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The psychiatric literature is replete with references to the phenomena which professionals in the field have termed Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) caused by repetitive micro-traumas or ritual abuse usually inflicted in childhood. This article proposes that "Malinchismo" within our Mexican-American culture is caused by ritual racial abuse inflicted by the dominant "Anglo" culture during our children's early childhood development beginning in kindergarten.

We have all heard references to "Vendidos, "Taco Tios" and "Coconuts" within our community and also of "Uncle Toms" and "House Niggers" from our Afro-American community but have we ever wondered or asked how these personality types come about?

To understand how these personality types may come about, we can refer to recent history involving the Jews during their traumatic "Nazi Holocaust Period"! The German Jews had their own "Vendidos" and "House Niggers" called "Judenrat" and "Kapos".

During the early years of Hitler's Regime, the S.S. established Jewish-led institutions to carry out anti-Jewish policies. S.S. leader Heydrich required the Jewish populace to form Jewish Councils as a liaison between the Jews and the Nazis. These councils of Jewish elders, (Judenrat; plural: Judenräte), were responsible for organizing the orderly deportation to the death camps and for detailing the number and occupations of the Jews in the ghettos, and for communicating the orders of the ghetto Nazi masters. Many of the Jewish leaders refused to participate in these Judenröte because they viewed these councils as a form of collaboration with the enemy. Eventually many who served in the Judenrat were arrested, taken to labor camps, or hanged.

There were other "Vendido" Jews who served the Nazis! Concentration camps depended on the cooperation of the ultimate "Jewish House Niggers" to clamp down on the prisoners. Known as Kapos, these Jewish trustees carried out the will of the Nazi camp commandants and guards, and were often as brutal as their S.S. counterparts. After the war, the prosecution of Kapos as war criminals created an ethical dilemma which continues to this day.

Consider the following story about a Jewish "Malinchista" as told by a female survivor of Auschwitz:

"The Kapo in this barracks was a young woman, Jewish, I don't know whether she was from Hungary or from Poland. She yelled a great deal and she ran around with a reed or stick, and anything in her way she would beat. And she took her orders from the Germans.

She was Jewish, yes, but she had a supervisory position. And at night she had a little cubicle at the end of the barracks. And there was a rumor that one of the SS came at night and spent the night with her, every night. But it was a rumor, because the barracks were dark at night, we did not know. In 1946 the rumor turned out to be true, she was in New York with that man. I met her at Altman's...."

What does the "Judenrat", the "House Nigger" and the "Vendido" have in common? They have all IDENTIFIED with the dominant "oppressors"! The "Judenrat" identified with the Nazis, the "House Nigger" with the Slave Owner and the "Vendido" with his Anglo Provider.

In our Mexican-American culture, this personality type is quite a nuisance if not right out dangerous to the well being of our community.  We must understand how they come about and learn to deal with them in a humane manner.

Throughout our history, we have lived in a dominant "Anglo" culture and in a system that has repeatedly demeaned our language and ancestry.  Soon after the signing the Treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo  in 1848, the "Anglos" moved to strip us of our land and undertook a program that would guarantee the perpetual subjugation of our community.  Like the "Judenrat" they have utilized "Vendidos" as "occupation administrators" and we have paid a heavy price.  The "Anglo" school system  has been one of their major weapons.  The schools until recently have been utilized to "crank"  out "Vendido" personality types.

Beginning in "kindergarten" Juanita is told by his "Gringa" teacher not to speak Spanish.  Juanita knows that her "Mamacita", "Papacito" and "Abuelita" speak Spanish at home and begins to wonder what must be wrong.  This is the beginning of the micro-traumas and the ritual racial abuse perpetuated by a so called legitimate institution.  In Texas elementary schools, it was an accepted practice to "paddle" or to put Mexican children in the "closet" for speaking Spanish when he or she was told not to.  Juanita is also the victim of ridicule by her "gringo" peers when during lunch she brings out her "Burrito" instead of a "Peanut Butter and Jelly" sandwich.

The slow and subtle ritual racial abuse continues on through middle and high school.  The verbal abuse becomes more vicious when Juanita is called a "spick", "beaner", "wetbback " and other unmentionable names.  Juanita is also exposed to very negative "Anglo Media" images of Mexicans on television, the radio, magazines and the newspapers.  Juanita starts to lose her self-esteem and some self-hate sets in.  This is a very critical period when the "personality" may take a variety of directions.  Juanita may see and understand her situation and may become a "resistor" or "revolutionary" and utilize her anger to succeed.  She may enrolled at a University and organize a MEChA Chapter and eventually lead many of us in the community. Another direction Juanita may take is one that provides a bleak existence.  For some the dismal self-esteem and self-hate propels us to a life of Gang-Banging and Drugs.

If Juanita has strong and nourishing "family life" she will succeed in spite of it all. If she identifies and is proud of her heritage and culture, Juanita will become a valuable contributing member of our community.

It is the last "alternative" personality direction that this paper is concerned with!  The micro-traumas and ritual racial abuse can dissociate the identity of Juanita!  The racial abuse that Juanita has experienced from kindergarten through high school develops "shame" of who she is. In order to cope she starts exhibiting what psychiatrist call Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Juanita may for example change her name from "Juanita" to "Jane".  In extreme cases she may "bleach" her hair blonde and start taking up the "personality characteristics" of "Anglos".  This is merely a nuisance but can become dangerous to our community when "Anglos" start using these personality types against us.  Like the "Judenrat" in Nazi Germany, these "Malinchistas" will be utilized against us in political campaigns like the present one against Bilingual Education.  We must not allow the "Anglo" to continue with these policies.  We must call a spade a spade!  We must not be afraid to speak up!

I would like to finish this article with the following quotation:   

"In Germany the Nazis came first for the Communist, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me."

-----Pastor Martin Niemoller