A stream of cultures

GRACIAS for shining a bit of luz on the blending of Mexican and American cultures in “A Post-NAFTA Star” [May 28].

Although we are muy lejos from mainstream American culture, the fact is that Mexicans didn’t just appear at the border.

Many of us who fall into the category “Latino” are not simply bicultural. Within the Latino identity we are of many races, including the original peoples of the Americas.

We “Latinos” straddle the American culture of our hometowns, the Latino culture of our parents, and the Native American, African, Asian and European roots of our ancestors. We have choices now that many of our forebears didn’t have, even our brothers and sisters of the Chicano movement a mere 30 years ago. What we do with our choices, how we decide to identify ourselves, and the relationship we have with “mainstream” America will continue to evolve as our numbers on this side of the border increase.

NANCY MARMOLEJO

Anaheim