Melvin Richardson
Professor Shana Smith
English 112 (D22P)
March 21, 2013

Machin Rifamos
(The Rise of Brown America An argument essay by Melvin Richardson) “Resistance is futile” is a resounding statement first exclaimed by the alien race called the Borg in the Gene Roddenberry long running television series Star Trek. “Why do you resist? Asked the Borg commander, Ryker replies “I like my species the way it is”! Borg commander counters with, “We only wish to raise quality of life for all species”. This is the last thing you heard before your kind was assimilated and your unique cultural and biological essences absorbed. If you have heard or read this statement before, it’s because it has been the theme of White
Real life say’s not so much”. William King, professor of Afro-American Studies of the University of Colorado-Boulder, “insist(s) it's just human nature to seek out people who look like them” he insists there's more to it: blacks and other minorities segregate themselves only because society has taught them that grouping together is the only way to stay safe.
In support of this argument I contend that this feeling of being ashamed of one’s own native tongue is nothing less than marginalization, in order to appropriate the labor of the Hispanic Americans to keep them from assimilating into the American mainstream. In the 1960’s American society was influenced by movements that were fighting the political and social injustices of the time. The Xicano movement was no exception. During this time there were visible signs of “No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed” as well as a general sentiment of segregation based on race and economic class. As the movement started to progress in the Xicano (Hispanic) community, identifying with the term Chicano became widely accepted. This is an evolutionary moment of the language. Although native Mexicans believe that the word Chicano is an ugly term to use when identifying one’s cultural background. To them, Chicano signifies a lower class of the Mexican. The term “Chicano” seemed to spring up out of very impoverished areas of the Mexican-American neighborhoods known as