August, 2012 Latino Atheists Meeting

The monthly Latino Atheists meeting was today. I did not make it. I woke up late. But Martha was there and gave me an update.

Jose is in Washington, DC for a month. Jaime was actually at a baptism. Apparently there are still religious people in his family.

It was her, Francisco and Margaret. Martha gave me the impression that it was mostly Francisco giving his usual speech: The world is going to !!!!!! because people are all a bunch of @@@@@@@@ idiots and we are all ########. Next month there will be a round of Francisco Mad Libs.  Bring an extra pencil for the kids.

Martha proved her atheist credentials: Last night she drove her son to Southern Illinois University. Then she slept for three hours, and then drove up here for the monthly meeting. She is a woman with the strength of 10,000 men (Peter Himmelman’s best song in my opinion).

I mentioned that I may be moving to Austin, Texas. I volunteered to be the Official Welcoming Committee For Incoming Young Mexican Female Atheist Gymnasts, Marathon Runners, Yoga Practitioners and Bikini Models, or OWCFIYMFAGMRYPABM for short (rolls right off the tongue). Somebody’s gotta do it. Martha said I shouldn’t get my hopes up, since most atheists in Mexico are better-educated than average, and better-educated Mexicans tend to stay in Mexico. She also recommended flying into Mexico City versus going over land.

Martha and I also discussed immigration: One topic was why immigrants from Mexico are the less-educated and immigrants from Asia are more-educated. All the immigrants in my family died a long time ago, so some of this is not too obvious to me. While there was a lot of discrimination against Irish in America in the 19th century, there were no laws against Irish coming here. For a long time there were laws restricting Asian immigration.

Martha wants to have a Skype meeting, and an Atheist Burning Man down in Central Illinois. When I was attending UIUC I went back and forth between campus and Chicago many many times. I saw all that farmland as something to suffer through. Now I like driving out in the country and spending some time down there. I don’t know if I could live there. But I do like it more than I used to. Perhaps the pressure of having to finish my degree influenced my perceptions.

You are not alone: usted no está solo

Image from Wikipedia page for Baja California Sur