust.
on June 11th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
“LaRaza doesn’t mean the race it just means community. Of course it means the Hispaninc community but pay that no mind.”
But “Hispanic” is not a race, it’s an ethnicity comprised of all “races” and any mix in between, so your point is?
on June 13th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
“Raza” is an ancient slang word used in Mexico to refer to people of indigenous race. “Raza” was the word used to define them, since, in Mexico, the vast mayority of peasants are from the same race. The National Council of la Raza is a racist group because it always focuses on the supremacy of the indigenous race. Just like other racists groups, the promote the opresion of a favored race in order to manipulate public policy.
Lets not kid ourselves people. The word for people in Spanish is “gente” or “pueblo”. The word “Raza” was chosen for a reason. It is the word used to define race-class of people. Obviously it is those that have indigenous race.
on June 14th, 2008 at 2:32 am
There is nothing more virulent and racist-ugly as many of those White Supremacists/Natavists organizations nationwide including but not limited to Canada and the U.K.
I am a Non-Hispanic and none of the NCLR members have spewed racists remarks at me or any of my comrades or warriors (and LONE WOLVES too) anymore than the Natavists and White Supremacists.
I clicked on their website(NCLR) and found absolutely nothing racists about it and when I compare them with hate sites like VNN or Stormfront.org. There–I see tremedous amounts of retarded epithets and blasphemous ignorance, which is very prevalent in these types of sites.(but remember folks, sites like VNN is full of gaydos and homos and pedo-saxons) Ignorance also means the lack of Knowledge in specific areas that are sensitive to people. And NCLR as far as I know doesn’t promote racism and hatred as does many of these insideous hate-sites such as the VNN or Stormfront.org or the NSM has so well promoted. And therefore, these White Extremists and Neo-Conservatarded sites must be destroyed….
Hence, someone must question John Derbyshire`s ill-gotten renarks that the NCLR are indeed a “racist” organization. If a prominent council member were to debate Derbyshire on this issue, that council member`s chances of making Derbyshire look like a friggin know nothing half-witted idiot as he already is(based on his comments above), is nearly a cake walk for the NCLR to prove Mr. Derbyshire is dead wrong about NCLR.
In my opinion, I think that nutjob reads too much propaganda. And should start doing some real research.
2 thumbs down to “HH” aka 88.
on June 16th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Do these La Raza goons really think people are so stupid as to fall for this nonsense? Anyone with a modicum of common sense can see who they are, what they are and exactly what they are up to. Oops! I expressed an opinion other than the accepted La Raza viewpoint! Quick, call out the hate speach police!! What a joke…
on June 16th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
For your info. “La Raza “does mean “The Race” and all they are trying to do is breed a new generation of “victims”poor me mentality….another KKK-Neo Nazi group to take over the United States. If we don’t stop this NOW-our world will be even more screwed up!!!!!!!!!
on June 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Just type “La Raza” into any Spanish to English phrase translator on the web and see what you get. You don’t get “the people” you get “the RACE” raza=race gente=people
NCLR is not overt in its racism. You will not find overt racist remarks on their web site… but their AGENDA is race based in supporting only programs to help the “latino” race and their lobbying is to help ONLY the “latino” race in housing or in allowing more illegal immigration and fighting border security. They want to “normalize” all illegal aliens who are here and most of those happen to be “raza” or Hispanic.
If white people formed a group called “National Council of the Anglo” they would be denounced as a white supremacist group IN A HEARTBEAT. If they went so far as to promote housing and education for whites only how far do you think they would get before they were harrassed daily by groups like the SPLC and the ACLU? So why is it ok to have the same kind of group which are race based.
THIS is the crux of discrimination. What is good for LA RAZA and NAACP is good for the Anglos too.
I’d like to see a white or asian or black person apply for one of those “Raza Development Fund” housing loans and see what happens…. lmao That is what the FAIR HOUSING ACT is about.. but I will bet it’s AOK to discriminate against whitey in housing but not the other way around…
on June 18th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Let’s talk a little about the DEFAMATION of the word MINUTEMAN too shall we?
From this link:
http://www.ushistory.org/people/minutemen.htm
Minutemen were a small hand-picked elite force which were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly. Minutemen were selected from militia muster rolls by their commanding officers. Typically 25 years of age or younger, they were chosen for their enthusiasm, reliability, and physical strength. Usually about one quarter of the militia served as Minutemen, performing additional duties as such. The Minutemen were the first armed militia to arrive or await a battle.
Thus, although lacking central command, the Minutemen were still better organized and battle-tested than any other part-time military. They were a vital and necessary force, playing a crucial role in not only the Revolutionary War, but in earlier conflicts. Without these “ready in a minute” men, our history may have been written in a very different way.
———————————–
The modern term Minuteman, contrary to what SPLC would like everyone to believe, is akin to Patriot or one who wishes to defend their country against foreign invaders and stands ready to die in so doing. This is a loyal and dedicated group and if the SPLC were truly in support of America, they would not attack Minutemen and DEFAME them.
on June 18th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
It’s hilarious that the author chooses to display her ignorance with this passage: “Derbyshire .. might want to consult a dictionary..” because if you look up “la raza” its definition is indeed race, or breed. The author in fact does not marshal any actual evidence other than the assertions in La Raza’s own website PR copy, which are uncritically accepted as fact. Unbelievable.
on June 19th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Molly, when you are translating idiomatic expressions, you do not look in the dictionary and translate word for word as you did. If I told you to “go fly a kite” would I expect you to go fly a kite? No, because a literal translation does not give the actually meaning. Perhpaps you need to look at another dictionary. Mine includes “la raza” and its meaning as “the people”. That said, I think you are probably someone who has made up her mind despite the facts.
on June 30th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
even on a liberal website conservatives win
conservative comments 11
liberal comments 1
on July 1st, 2008 at 11:10 am
I live in Mexico for 30 years and the direct and indirect meaning of “people” was “pueblo” or “gente”. Never in my life were the two previous words synonimous with “raza”.
Never did I hear the word “raza” to mean “people”.
If I did, it was intended to mean “people from OUR race”.
So you see Loren, we all are right. Raza does mean people, as in people from one particular race. The so brown race.
on July 13th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I cannot count the times that I have heard Latinos refer to anyone with white skin as “anglos”. I am of Irish descent, and therefore, I am highly offended whene I am referred to as “anglo’. I do believe my ancestors tried to retain the gaelic language as the national tongue in Ireland and were savagely treated for their efforts from Oliver Cromwell’s selling of nealry 1/2 the Irish populace into slavery to the starvation in the late `1840s while Lord John Russell and others exported enough foodstuffs from Ireland to feed the people several times over thence to the reign of terror of the Black and Tans and nowadays to Pat & Mike jokes on the BBC. What would one expect from Mr. Derbyshire given that he comes from the most bigoted island on the planet ? If anyone could see that American history classes would teach the whole truth about the relationships among Anglo Saxons, Celtic peoples and the settling of America I’d be ever so grateful. We need to heal the old sores by restoring respect for and awareness of the plights of many immigrants of the past as wellas healing and preventing new sores for both new immigrants and the people they encounter in their new homeland. Go raibh maith agat !
on July 15th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Aprenda a hablar español usted se mofa de! … La raza translates to “The Race”. Yes… that’s the literal translation. I honestly don’t care what “their” translation is. They can label it however they wish in order to pander to clueless, shamed PC honkeys. Perhaps the readers you are contibuting to aren’t intelligent enough to do their own research… but finding out that single bit of information took all of 20 seconds on the Intardweb.
on August 12th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I am amazed at the “diverse” level of discouse permitted at a site such as Morris Dees’ SPLC. As the majority of posters has noted, the proper Spanish etymology of the the term “La Raza” ONLY carries a genetic connotation.
Colombus Day (which North American Afro history re-writers and Ward Churchill viruently denounce as a raciss honky construct holiday) is denoted as Dia de La Raza throughout Latin America ( Day of The Race) The Italian global circumnavigator is thus not honored for his tenacity and belief in the round earth theory. Honor is thus bestowed on the children of raping and maurauding Galician pirates and primitive Indian women.