My opinion on La Raza is that it is a term in which a particular group of people or peoples ultimately have founded a means to identify themselves through and with.
There are, and always have been many arguments about it's terminology.
Certain people or groups might ask where did it come from, and why?
Questions and arguments exist as to even when it might have arrived.
What I have noticed is that certain people want to claim it all for themselves for whatever reasons-especially when it is placed into political argument.
I have many times even heard people say it's a Mexican,Chicano,barrio claim.
This is very interesting because it causes interesting and lengthy argument- and therefore it's clearly controversial.
Especially these days, when the whole Mexican "undocumented" scenario has been polarised.
The term La Raza is used extensively amongst many groups of spanish speaking people for group-identity purposes.
Personally, I have noted that Cuban,Argentinian,Bolivian,Portuguese,Puerto Rican,Peruvian,Columbian...and the list goes on, refer to themselves as raza.
Therefore one can, and will see diverse groups of spanish speakers sometimes seemingly urgently, and insticntively united in any cause in an all out effort to prevent inhumane, or even unconstitutional treatment of people or groups they identify with culturally and emotionally,and that they feel they might share the same belief systems.
Today with the immigration situation as Chicanos/Mexicanos/Barrios united one might see a desperate need to POWER-claim exclusive stronghold to this (La Raza)terminology because it is and has been for centuries what will ultimately support a grassrooted/indigenous claim to self-preservation.
Most Raza share the same ancient-traditional beliefs,such as Family Together Forever...no matter what.
People that do not share in this belief will argue and feircely attempt to dispel that there is a possibility that even underdocumented people have support systems through direct blood ties in these United States.
La Raza is a claim it is an modicum to self-preservation,and it is a threat too.
If we study the Black Civil Rights upheavals many Black leaders began to RE-EDUCATE
RE-CREATE and RE-FORM the blacks through culture conciousness and through completely holding their hands to their neighbors-calling them "family".
It's about passion and absolution.
[kiss]
give me a can of Raza to go...tlazokamtl!
