First Mexican American heavyweight champ packs a punch
SAN DIEGO -- You ever wonder how long Americans need to keep taking note of the first this, or the first that?
I have a simple answer: Until there's a second.
So, as a Mexican American who loves boxing, let me explain why it matters that 29-year-old Andy Ruiz Jr. -- who hails from the Imperial Valley, a rural desert region on the California-Mexico border -- is now the first Mexican American heavyweight champion of the world.
But first, let's think about what it means to be the first.
In 2008, we were right to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the nation's first African American president. That was a huge breakthrough. But when we elect another African American male, we won't need to make such a fuss. That barrier is already broken.
Notice I said "male." The election of the first African American female president will also be huge, and also worth celebrating.
Furthermore, though the Beltway media tends to forget it, diversity doesn't just mean black. Groundbreaking achievements by Latinos, Asian Americans, Indian Americans and Native Americans should also be noted.
For example, in 2005 Antonio Villaraigosa was sworn in as the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since the late 1800s.
It's also worth noting and celebrating -- especially at the outset of LGBTQ Pride Month -- that Pete Buttigieg continues to thrill crowds in his bid to become the first openly gay president. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has made his sexual orientation part of his campaign, and some conservative critics have even foolishly accused him of playing the "gay card."
Ever notice how there's never talk of a "straight white male card"? I guess you don't need your own card when you control the deck.
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