Re: Tending to wander OT as I feared Re: Fiji in space but back on earth, oy ve?!?!?

From: "Glenn M Wilson" <warbeads@juno.com>

>  There were places where I said I was Caucasian (true
> although not completely true) and there were places where I let it be
> known I was latino (on my mother's side) because it made life "S and
S' 
> - Safer and Simpler.	Never mentioned the Cherokee part of the
background
> because it would only have been a negative during those years (1950's
and
> early 1960's.)  And Southern California was basically pretty laid back
> about such issues most of the time, unlike here in Saint Louis, MO. 
> Definite NSL territory! <grin>

I don't know whether to break down and cry over the stupidity of the
past,
or to feel optimistic that things have indeed gotten better over the
last
50 years.
Was exact genetic mix *really* that important in the US? For that
matter,
does it make a hell of a lot of difference now? I spose that depends...
In the late 60's and early 70's I copped a lot of flak for being a Pom.
Australia was going through a "cutting of apron strings" phase then, it
seemed to be very important that Australia be completely independent
from
the UK. It was socially quite acceptable to actively discriminate
against
anyone from England. I took a few beatings at primary school, but gave
as 
good as I got, and none were serious attempts to hurt me, it was just a 
dominance thing, almost good-natured. 

Now the UK is.. almost irrelevant to us. Of no more importance than,
say,
Canada anyway. Less important than the US.
But I've seen no Pom-bashing, either literally or figuratively, in
nearly
30 years. Things in some small ways have gotten better.

BTW (and regarding things Cherokee) personally I have a very low regard
indeed for one Andrew Jackson. May the US never have a president like
him again.