VivirLatino

According to my great-aunt Lucy (que en paz descanse), my last name, the name my daughters carry as well, means that I can be traced in Spanish language history books to Spanish language conquistadores. The last name my older daughter sometimes uses (legally she can’t because of her “bastard” status), reveals that she is Mapuche. Pero what if I had to be Maegan Ortz, as some people have pronounced my last name, or if my daughters’ Latina first and last names cost them their way of living? In Taos, New Mexico, which held a few languages before English, I’m sure, a hotel owner fired some of his employees because of their names.

What I find interesting about Whitten (shall we shorten his name to “White”), is how much this is about his comfort and his history. For example, he talks about him not being from the area and him not being of “Spanish” background and how he wanted English only spoken in his presence. So it becomes about everyone adapting to him and respecting what I perceive as his “fear” of being spoken about and about making sure that employees know their place, below and subservient to him. Whitten likens his employees to spoiled, ungrateful children and he the benevolent boss.

Via / Santa Fe New Mexican, Mi Blog es tu Blog