On the third meeting around the beginning of August when I thought I had provided everything that was requested of me, a new development was presented that I would have to address and take care of…
three concerned citizens had written letters to indicate that they did not want a shop, “owned by them”, to be allowed to open up.
“Them” and “they” would be used quite a bit due to my last name, Bosquez.
http://names.mooseroots.com/l/32283/Bosquez
The origin(s) of the name. Bosquez: SpanishÂ
Ancestry.com
Bosquez Name: Spanish (Bósquez): possibly an altered spelling of Spanish Bosques, a variant (plural) of Bosque.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press.
Bosque – Wikipedia
Three letters of complaint, written blatantly against the Spanish last name that they saw posted in the city meeting minutes in the newspaper and the city called the project to a halt…
until I could get a hundred signatures of local residents in favor of me opening the shop.
So I went out. I started right around the shop, my plan was to start in a small circle around the shop and work my way out around town. Being on main street I figured it would be a good strategy.
Good thing my in-laws were within two blocks.
Life long residents themselves, and my Father-in-law had been Mayor for quite some time in the past.
He asked who the names were of the people who complained.
“I don’t have the names, the city said I needed to get this petition signed.”
My father-in-law said they have to give me the names and should have given them to me right away.
I went back to the city and requested all information, names and letters written pertaining to my project.
I shared the names with my in-laws and then witnessed the good thing about how a small town works.
My in-laws made a few calls.
Guess what? All three letters were rescinded.
Only one, ahem! gentleman, a different guy than who wrote the letters, showed up at the city meeting when my permit was to be issued to still complain about “them” opening up a car lot.
I still had the signatures just in case, but it turns out my in-laws knew all the people, they didn’t even live in town anymore being absent land owners, those people only saw my last name in the paper and, “didn’t want a bunch of Mexicans having a junk yard on main street.”
My mother-in-law called one of the people, a friend of hers and asked why he didn’t want her son-in-law to open his shop?
“Oh it’s him.”
Never mind I’ve been in town for years, never mind I was running Little League for years, never mind my kid’s were known for academics and sports, never mind I served on an ad-hoc committee for the city, never mind I… just never mind.
Oh well, water under the bridge as they say. This all got me thinking about the Fourth of July.
I was born and raised in America. Funny I should even have to mention that. I love Old Glory and all she can stand for.
I never once blamed America for the racism I encountered.
I blamed the small minded people who participated in it.
I still come back to the fathers. How does a particular mind set become set? In the house, right?
It doesn’t matter if that house is white, black, brown, yellow, red or whatever shade you decide to throw.
We learn how to be the way we are and…
the way we are to each other… still has a long way to go.
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