Quote:
Originally Posted by 71buc
Interesting conversation, I’ll voice no opinion one way or another. Nor will
I judge anyone for their comments or opinions. Nonetheless, Clemente was not from a foreign country. Like all Puerto Ricans he was born an American citizen. As such I would disagree that calling him Bob was an effort to Americanize him.
|
Yes, Puerto Ricans are technically Americans. But to White America, they were foreign sounding (and looking), and were treated differently. I should have more accurately said that calling Roberto Bob may have been a way to "Anglicize" his name.
Check out the attached article from June 7, 1955 in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette where Roberto firmly states what he wants to be called and where the newspaper goes to great lengths to emphasize the different way he pronounced certain words:
""My name eet is Roberto Enricque Clemente Walker….Just Roberto Clemente, thas all….This Enricque is middle name. Walker eet is my mother's name. In Puerto Rico, people she use father and mother's name. I use Roberto Clemente in thees country.""