The Playground Stigma

A reader writes:

Yesterday, I was thinking about how the Arizona Law must be affecting Hispanic children when my cousin who is a naturalized citizen living in Arizona contacting me for advice on what he and his children should be carrying with them.  I felt so bad for him and his family because I could tell he was scared of what might happen to his kids. I am also a naturalized citizen and I remember living in Texas and being teased about being Hispanic.  People would call me an illegal and a Mexican, even though I am from El Salvador.  Apparently people think it is funny to just call all Hispanics “Mexican” and completely disregard their true ethnicity like it is too much trouble for them to remember. 

I was teased like this when there was no law like the one just passed in Arizona.  It makes me very sad to think of the Hispanic children in Arizona right now, who must be getting harassed by other kids at school and on the playgrounds.  I cannot imagine the humiliation they must feel every time some smart-ass kid asks them for their papers as they are walking to class.  These Hispanic kids who are citizens are not only being humiliated now but are also going to be scarred for life.  And when they grow up, do you think any of them will vote Republican?  Yeah, I don't think so either.