Thanks for the response, Don.
Don Wassall said:
I'm not a stickler on these things; I agree with jaxvid and others who believe that how an individual identifies himself is key.ÂÂ
But how others identify them is key, too. If a white player is considered "Latino," it's not as good for us. I have nothing against Gonzalez per se, and we can enjoy his success on a personal level. But unambiguously white athletes like Jeremy Wariner have much broader value, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, I am a stickler about this. I wish it wasn't so, and I didn't ask for this. Miscegenation is everywhere and I have to be honest about it.
Considering many here root for Teddy Bruschi, Johnny Damon, Kevin Kaesviharn, Lofa Tatupu and others,
I rooted for Bruschi and Kaesviharn... until I found out they were biracial. I can still appreciate their play, but it's just not the same. I simply cannot in good conscience root for a biracial athlete.
the possibility of Gonzalez having a non-white ancestor going back two or more generations isn't a big deal. He's a very talented receiver who defies the Caste System's stereotypes.
But if he's not perceived as white (and as we know, the Caste System is all about perception, not reality,) then he's not defying stereotypes. If anything, all of these Hispanics, Polynesians, Hawaiians, Asians, etc., performing so well in American sports simply reinforce the belief that white athletes are inferior.
Edited by: JD074