It’s been a turbulent summer for comedian Katt Williams, marked with fewer laughs than his fans had hoped for (myself included).

In early June, Katt was charged with felony intimidation of a witness after a bizarre standoff with a man on a tracker in Palmdale, California. Then he returned to the stage on the June 25th after a 45-month-long break from comedian, only to deliver a short incoherent performance. (From what I gleaned from a few YouTube videos, Katt says something about not being “African-American,” only “American,” takes his shirt off, does a few pushups and leaves.)
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/hsn-network/details/katt-is-right/9950/

Other cultures are free to express pride in their roots but when it comes to Mexicans, we are often told that if it is so great over there, go back.  Every year, people celebrate German fest, St. Patrick’s day,Greek fest,etc., to show pride in their heritage.  Yet Mexicans are not afforded the same opportunity.  Your attitude of “love it or leave it” is over simplified.  The United States has a long history of racial oppression, hatred, and bigotry but yet we are supposed to love it? Trust me, not all Anglo Americans love 100% of everything about the United States either.

The fact of the matter is that Katt Williams was acting in a racist manner.  He stated that if Mexicans loved California so much they should have fought for it. Is it fair to ask why Africans didn’t fight harder so they were not enslaved by the Americans?  Of course not! America has always taken what they wanted and never needed “permission.” He even compared slavery to the work that Mexicans do such as landscaping.

Besides being racist, he is arrogant. He taunted, insulted, and offended the very people who pay to see him thus allowing him the comfortable life he has.  He was a bully!  He had the microphone and security.  Would this have played out differently had it been a private discussion or had the man in the audience been given a microphone as well?  I think so. 

America has a love/hate relationship with the Mexicans.  They love them for the back breaking work they do for little pay but hate them because they want to stay here after their bodies and spirits are used up.  Mexicans helped build this country just as much as anyone else and it is unjust for us to be the perpetual target of this country’s hatred.

And your story about your two Mexican friends who want to return to Mexico . . . I personally know more Mexicans that would rather not return.  They become “Americanized” and find it hard to live in such harsh conditions. When they visit home they cannot wait to return. You can’t tell a whole race of people to return to Mexico based on the comments of two of your friends. 

And shame on you Mr.Alomo, as a Latino, for helping to keep the ignorance and hatred against Mexicans going.  But, I guess it doesn’t affect you since you come from a more “desirable” Latino background.

First, I would like to thank you for writing HS News and expressing your concerns about the content of my most recent comments. I always appreciate feedback from the readers, and I welcome any opportunity to participate in a fair and honest discussion with my fellow Latinos.

Now, as to the issues contained in your post, let me say that I think you have misunderstood my position. And after rereading the piece several times, I don’t think that my words could have led to the misunderstanding.

The point I was making is that Katt Williams “racial rant” was not racial whatsoever, merely nationalistic. And while I disagree with nationalistic sentiments in general, I could not take umbrage to what Williams said onstage this past weekend. To avoid any further confusion, allow me summarize the quoted parts of the so-called “racist tirade” (the media’s label, not yours):

1)  The American Southwest no longer belongs to Mexico, so Mexicans and other Latinos should not continue to claim it as Mexican territory.

2)  Foreign nationals should not immigrate to this country (or any country) and still claim allegiance to the country they emigrated from. Specifically, no immigrant living in the United States should claim an allegiance to a foreign country that supersedes their allegiance to the United States and its people.
The first point is such a non-issue among serious people that it does not deserve any attention here.

Therefore, I’ll assume that you took issue with the second contention: that immigrants should swear allegiance to this country and its people above all others. Still, I don’t see the controversy in such a statement.

The only types of immigrants I can think of that might be exempted from swearing allegiance to the United States would be refugees and exiles, but even then, I still think that their allegiance to this country should supersede their allegiance to the country they have left behind. Of course they would like to be in their ancestral homeland, but they can no longer live there for whatever reason. That being the case, they must pledge loyalty to their new home, the only home they now have.

However, I am an American. My mother is a Navy veteran who served in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba, and my father is an Army veteran and former Chicago police officer. My brother is a Marine who just served his tour of duty in Iraq. (I took the intellectual route to patriotic service.)

And although I am a patriot, my political views are progressive. I am even against any English-First legislation (though even a few undocumented friends of mine actually support such laws.)

In closing, Katt Williams’ comments this past weekend were not racist in the least, only nationalistic; and nationalistic in the most reasonable form. I do not think it is wrong of any American to expect that the people who immigrate here will pledge their unfettered love and energy to this great project called “America.”

For any immigrant to pledge their affinity and allegiance to a foreign country is simply wrong.
I welcome any questions or comments.

Respectfully,
Hector Luis Alamo, Jr.