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Brandishing Pride On A Plate

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 21, 2008

Here comes another case of in-your-face cultural pride.

The National Hispanic Corporate Achievers wants a Florida specialty license plate that features a conquistador's galleon and says either that "Hispanics Discovered Florida" or that "Hispanics Settled Florida."

Native Americans should love the choice.

This push is reminiscent of the giant Confederate flag being flown near the intersection of Interstate 4 and Interstate 75. It seems expressions of cultural pride can no longer be respectful and dignified, but must be broadcast to all with no consideration for another person's history or oppression.

And with 109 specialty plates in Florida, it's time to declare: Enough already!

Florida Latinos have much to be proud of - a thriving business community, growing political influence, scholarly achievement, laudable military service and a rich contribution to our cultural tapestry.

But the proposed license plate imparts a Eurocentric view that Florida was neither discovered nor settled before Juan Ponce de León claimed "La Florida" for Spain in 1513. Yet the native tribes who called this peninsula home - the Timucua, Apalachee and Calusa, among the largest - were highly volved societies.

While the conquistadors brought horses, their language and European culture to the New World, there is no room on a license plate to note that Spain's colonization efforts in Florida were a failure, and that in their quest for gold and glory, the Spaniards conscripted, abused and decimated native peoples.
Conquistadors were a product of their times, but modern-day sensibilities apply now.

Danny Ramos, president of the National Hispanic Corporate Achievers - a group that sponsors minority job fairs - told the Orlando Sentinel that the license plate would be part of "our assimilation and acceptance in Florida."

If that's truly the goal, this group should find a better symbol than conquistadors on which to hang its history.

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