California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to engage in divide and conquer politics, pitting immigrants against immigrants and divers people of color against each other. Schwarzenegger decided to stick his muscled foot into his mouth by pulling out of his ass the model minority sterotype of Asians. According to the LA Times:

Schwarzenegger appeared in L.A.’s Chinatown to celebrate the midautumn Moon Festival and promote bean paste moon cakes. He called them a “fantastic cultural tradition in our Asian American community” and praised Asian Americans as “hard-working” and “smart.” Soon afterward, however, he was asked about the assimilation of immigrants into the American culture. The secret of success, he said, was to “immerse yourself.”

What’s so disturbing? First there is an assumption made that there is one “American” culture. If you learn nothing else from reading this blog, let me repeat, America is not just the United States. American culture is as diverse as the nations that make up the Americas. While there is nothing wrong with immersion into a culture and society in order to survive, that does not mean wiping out any trace of your own culture and background. But wait. Schwarzenegger offends further by singling our everyone’s favorite scapegoat, the Mexicans.

He singled out Mexican immigrants:

“And that is very difficult for some people to do especially, I think, for Mexicans because they are so close to their country here so they try to stay Mexican but try to be in America so there’s this kind of back and forth and what I’m saying to the Mexicans is you’ve got to go and immerse yourself and assimilate into the American culture become part of the American fabric. That is how Americans will embrace you. That was my, I think, the secret, if there is one, to success.”

So now he’s playing immigrant against immigrant, where Asians (who are a hugely diverse group) are the good kind and Mexicans (which let’s be real reads as any Latino) are the bad kind, the kind that want to invade and take over just like Buchanan told you.

If Schwarzenegger is so “American” , why isn’t he being called out on his accent, or the fact that he has held on to his Austrian citizenship? Or is it only immigrants of color that are expected to throw all but superficial ties to their home cultures? Hopefully immigrant communities aren’t buying into this divide and conquer tactic that aims to divide the solidarity work that has been happening across cultures.

Gracias to la Ms. Cindylu for giving us the heads up on this.

Via / LA Times

Image Via / CNN