A liberal Hispanic group is attacking New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R.) for a close ally's use of the term "Mexican affair" in emails planning inaugural events four years ago.
The New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens (NM LULAC) has pounced on an email written by Amy Orlando, who succeeded the governor as district attorney and was helping to plan a victory party for Martinez.
In the email, Orlando said the celebration was to have a "black and white" scheme with a hint of pink. She also specified that there was to be "no Mexican affair."
NM LULAC is attempting to say that the request for "no Mexican affair" shows that "ethnicity is only important to [Martinez] when she is running for office," saying that it is disappointed that she "implied her embarrassment or lack of desire for a ‘Mexican affair." The group also called the language used in the email "demeaning and inflammatory."
The attack against the first elected governor to be both Hispanic and female, as well as the great-granddaughter of the man credited with firing the first shot of the Mexican Revolution, badly misses the mark.
The inaugural ceremonies celebrating Martinez had several rooms with different themes, including an entire area celebrating "Hispanic Heritage," according to a report on the event in 2010.
The suggestion that the use of the term "Mexican affair" is offensive also seems to be a dud.
The term has been used to make similar points by the Huffington Post, local news sites around the world, the prestigious College of William and Mary, and even a high-end fashion site named The Mexican Affair.