Traveling to The United States

Rubiazo says on Sep 12, 2005, 16:35:

The weather in Texas sucks.
And make sure you will have a car.

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 12, 2005, 16:40:

First of all, where are you going to be in Texas? Are you going to be stuck with a lot of transplanted Yankees in Houston or Dallas or are you going to where the real Texans live, say San Antonio or El Paso? Never mind Rubiazo, he hates Texas. Where are you from in Colombia? If you are a Costena, you will be used to the weather in humid and hot East Texas. If you are a Calena, you will be used to the weather in dry and hot West Texas. If you are a Rola or a Paisa, you'll probably be like my wife and spend the summers muttering "Mucho calor". Luckily there is air conditioning everywhere. Cuentame mas, por favor.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 12, 2005, 16:42:

One last thing, you aren't travelling to the United States. You're travelling to Texas and any resemblance between Texas and the other 49 states is purely coincidental. Parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico and Mexico could pass for Texas.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Rubiazo says on Sep 12, 2005, 16:47:

I don't hate Texas I have never been there. But I can read a climograph.
I know that in Dallas, you can't rent an apartment out without AC by law. That is probably a very good thing.

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Lilly R. says on Sep 12, 2005, 16:48:

The idea is to study at UTA (Arlington- Dallas-ForthW area) at least for 2 years. I am from Bogotá and over the 30ths. :)

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 12, 2005, 16:56:

If you are not used to hot weather, it's going to be rough. Imagine going to Monteria or Baranquilla. Dallas is not as humid as Houston but it's pretty bad. In 2003, the overall student body at UTA was 12.0% African American, 11.1% Hispanic, 10.3% Asian, 0.7% Native American, and 11.6% International. Not too bad in terms of diversity and considerably better than the surrounding metropolitan area. It's a bit hard for me to give advice but if you like, please email my wife, I sent you her email address.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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BAQ says on Sep 12, 2005, 17:06:

Dallas is great Texas is fine, EVERYTHING has an AC so the weather won;t be a problem. July, August and 1st part of September are hot but after that the weather is GREAT, December and January can get cold and once a year it usually snows.

LOTS of Mexicans in Dallas area so if you get hung up with english, you can find someone who speaks spanish without a problem in almost every business.

You will fall in love with Tex-Mex food and of course our BBQ, my Colombian wife still talks about our BBQ.

You will find Dallas a fast paced city, lots of traffic and large highways. The people, for the most part are very friendly.

REMEMBER 911, in American, unlike Colombia, if you need the police, fire or an ambulance, just dial 911.

ENJOY YOURSELF, You will find UTD a good university with a diverse culture of students from all over the world.

Semper Fidelis !

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BAQ says on Sep 12, 2005, 17:31:

I agree mario Mario, I agree, AUSTIN is pretty, cooler AND is only a one hour drive from San Antonio and New Braunsfels. YA GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME IN SAN ANTONIO !!!!!!!!

I am from Dallas and IF I were to ever move back, It would be in San Antonio. Housing is HIGH in Austin, San Antonio is much cheaper.

Semper Fidelis !

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ws244 says on Sep 12, 2005, 17:35:

texas south texas is full of mexicans so you will do fine as the mexicans will think you are mexican as long as you do not speak, and the anglos will think you are mexican as colombians and mexicans look alike. texas mexicans can not afford corona so drink budweiser or miller in public. Anyone saying this is not the reality of life is not being honest about life. an anglo in colombia is a gringo, just the same as in mexico, just another gringo.

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kernow62 says on Sep 12, 2005, 17:55:

I would skip Texas and head to Florida, it is much nicer and there is no humidity. You will feel at home with all the mountains.

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tomtom33 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:02:

ws244 says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:07:

texas they are all true and i am from south texas.

Latins look like latins and anglos look like anglos, a simple fact of life political correctness can not ignore.

The average Texas Mexican can not afford to drink corona, corona is an imported high end beer for anglos the same as heineken.

Colombians do not speak tex-mex and as soon as they open their mouth Texas Mexicans know this. South americans do not speak tex-mex.

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Gator says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:13:

Like one Texan said to a friend. "The only thing Texas needs is a little more water and a little better class of people." To which his companion replied, "If I am not mistaken that's all hell needs."

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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cam0940 says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:21:

WS244 I don't mean this as a put down, but we gotta start callin you Archie Bunker.

You must admit, even I noticed that Tex Mex Spanish is different from LA. A New Yorker and a Texan both speak English, but as soon as a New Yorker opens his mouth, the Texan knows he ain't from around these parts. I would think the locals of Mexican descent would notice the difference in espanol. Sounds harsh, but Archie's right.

He's also right about the Corona. I lived in San Antonio three years. San Antonion has a lot of 2nd and 3rd generation Mexican-Americans who assimliate into U.S. culture, education, jobs etc. But there are also some illegals working for minimal wages. They usually don't buy imported beer. They buy what's on sale.

As far as appearances, well come on. Let's be totally honest. Unless you are intimately familiar with Latam, people can't pick out where you're from just by looking at you. So it doesn't sound like too much a stretch to say that non-hispanic people might assume she's Mexican.

Archie's a little rough around the edges, but he ain't crazy.

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Sonny says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:23:

correction It is called the United Empire of Texas and all other states (if you call them states) or just cast outs and wana be's. UC, you must remember the Aggie that moved to Oklahoma and raised the IQ of both states.

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Sonny says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:33:

Lilly R Texas is a great state with a great history. There are some areas that are not so good but if your going to study in San Antonio or Austin or even east Texas you will like the country. Dallas is where I live and it is not so good. A lot of snow birds and wanna be Texans. Many and I mean many cultures to deal with. A car would be very good to have available to you. Taxi's are costly and the bus system , well let's not talk about that unless your in south Texas.
Let us know where you going to go to school and then It will be better to talk about the location for you. UC is in God's part of Texas and it is really nice there. You will love the hill country and the food and the people are much nicer there then in the Houston (Arm pit of Texas) or Dallas.
Congrat's on your coming to Texas where you will get a real edge-a-cation (Education) The slang is necessary if you are to communicate. :-) That is an education in itself I promise

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Sonny says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:38:

Gator We have plenty of water. It is the beer that we are short on.
Come on Gator, just cuz you like the swamp is not cause to call us low class. You can come and visit us anytime. Please write UC for your Visa prior to coming however. :-)

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cam0940 says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:38:

You know what Mario? It is racist to say all people of hispanic descent look alike. Just like it's racist to say all Anglos or African Americans look alike.

But I, as an African American, couldn't tell you if one Black person traces his roots to the Ivory Coast and the other to Ghana. Totally different countries and I couldn't tell you. The only ones I can pick out are Nigerians. A lot of Anglos couldn't tell you if one came from England and another from say, Belguim. I chose Belgium because a buddy of mine has a girlfriend from Belgium. You have no idea until she starts speaking, and even then you only know that it's a French speaking country.

And of course, you're friends are a tad higher class than the group I think Archie was talking about. I've heard the same, that Corona really isn't that great a beer. I'm a Beck's man, myself.

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ws244 says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:43:

archie My other halfs mother and father came to San Antonio in june from bogota for my older sons wedding, the mother and father stayed at the downtown riverwalk marriott and do not speak a lick of english. At my sons wedding the 150 people 99% anglo, of the anglos who did not know this family, as far as they were concerned they were mexicans. Not a putdown for me or the family, but rather the way it is. In Colombia i am a gringo, in saudi i am a westerner, in germany i am an american. Now archie, he was a real character, however at my age i recall hardly ever watching "all in the family" in the sixties or early seventies.
It is not racist to say groups of people look alike, no more than filling out any job application form in the states, government forms, college application form, loan application forms that ask what we are, who we are, or are those laws exceptions?

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Sonny says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:44:

Kernow62 Mountains??? Was the hurrican worse then I thought? The higest part of Florida is Clermont. Maybe there have been to many Hurricans. NO HUMIDITY?? I lived in Orlando and after you took a shower and went outside you needed another shower. I guess the old grove hills could be called mountains. :-) Having fun with you pal. Shucks man, here in Texas what you call a Mountain we call Hills.

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Sonny says on Sep 12, 2005, 18:47:

Mario At least you have public transportation. Here it is a moving toilet with a few drive by's. To add COLOR
I still think Houston is the Arm pit but your right about the HOV's ?????? A Texas size JOKE

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cam0940 says on Sep 12, 2005, 19:09:

I'm with you Mario. If I were shown at some stage how to identify a person's region of origin by their physical traits--which IS often possible--I would. But the average Joe walking down the street isn't trained in that discipline. It would be nice if the average Joe recognized his/her limitations but I believe more often than not, people assume. If you're within 100 miles of the border w/ Mexico and 95% of the hispanic people in the area are of Mexican descent, it seems plausible that Average Joe is going to assume any hispanic person he encounters is Mexican.

I try to take a little higher road myself. I'm a little more inquisitive, try to learn something whenever I can, and try to be as accurate as possible. I just think that's being respectful. But the average Joe doesn't know and doesn't care. Same thing we experience as Black people. It is technically prejudice. People have their minds made up before they know. And don't have time/care enough to ask. And I think that's where WS244 was coming from.

It is definitely ugly, but I think Archie has a realistic understanding of the average Joe.

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cam0940 says on Sep 12, 2005, 19:45:

No no no, I never said all Hispanic people look alike, there are obvious differences. It's just that if you're untrained you can't match up a certain trait to a specific origin. That was really my point with the African American example too. For us, people don't even try. At best they say "African", which is a continent. People don't even pretend to be able to identify specific countries, because no one cares enough. Some Joes say "Mexican" as if it were a race, not a nationality, because they just aren't cultured enough to make the distinction. You and I are obviously a little more observant, and you may be more so than I. I was just looking at Eva Longoria on TV. I would call her hispanic, because I have no idea where her roots are. But if you told me she were Colombian, aside from her last name, I'd wouldn't have a leg to challenge you on.

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BAQ says on Sep 12, 2005, 20:17:

Mexican & Texas OK, I can only speak for Dallas because that is where I lived.

WS244 is CORRECT about the LANGUAGE, it is "Tex-Mex", when my wife (who is Colombian) were back last X-mas, she told me it took some "Getting used to" listening to the TEX-MEX Spanish. So from that aspect, it is different. Similar to someone from Texas speaking to someone from Boston, they are speaking english, but it is different english.

Being "Latin", A majority of Anglo's won;t know the difference, to them, LATIN is LATIN, be it Mexican, Colombian, Cuban ect.

In Dallas, there are several classes of "Latins", some rich, some middle income and some poor, so depending on how you dress, what you drive and where you live will determine your "Social Status".

Hope the info helps.

Semper Fidelis !

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Michael B says on Sep 12, 2005, 20:48:

well, well, well One moving to Arlington and one moving to Plano. Here's my two cents (having lived in Plano, now living in Dallas, but if I cross the street I'd be in Plano again).
1) If you are triguena, you WILL be mistaken for a Mexican by the local blacks and whites. By the Mexicans too, until you speak. (People mistake my wife all the time).
2) Mexicans speak Spanish differently than Colombians. Those that have been here for 3 or 4 generations often don't speak it at all.
3) Either live within walking distance of your school/job or have a car. Public transportation is very poor. The buses run only every 1/2 hour on some routes, every hour on others. Often you will have to change buses and will have a 45 minute or hour layover. There is a train service (run by the same quasi-governmental agency that runs the buses 'DART' [Dallas Area Rapid Transit]) but the routes are extreemly limited.
4) Have a car....beat up old, but still very servicable used cars here are extreemly inexpensive. You will be pleasently suprized at the prices. Try to avoid the 'note lots' (those that say 'we tote the note' [meaning they carry the financing {the 'note', as in promisary note}]) or 'Su trabajo es su credito' (yes, their signs really say that, in Spanish) because they generaly charge too much for the car to start with and their interest rate is also high. It is mandatory to have liability insurance for the car, they won't give you the license plate (actualy a decal that you stick in the front window) without it and they won't do a safety inspection without it. Of course, you only have to buy the license sticker and inspection once a year, so conceievably you could buy a car that they both still have some time remaining (they don't expire just because the car has a new owner) and not have to worry about it for a while, BUT if you have an accident or get stopped by the police for any traffic crime, the police will demand to see the insurance policy and if you don't have it, they will give you a $200 fine (in addition to the fine for whatever they stoped you for in the first place) and some places will impound your car and your will have to pay the $200 AND wrecker (la gruya) fees AND storage fees to get it back.---opps, sorry if it looks long and rambling.---but it's stuff you need to know about the USA 'car culture'.
5) Where the elite meet. The is a resturant called 'La Casa Vieja' in Carrollton, in the shopping center at the corner of Joesy and Beltline. It is run by a Colombian family, if you get homesick for some Colmobian food or just want to hang out with other Colombians.
6) Carrollton, Arlington, Plano (and many more). Technically, these are seperate cities, with their own police, their own fire department, their own mayor etc.....but it's more convient to think of them simply as equivlent to a 'barrio' in Colombia (or a 'colonia' in Mexico).

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Rubiazo says on Sep 12, 2005, 20:58:

Tex Mex is actually officially not Spanish anymore, but a sub-dialect.

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 12, 2005, 22:19:

What a bunch of complete bullshit. You racist motherf*&ers. You want to look down on Mexican Americans and say their Spanish is not Spanish just because it doesn't sound like Colombian Spanish. My wife goes on about this crap and I tell her that this is what we speak and she better get used to it. If she wants to hear Colombian Spanish she can go the f*&k back to Colombia. And she has gotten used to it - actually she makes a lot fewer comments about people's Spanish and maybe she is starting to realize different is different. It doesn't mean one is better than the other any more than Canadian English is better than Aussie English is better than Irish English. Bunch of goddam pendejos.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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isaactraveler says on Sep 12, 2005, 22:19:

if you can change the location, go to Austin or Houston ok maybe even San Antonio. There is a large latino culture there, but a huge Colombian population. No real community, however.. as everyone lives everywhere here.

Austin is a bit cooler (in education, ambiance and fun) but Houston is friendlier. As Mario says, the bus system sucks, so you will have to find a place here off Westheimer.

Dallas/Arlington have never been my favorite parts of Texas, but there are nice things there as well. Lots of lakes.

San Antonio... nice hispanic majority, with everyone getting along ( and Seaworld).

I also think that anywhere in Texas, you will be percieved as Mexican (until they hear you speak). That is, unless you are like all the other Colombians here and wear a Colombian colored necklace, bracelet, earings.. soccer shirt, sexy jeans and tangas. Regardless, I doubt you will see any racisim.

come to houston, I will treat you to some bar-b-que

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elmodefoque says on Sep 13, 2005, 05:35:

hey issac you fat head, how the hell are you and that lovely wife of your, i hope the kid don't come out lookin like you, but more important how is your stunning sister in-law? she's so damn hot, i'll give her a beso negro right after she does a number 2.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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jbk0904 says on Sep 13, 2005, 06:35:

Screen what they said Dear Lili:

I am sure at this time that you may be so confused: which city you want live and which school you want to go?

But I can tell you this. Your life in the US will be depend on how you quickly adopt new cultures, wherever you go, to the US or other countries in the world. You are not going TeXas for fun. You go over there to study. First, decide which school you want to go. Second, prepare yourself for new cultures over there. Third, learn and adopt them quickly if you can. Remember that this is a new life for you even if that is only 2 years and that people live every where in Texas. You can survive no matter what. Is it an exciting matter for you as to new and experimental life and place? Challenge it and overcome it. Then you will be even successful in academic area. My final recommendation!!..Find out if you can live in student housing on campus. Tha wil be another experiment for new comer. I was a student when I came to the US in 1982, just like you. I survived well. If you have any other questions, you can PM me...Good luck...stay healthy.

Chao

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Sonny says on Sep 13, 2005, 06:45:

Lilly R. Arlington is a nice place. Not to big yet not so small with a lot of foreign students there. You will like the night life and it is pretty safe. I live near there and I love it. You will have good transportation and most things close to UTA. Places to eat, shopping and sports. You'll be fine. Let me know by PM and I will send you my e-mail address and you and my wife can talk. She is from Cali.

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Gator says on Sep 13, 2005, 08:00:

SONNY... "Gator...Please write UC for your Visa (forTexas) prior to coming... :-"

I did apply for the visa but it was denied since my partents are married.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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Rubiazo says on Sep 13, 2005, 09:23:

UC I dont even know if they actually speak Tex Mex all the way over in San Antonio. I think its more from Houston on down to Corpus that official Tex Mex is spoken. Where you are they probably speak Spanish :P

I personally think the British speak WAY better English than Americans OR Canadians btw. The whole western hemisphere is really in the dumps as far as language is concerned!

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ws244 says on Sep 13, 2005, 10:36:

ws244 Well they do speak official tex-mex in san antonio, and san antonio is full of wetbacks (today we call them foreign exchange students) many of whom have families with their kids in our public schools, hospitalization at our expense, etc. This is not being racist, just the way it is. A gringo in mexico would be shot for making an issue of calling mexicans racist, or for that matter in almost any other third world country except the USA, Canada, and the UK. It always amazes me how many people call gringos racist in the U.S. while they themselves, whether recent immigrants or prior family immigrants have nothing but racism as an ordinary course of everyday of life in their old country, including Colombia. Colombians are proud of having the most correctly spoken spanish in south america.

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ws244 says on Sep 13, 2005, 12:39:

tex mex Being from south texas, south texas anglos do know the difference, just most are not politically correct, no different than the mexicans in mexico among themselves either, etc. etc..

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Sonny says on Sep 13, 2005, 13:04:

Gator To each other?? " PARTENTS" ???? Another reason to need and obtain a visa. You must first learn to spell. Once the Visa is denied you can only apply once you have completed potty training 1. It will not take to long, a year or two should do it. I am having fun with you so please do not get upset. It will really only take a few months to complete.

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 13, 2005, 18:14:

WTF do you know about it, ws244? I'd trade you even up for any 5 Mexicans soaking wet from the Rio Grande.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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BAQ says on Sep 13, 2005, 19:22:

IMPORTING MEXICANS OK, I think it is high time we form a coalition and start importing Mexicans into Colombia, PREFERABLY Mexicans who have spent time in TEXAS.

Why oh Why you ask? I WANT SOME REAL TEX-MEX RESTAURANTS HERE IN COLOMBIA :-)

Semper Fidelis !

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ws244 says on Sep 14, 2005, 06:43:

wt Come on now, you are supposedly a transplanted Canadian, an attorney now living in the Bandera, Texas area. I doubt you speak to your clients at USAA (a member for 38 years), at Ft. Sam,Brooks, etc. if one of those is your work place, etc in this manner. I have been around these people all my life. You found it necessary to marry a Colombian, yet you had much more of an opportunity to marry an ethnic mexican due to proximity, numbers at your workplace, and their numbers in the south texas area.

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caslug says on Sep 14, 2005, 13:17:

Lily, dont worry about.. getting a car right away. As a entering student your school probably will provide you with dorm or student apartment. I recommend student apartment, some school even have apartment for international student. From there you'll meet other student(regular and international) to build your social network from. Most uni have malls or shopping center close to them and many uni provide there own public transportation IN ADDITION to the city's public transportation. So you should have NO problem taking a bus/shuttle to the grocery store or shopping centers.

If you live in a uni apartment, you'll usually share that with 2 or 3 other students, normally at least ONE will have a car.

As for social life, you'll have NO PROBLEM meeting new friends and lovers/boyfriends. If you'll single when you arrive, you WILL NOT be single after 3 months! LOL! Especially with international students(sexy accent/extotic factor), and if you dress like the COL gals in COL(with sexy outfi for normal activities) you'll hook up VERY quickly! Plus if you hook up with a local student they will usually have a car.

It's quiet normal for first year student NOT to have a car, many student dont get a car(if ever) until the second year, especially international students.

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ws244 says on Sep 14, 2005, 15:37:

ma I was going to school with good mexicans before most on this board were born. Since so many defenders of mexicans are out there castigating others as racists, KKK's, they are being hippocrites, on the one hand defending mexicans, and on the other hand going 3,000 miles and marrying Colombians. Kind of like a used car salesman talking out of both sides of his mouth. If one is such a defender of them then marry them, or does political correctness only work one way.

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BAQ says on Sep 14, 2005, 16:20:

OK, what did I miss with the KKK thing ??????????

Mexican, Colombian, Cuban ect, LATIN IS LATIN !!!

I LOVE LATIN WOMEN and I don;t see any difference other than the difference latin cultures.

Semper Fidelis !

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ws244 says on Sep 15, 2005, 10:03:

m arch The above post once again demostrates education does not equal character.

With such beating of the chest and conviction in life, a real hero of the opressed might better help fellow humanity by visiting Iraq and hold a symposium between the Shiites and Sunnis on the virtues of political correctness, ethnicity, womens rights, equality of the masses, rather than foul language on this board.
The battle of Verdun was in 1916 and the americans were not in europe until 1917.

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