| (Editor’s
Note: Ricardo Castañón is on a 3 month
sabbatical. During his absence
HispanicVista will rerun some of his
essays that received the most praise from
readers. This article was first published
on October 6, 2003)
February 14, 2004
Si...!
HISPANIA... the birth of a nation within
our greater NATION!
By Ricardo
Castañón/HispanicVista.com
Only in America
could it have happened! Here, peoples of
goodwill and open minds have found the
ideal environment to work, live long and
prosper. The legitimate "Pursuit of
Happiness" guaranteed by the
Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, and further endorsed by the
Bill of Rights have created an atmosphere
of positivism unlike anywhere in the rest
of the planet. No other area of the world
has experienced such a mix of races,
beliefs and cultures. The "Old
world" and the "New world"
have come together to create nature's
best!
HISPANIC BLOSSOM
Our Hispanic
community, like other immigrant groups,
has identified with the common
denominator that characterized the
founding fathers of this nation –we
are all dissidents! We are nonconformist
that seek to improve the world we live
in. Through hard work and sacrifice, we
endured the first stages of
"assimilation" --some like to
call it. It was really a process of
adapting to the language, ways and means
of a more dynamic way of life WITHOUT
losing one's own culture and traditions.
It was really not that difficult; it was
more like a dream-come-true. This scope
of freedom and opportunity is what we had
envisioned all along. As generations come
and go, it becomes easier for the latter.
Our offspring move about in today'
society as fish-in-the-water, they have
created their own milieu. Their genetic
memory retains all the positive heritage
we have been carrying for centuries, and
their brain-cells absorb new data like a
sponge!
This
Hispanic-blossom is unprecedented and has
unlimited possibilities. We have our
hearts and guts united by the folklore
and cuisine we are instinctively
stimulated by. We have that ever-fresh
desire to constantly compete and
continuously achieve more. The bond that
holds us together goes beyond bloodlines;
it is our accumulated heritage and that
almost spiritual eagerness --so natural
in us—that impels us to prove
ourselves not only capable, but worthy of
any endeavor.
ONE NATION WITHIN A
NATION
In this age of
high-tech-robotics, these qualities
acquire special value. Our also innate
ability to adapt and improvise, plus our
proven bilingual fluency give us a sharp
edge. We have enough material and
ethereal ties to move ahead and
consolidate our community into one nation
within our greater nation. We need to
retain our identity, we need to nurture
our personality with our past and present
achievements. This is NOT to discern from
other groups or society as a whole; but
to contribute with our best and inherent
assets for the benefit of all.
A COMMON HERITAGE
AND DESTINY
The Aztecs, the
Mayan, the Incas, the Toltecs, well...
even the Pilgrims and the Quakers never
dreamed of what they got started! This
progressive mixture of vitality and
wisdom from one into the other has sped
up a genetic evolution scientists,
historians and demographers never, until
now, thought possible. Leave it to mother
nature. Our society today, with the
unreserved participation of every
ethnicity in the land, will eventually
produce an ALL-INCLUSIVE concept of a
"Cosmic Breed" that will take
humanity, with a common heritage and
destiny, to the next level –to the
conquest of the UNIVERSE!
Verdad que... Si?
_______________________________________________
Ricardo Castañón,
a contributing columnist to
HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com),
is a bilingual essayist and book author.
Ricardo is the author of the trilogy "SIMPLE
SIMON'S ODYSSEY... facing the big
questions" a Latin
perspective on practical philosophy. Book
information is available at www.SimonBook.com.
Ricardo is based in El Paso, TX. He can
be reached at Rico@SimonBook.com.
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