Latin Point of View or Ethnic Snobbery?

In tribute to Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez (“We the People Follow All the Other People,” Sept. 3), I was going to write this entire letter in the style of the Declaration of Independence (“When in the course of reading the only major newspaper available to Los Angeles, I am forced to read the inane musings of Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez . . .”), but I decided not to fall back on the protracted gimmickry that she has already so ably demonstrated.

Rather than presenting any kind of insightful commentary or point of view, Valdes-Rodriguez constantly uses an extended gimmick “style” to demonstrate her superior knowledge of all things “Latino.” For example, she wrote an entire Sunday feature on Robi Rosa in the style of the Book of Genesis. Rosa is an interesting artist; he deserved more than an article that spent a good deal of its time exalting him at the expense of Ricky Martin).

Now, she has given us her spin on the Constitution, with her “commentary” on the hit song “Mambo No. 5.” It is time for another edition of “The Stupid White Masses Don’t Know Anything About Latin Culture.” (I am half Mexican American, lest I be accused of racism.) Maybe it hasn’t occurred to Valdes-Rodriguez that “Mambo No. 5,” like the music of Ricky Martin, is commercially successful because it is catchy and fun. I don’t think people think about whether or not they are experiencing authentic Latin culture when they are looking for an upbeat song on their car radios during rush hour.

I hold this truth to be self-evident: that, from now on, I am free to pass over any article written by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez.

HARMONY JONES

Los Angeles

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While reading a newspaper that I usually count on to be against racism in any form, I came across a piece by Valdes-Rodriguez that really made me cringe.

She levels an attack on the song “Mambo No. 5” by “Italian-Ugandan” Lou Bega. She makes it clear that she does not think that he has the right to sing this song because he is a “non-Latino.” I wonder, would anyone be upset if an Englishman said Puff Daddy had no right to record “I’ll Be Missing You” since he sampled the Police?

One quick look in the dictionary would tell her that the word “Latin” pertains not only to the peoples she selectively selects, but to Italians as well. Indeed, Italy is the country most closely associated with the word “Latin,” which means Lou Bega, a Latino African, has every right to not only act like a “Real Latin Lover,” but to also puff his cheeks out like that famous African American Louis Armstrong.

I hope Valdes-Rodriguez will, in the future, be more inclined to think before she writes. Ethnic snobbery is learned, and I am sorry for all the children who were taught an unsweetened lesson this morning while reading The Times.

CAROLINE EDWARDS