Some fans take issue with Velasquez's 'Brown Pride' tattoo

[Clark Kent]

10-24-2009 01:15 PM:

Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have long been a huge factor in combat sports, mainly boxing in the middle and lower weight classes. The trickle over to mixed martial arts has slowly developed with fighters like Roger Huerta, Efrain Escudero, Diego Sanchez and tonight's UFC 104 co-main fighter Cain Velasquez.

All four of those guys proudly proclaim that they have Mexican roots. It's no different than recent boxing stars like Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, yet Velasquez strikes a chord with some with his visual statement of pride. Velasquez has "Brown Pride" emblazened across his chest. The Las Vegas Review-Journal did a piece on Velasquez where he talked about the roots for the tattoo:

"I did it (as a tribute to) my dad and all he did to get over here. He gave me something to look up to when I was little," Velasquez said. "I'm proud of my roots and where I come from. We're hard workers. I love that. I love everything about my culture."

Velasquez said his father crossed the border illegally and was deported several times before finally settling in Salinas, Calif., and starting a family.

​

The illegal crossing mention brings out the crazies on the internet. Here is one of the many anti-Hispanic messages posted on the LVRJ comment page, from something called la grande lumiere:

Velasquez looks up tp this father, an illegal immigrant. I can understand a son revering his father. It is a nice touch. If his father had not immigrated illegally, then Cain would not have had the advantages, such as attending college (All American at Arizona State)and being groomed for his athletic career. No, he would be sitting in the dirt in Mexico just another Mexican in a dirt poor country.

Don't you think he owes some pride and patriotism to the United States of America? I do. Until he does admit some fondness for this country, his efforts will fall on deaf ears. Who cares about an ethnic person who shows no gratitude to America?

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Has Velasquez consistently disrespected his U.S. roots or is this another jackass judging the kid's character based a couple of comments in a story and a tattoo? Who cares? No one would have an issue with Phil Baroni (Italian-American) or Marcus Davis (Irish-American) if they had some pro-ethnic tattoo, so what's the problem with Velasquez? Clearly, the complaints come from folks with a deeper seeded hate.

Dana White won't say it outright but Velasquez's tattoo and cultural pride could prove to be big business for the UFC:

"The one key thing about Cain Velasquez in that (Mexican) market is they've never had a heavyweight champion in anything. So if this guy can win the heavyweight championship, it would be big."

​

The promotion launched a huge television deal in Mexico earlier this year airing pay-per-views for free reaching upwards of 60-70 million people. It can only help if Velasquez moves closer to a title shot against Brock Lesnar, if he can take out Ben Rothwell tonight.



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Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

These are ugly issues that I mostly stay out of. I note, however, that the tattoo says "Brown Pride," not "Mexican Pride." Whilst the author might believe that a similar tattoo saying "Irish Pride" or "Scottish Pride," etc, might be seen as a non-issue, I would be willing to bet that a tattoo saying "White Pride" would be a significant issue.

There are double-standards. I understand that. Mostly, I let it go by. Life is too short to argue this emotional topics that can have no winner. Yes, it is unfair and wrong that there is an NAACP and that's OK and yet an NAAWP would be seen as racist. I get that.

I also get that ethnic and racial heritage sometimes become conflated. Joe Lewis was "The Brown Bomber," and various Caucasian boxers have been called "The Great White Hope."

I hope someday we can get beyond all this - all of us.

I am proud of my Welsh heritage, but I do not trumpet my 'whiteness'. My pride in my heritage is cultural and not racial. If this guy wants to broadcast his pride in his 'brownness', I guess whatever floats his boat. I can't say he is or is not a racist, I don't know the man. I note that a similar man who touted his 'whiteness' with a tattoo in the ring might not get a sympathetic response from the world at large.

 

[digitalronin]

The United States has a rather poor track record on the treatment of minorities.

 

[David43515]

The United States has a rather poor track record on the treatment of minorities.

I`ve travelled all over the world, and I`ve yet to find a country with a good one. Racial, cultural, religious, if you`re a minority you`re going to be **** on sometimes. It goes with the territory. It`s human nature.

That being said, I think Bill speaks for most of us when he said "I hope someday we can get beyond all this."

 

[Carol]

Dana White won't say it outright but Velasquez's tattoo and cultural pride could prove to be big business for the UFC

Ka-ching!

Wonder if Dana is interested in signing Toni Valtonen [/sarcasm]

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

I can remember all the way back to my childhood and seeing different groups declaring their "White Pride" "Black Power" "Brown Pride" or other similar claims..

I never understood what one could be so proud about a birthtrait for..
Being proud because I was white never made sense.. Being proud because I have a President in my family tree..yes.. that was something to be proud of because my ancestor had to do great things to get to that position... being proud because I can trace my routes back to royalty in Europe? not so much.. once again they were born that way...

I guess I am more impressed with people who are proud of their heritage for great accomplishments and claim so, rather then those that are so ignorant that all they want is the advancement of their own small group of people.

I would rather see greatness for the sake of greatness regardless of race, religion, or creed... /shrug

 

[CoryKS]

These are ugly issues that I mostly stay out of. I note, however, that the tattoo says "Brown Pride," not "Mexican Pride." Whilst the author might believe that a similar tattoo saying "Irish Pride" or "Scottish Pride," etc, might be seen as a non-issue, I would be willing to bet that a tattoo saying "White Pride" would be a significant issue.

There are double-standards. I understand that. Mostly, I let it go by. Life is too short to argue this emotional topics that can have no winner. Yes, it is unfair and wrong that there is an NAACP and that's OK and yet an NAAWP would be seen as racist. I get that.

I also get that ethnic and racial heritage sometimes become conflated. Joe Lewis was "The Brown Bomber," and various Caucasian boxers have been called "The Great White Hope."

I hope someday we can get beyond all this - all of us.

I am proud of my Welsh heritage, but I do not trumpet my 'whiteness'. My pride in my heritage is cultural and not racial. If this guy wants to broadcast his pride in his 'brownness', I guess whatever floats his boat. I can't say he is or is not a racist, I don't know the man. I note that a similar man who touted his 'whiteness' with a tattoo in the ring might not get a sympathetic response from the world at large.

You hit it exactly. It's one thing to be proud of a culture, quite another to be proud of a color. One is racist, one is not. There is no all-encompassing "brown culture". CNN just ran an opinion piece by a Dominican gal making this point. But What's a Latino? Velasquez made the same mistake that the "white pride" knuckleheads make in thinking that their values derive from physical traits. So yeah, the tat is racist. If he was doing it as a tribute to his dad and his culture, he should have put "Mexican Pride". It's somewhat ironic, however, that he chose to pay tribute to a culture that his dad felt compelled to flee multiple times.

 

[CoryKS]

The United States has a rather poor track record on the treatment of minorities.

I'd bet you haven't traveled much.

 

[KELLYG]

I think that he can tattoo what ever he wants to on his body. The thing that aggravates me the most, with this type of commentary, is the double standard that exists. If some one came out with White Power tattooed on their body well, I think that they would never be put in the public eye to begin with. Their career regardless, of what arena, would be halted by having those words on their body. Double standards blow.

 

[James Kovacich]

Being both caucasian and hispanic, I see the obvious differance. White pride is the slogan of a racist hate group. Brown pride does not share that kind of racist/hate representation, in fact it is opposite. It's really no differant than someone wearing a shamrock tattoo. Same message, differant expression.

It really is not racial. There is no brown pride hate group and that is enough to make the case. Can the words offend? Possibly, but like anything in life, it is ones understanding that makes it what it is.

 

[KELLYG]

James Kovacich "White pride is the slogan of a racist hate group". I can understand that this can be perceived as a negative thing but could it also be, for example, my personal motto, with out all of the offensive overtures. After all am I not allowed to be as proud of being white as other folk are of their own ancestry.

 

[James Kovacich]

James Kovacich "White pride is the slogan of a racist hate group". I can understand that this can be perceived as a negative thing but could it also be, for example, my personal motto, with out all of the offensive overtures. After all am I not allowed to be as proud of being white as other folk are of their own ancestry.

Yes you are allowed to be proud of your ancestry. Equal rights is something that one side always gets screwed. Unfortunately, some people can be "judged" at times because of racist groups that use phrases that others would also like to use.

It's no-ones fault EXCEPT the racist hate groups that ruin things for others. In California both white pride and brown pride tattoos can be seen. But even caucasian people will see white pride tattoos as being associated with the negatives before the positives.

There are way more negatives seen upon hispanic people that a brown pride tattoo is insignificant. In fact color isn't the only issue. Wealth is also "a" factor and the wealthy in California "can" (not all wealthy) be judging no matter the color.

Don't take issue because I'll give an example. I drove to my cousins daughters home in a very afluent Southern California neighborhood and while I was walking up my cousins driveway. A lady made a left turn onto a crossing street, then made a u-turn and came back down my cousins street, stopped me and my wife and said "can I help you?" What kinda caca was that?

People are judging by nature. It is wrong. People will always be caught in the cross. It is one people and one world and the sooner that is realized, the world can start saving itself.

 

[Jdokan]

I'm mostly Polish.....What color can I be?.....hmmmmmmm