“USA” chants racist
Tman sends us a link from the local TV news in San Antonio which reports that chants of “USA” after a boys’ basketball victory has brought charges of racism. Apparently the losing team was predominately Hispanic.
“Obviously, we were disappointed that this happened,” Alamo Heights superintendent Kevin Brown, who reportedly apologized to SAISD officials personally, told KENS5. “That’s not who we are as a community and that’s not who we are as a school. It’s not something that’s acceptable for us. Our kids are very respectable. We have to remember that they’re teenagers, and kids make mistakes.
“Still, there are consequences. We have tried to use this as a teachable moment for them. We have talked to our students. We’ve taken responsibility for it, although what happened is not representative of everybody who was there.”
I guess my question would be “Is there anything that’s not racist anymore?”
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
I’m at a full on loss here. I agree that chanting USA isn’t racist, and technically cannot be, since you’re cheering for a political entity rather than an ethnic group.
But I also don’t get the (non-racist) reasoning behind the chant in the first place.
In today’s climate, somebody is always seeking to be offended.
Well, Alamo heights is predominately white and Edison is predominately Hispanic. There is the racial tension here in South Texas. But, not that much. It was reported later that the USA chant came after Edison fans began chanting “ALAMO WHITES……over and over”. Supposedly both teams had already left the court before this non news item happened. I cant believe THIS made national news. You gotta be joking. Everyone is making much out of nothing.
Nah, if you’re a whiny butthurt douchebag, pretty much anything justifies pulling the race card.
Last time I checked, both cities were within the USA. Why would you think it is racist unless you were an illegal?
My take on it, for whatever its worth. I too am tired of everybody yelling racist every five minutes, and even though I say this aint that big of a deal, I have to say that the word racism is probably correct in this case.
I live in the Rio Grande Valley, which is predominantly hispanic, however I’m anglo. I have coached and my son went through high school playing sports. When our schools play schools from teams further north, this racial divide comes up. While I think it is not too big a deal, the word racism still defines the source of the chant. Chanting “USA” meaning they are Americans and hispanic team are Mexicans.
Sorry, but it is what it is.
D.J. Wood
I’m not certain where in south Texass you live, Jester, but it’s very racially divided in the part of south Texass where I reside, not “not much”. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say that BOTH chants were racially motivated, which is bullshit on both counts.
when I was growing up, my mother told me to ‘be nice’. this isn’t NICE. I removed my daughter from a team because the coach encouraged taunting the losing team. It’s stupid and makes you look small.
I also agree that everything isn’t “racist” as defined by today’s standards…
ie: I like what I know (my kind) more than what I don’t know (your kind) ergo I must be filled with HATE. It just doesn’t follow.
Saw this yesterday and am still scratching my head. Still trying to figure out how a chant of “USA, USA” can possibly be racist, since there is no “American” race, at least in the past 500 years or so.
Call the chant ill advised, poorly timed, or whatever. Not really sure about that one either, but there is room for that discussion.
All this does is draw attention to the absurdity of calling anything and everything “racist.” Maybe that is not an entirely bad thing?
Please allow me to interject from the Mexican point of view. If both teams are from Texas, which as far as I know is in the United States of America, the claims of racism are absolute BULLSHIT! It’s a favorite game of the liberal minorities who have been brainwashed into believing they are the eternal victim. The sad thing is they don’t realize that they have lost all credibility with anyone who has a working brain. I’m a hood rat that grew up in “barrio” Homedale here in Phoenix along with two brothers and two sisters. Because our parents, Zel Miller Democrats, wouldn’t let us slack, we all wound up graduating from ASU and we have successful careers.
These claims of ‘racism’ are pitiful attempts to be viewed as the victims of the evil whites! Pitiful stuff.
So, it isn’t racist to imply that a team comprised of Latinos isn’t American, and it isn’t racist to mock a school’s name by using “whites” (of which I STILL don’t know the definition, btw) as if it were derogatory?
Obama, please. If you taunt someone using their race, that’s racism, and both teams did just that.
Why is it ok for someone who came to America to demand we assimilate to their culture and then get all butthurt when anyone says anything they dont like after they start a petty back and forth? If i went to africa waving an american flag and demanding they do as i say some warlord would off me with his gold plated AK and if i went to south america and pulled any of these hijinx i would probably never be seen again. This whole thing screams Shenanigans and its getting old. Just like with the kids from california who wore shirts with OUR flag on cinco de mayo and were called racist and sent home. Having pride in our country is not wrong and encouraging people tobe more proud of their home countries flags than our own IS WRONG.
Just my overly opinionated 2 cents
This reminds me of a professor at the University of IL that thought that chanting USA at a football game on 9/11 is incredibly insensitive to our Muslim population that has been constantly under attack by US imperialist actions.
http://doodiepants.com/2010/09/25/chanting-usa-in-remembrance-of-911-not-fair-to-muslims-daily-illini/
People are ridiculous.
Maybe you missed the part where the USA chant was a response to being called “Alamo Whites”, Josh.
Frankly, I dislike hyphens more than most. I’m Indigenous and Welsh and Scots and Alsatian, blah blah, by heritage, but American by birth. I fail to understand why the use of terms like “African-American” (which is inaccurate since Africa is a continent, not a country), Mexican-American, and Italian-American still happens. Unless one holds dual citizenship, that hyphen is horseshit- just as implying that a person who’s hispanic isn’t American by yelling out “USA” repeatedly is horseshit.
Ano no, having pride in out country and chanting USA isn’t wrong, but doing it to imply someone else is less American than you because they have a better tan is.
I went to high schools were riots were fairly common. The teachers and parents may have been perplexed, but we weren’t. We knew who the other kids were, who they ran with, and why they were there.
Sounds like both schools need some gang intervention work done, before the conflict goes beyond name-calling.
Who was it that said, “Context is everything”?
This from a guy who sees racists under every rock and behind every tree and each word of criticism of his beloved Obumbles?
Stop. Hurt. Sides. Laughing.
I think you have me confused with someone else…
Aww, look at that…more PC BS.
@4 When you can have immigrants that come here to America because it was “their dream to come start over where there are better opportunities” and yet run around with their shit hole country’s flag plastered all over everything they own with no US pride anywhere to be seen, it makes a lot of sense. I always wonder if places like Mexico are so great that they have to show their “pride” for it, why aren’t they still living there then instead of here, but we are a nation that would rather divide under the guise that we are celebrating individual heritage culture (yay sensitivity training!) rather than bring together on common ground.
Bingo, PN.
Anyone who thinks that these kids were chanting “USA” becase they were aligning their mana with their inner Francis Scott Key and not to goad hispanic kids should move down here for a while. This has nothing to do with patriotism and everything to do with 2 athletic teams using the other team’s level of melanin to provoke a response.
And that has SFA to do with being politically correct.
Probably, Joe, not Joe…maybe we need to get you another nickname so we can tell you from the douche Joe.
Yat Yas 1833: well said, sir.
If you grea up in Phoenix, YY, you can’t speak from the Mexican pov; you’re American.
*grew
Yeah if they were really chanting “Alamo whites” (which could be construed as violent as well as racist) why is the fact the other fans responded with “USA” the main story here?
Because only the white kids can be racist, not both. And that is where pc comes in.
Both teams were out of line.
WOW! I’m speechless.
ROS: interesting that you object to Yat Yas giving the “Mexican” point of view – but not to the folks at Edison High taking offense because they’re using the identical point of view. Doesn’t seem consistent. But maybe that’s just me.
And I’m reasonably sure that Yat Yas was using the term as shorthand for “Mexican-American” or “American of Mexican ancestry”, but I’ll let him confirm or correct that himself.
Sounds like both teams exhibited poor sportsmanship and poor manners.
I never said that I didn’t object to the kids at EHS taking offense because of the same. I absolutely do. My point was that they were not chanting USA out of patriotic urge, rather it was an implication that the hispanic kids were not American, just as the hispanic kids were making reference to their skin tone as if it were negative.
The story itself makes it sound as if they were being called racist for yelling “USA” when that wasn’t the case. As per the norm with the media, they failed to include the entire story and placed the blame on the “white” kids because the other team was comprised mostly of hispanic children. They failed to mention that the hispanic players were just as guilty, instead making it seem like an attack on patriotism.
“I guess my question would be “Is there anything that’s not racist anymore?””
Fo’ sure. Liberals see racism everywhere, except where it actually exists. They don’t see the racism in affirmative action, Rev. Wright, or Al Sharpton. They don’t see the racism in the Reginald Denny incident, or the recent incidents at the Iowa and Wisconsin State Fairs. They don’t see the racism in the Duke Lacrosse case. They don’t see the racism in “Whiteness Studies” or the many, many double standards that exist in our society.
They see racism in the SATs, because you have to know the right answers to pass them. They see racism in voter ID laws too. They see racism whenever and wherever minorities aren’t afforded special treatment.
But I also don’t get the (non-racist) reasoning behind the chant in the first place.
I don’t know about this situation, or this area.. but in Southern California it’s not unknown for students at predominantly Hispanic schools to display the Mexican flag.
As someone who went to junior high and high school in Texas, though, I must say that I’m disappointed with the students from Alamo Heights. The best they could come up with as a response to “Alamo Whites” was “USA”? How about “Remember the Alamo”?
“Remember Goliad” may have been more effective.
Sounds like both teams exhibited poor sportsmanship and poor manners.
Can’t argue with that, but only one side gets bashed. That is what I can’t fathom.
@ 28 Hondo, you hit the head right on the nail. I’m a native born 3rd generation American of Mexican decent. My paternal grandparents were in Az when it became a state and became citizens by default. My father was a victim of racism after returning from Europe after WW II. I was a victim of racism in the early ’60s as a 5 yr old. I know racism, this was nothing more than testosterone driven high school BULLSHIT. As I said in my prior post, this kind of crap comes from minorities that have been convinced that they are “victims” because of their race and social status. Rather than stand up and fight they wallow in a pool of self pity blaming any and everybody for their lot in life. To that I throw the BS flag. My brothers and sister and I are living proof that regardless of the circumstances of your birth, in the United States of America, you can become whatever you desire and are willing to work for!
To me it is simple. If Edison was from Mexico and/or they showed up waving Mexican flags, then Alamo Heights chants would be patriotic. If chants were made because of their skin color, as it appears is the case, then its racism. The fact is most of the hispanics in South Texas are not illegals, or the sons/daugters of illegals. Most are plain and simple American. There are a lot of illegals down here, obviously, but for the most are not the ones on athletic teams. If the reports of Edison chants are true, then that too, was because of skin color, and improper. I,too, think that the work racism is used way too often, but in this case it fits. I’m 48 years old, white conservative, against illegal entry, am a patriot. Except during my Army days, I have always lived here. I know the difference between patriotism and racism. In this case it appears racist chants came from both directions.
@33
Historically, yeah. But “Remember the Alamo” is both better known as a rallying cry and would have served as a reference to Alamo Heights.
Not all Americans of foreign decent, Mexican or otherwise, feel as you do, YY. I applaud you for that and wish that more did, but the simple fact is that they don’t. So, while I agree wholly that crying “racism” has become a crutch and one used on a whim, which is exactly what EHS did my yelling “Alamo Whites”, so too did Alamo Heights bring race into it with their response.
If this had just been a school chanting “USA” after a win, effing a. It was not, though. Testosterone-driven? Absolutely. But that testosterone drove them to use race as its outlet. They didn’t yell “midgets” and imply that they were short, nor did they yell “rednecks” and imply that they were inbred hicks, they yelled “USA” and implied that they weren’t American, thus the label of racism is apropos- on both sides.
@37 Very true, and they should have yelled just that.
And that “descent” typo is killing me here.
And yet at the same time, we have nearly weekly riots in CA high schools between blacks and Hispanics.
Reports on those? Few and fucking far between.
@#40 ROC, I find it interesting you get such a kick over a typo. Does that make my life’s experiences invalid? Maybe you can give me your point of view on this topic as a minority.
It was my own typo, which invariably drive me guano loco. That wasn’t directed at you since I didn’t even notice yours until you pointed it out and had to scroll up to figure out what you meant. 🙂
Saw on the news awhile ago the superintendents are declining to comment on the “Alamo whites” chants. Big surprise.
As for my experiences as a minority, would you prefer that I pull from the female, indigenous, or “handicapped” chapter of my life? None really mean SFA to me since other people’s perceptions and opinions of me based on aesthetics are but minutiae in my world.
Uh, ROS, females constitute over 50% of the world population . … (ducks for cover)
“If chants were made because of their skin color, as it appears is the case, then its racism”. What race, exactly, is USA?
I know, it seems that the adults, yet again, got caught up in juvenile name calling. Oft times, these things get out of hand because somebody, to assuage hurt feelings, makes mountains out of dust bunnies. When you stir in the media, it just gets worse.
As far as name calling, apparently lots of people have never attended a college game, be it football or b-ball. Alamo Whites and USA don’t even begin to approach what goes on in most college stadiums and field houses.
Hondo, stop it! I just shot a Coors Light thru my nose and it burned like HELL!!! Thanks Bro!?
Yes, Hondo, indeed. Now they are, which means that we can do away with all of those horseshit grants and “female minority scholarships”.
Actually, I believe that men are the minority now in most major cities, so you guys should probably look into starting up some male-oriented benefits and such.
As for the “race” of USA, that’s not even the point. They implied that hispanic players weren’t American because of their skin color. The others taunted them for being white. That’s a guilty verdict for both parties, guilty of being punks and race-baiters.
And dude, until you’ve seen a Red River game (the ones where the Sooners massacre tu), you’ve not seen a game. Then again, everything negative said about tu is true. 😀
Two wrongs don’t make a right and invariably it’s the one who retaliates that is busted.