A lot of us are NOT smart and are still capable of amazing things.

@ Valerie: Like Mario Lopez?

You know why these stories are always bandied about?

So people in power can throw it in our brown faces.

“What? This guy made it why can’t you? He’s not complaining about his poor upbringing, why are you?”

It’s the Horatio Alger myth but with a brown face.

@La Linda: G-Bee shout out of the Week and it’s only monday. well played, LL. well played.

You know, I’m in my mid 20s now, and the older I get, and the more educated and accomplished fellow Latinos I meet, the more I experience first hand how even the smartest and most successful among us has internalized the worst of anti-Hispanic prejudices. From my Puerto Rican co-worker saying he’s not “a real puerto rican” because he likes to read books, to reading about someone who was permanently scarred by some 8 year old schoolyard bully who teased him for liking the “wrong” kind of music, lots of people think that being Latino is a way of life and a frame of mind tied to specific cultural tastes, a certain level of education, and a particular socioeconomic status, instead of being simply a geneaological fact. This is why these Horatio Alger stories can be good, in a way, going against stereotypes and showing that yes, Latinos can complete basic levels of education and even move on into the most rigorous and prestigious professions with ease, Latinos are just like everybody else, with the added fact that they have some roots in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and Latin America. Sounds simple, no? And yet sometimes non-Latinos don’t see us as real, full-fledged human beings endowed with normal intelligence and normal mental capabilities. See how even completing high school and not being a single mother appears to be a cause of praise for some Latinos. Most Americans have very low expectations of us, they don’t think we are capable of the most basic things. it’s very frustrating.

I don’t think it’s a “looky them darn mexican’s can do more than pick spinach (and give us e-coli)” story more than a human story. Sure masses of ignorant people cause a stain on all latinos but that happens with all nationalities. it’s a matter of perspective and the feeling that you already own of self worth that defines how you see the story. I think it’s inspirational that he overcame poverty when most people give in to their surroundings. I think it’s awesome that he looked further than what was happening at the moment instead of letting it define him. It’s very easy to let yourself become your environment. It’s exceptional when you defeat it and rise above. I don’t think it was a ploy to pinpoint the “few” exceptional latinos. I certainly hope that Dr. Q wouldn’t participate in such a thing that ultimately mocks where he comes from. I think, like the website name - it’s supposed to make us “think big”.

@ La Linda: LOL, yes, exactly like Mario.

I find these types of stories inspirational.

Get over the fact that he is Latino! He is a human being that has overcome great odds. I think it is a great human interest story…not a Latino story.

I am a 51 year old “white” woman that was fortunate enough to be born in this country. My ancestors were immigrant Irish/German.They worked the coal mines that helped power this FREE nation and farmed to FEED this great nation. I did not have to jump a fence but they spent days on a boat coming to this great country. I appreciated that fact as a child growing up in the midwest in southern Indiana, every one was equal, believe it or not. Our schools were intergrated. I have never been a racist. But as a woman I have encountered discrimination. I have encountered people of “color” that have a “chip” on their shoulder. I spent eight years serving in the US Navy. Get over being “Latino”