RNC Delegate Offended By Presence of 'Mexican' At Epcot Center

Written by Aviva Shen

During a trip to Epcot at Disneyworld, Pennsylvania delegate Mark Harris and his wife were shocked and offended to find a Mexican employee working at the amusement park’s American pavilion, which showcases the different cultures in the United States. According to the couple’s blog, Harris complained to staff that he was “highly offended” that a “person from Mexico” was working in the American pavilion when other nations’ pavilions were staffed by people from each respective country:

The local GOP in Snyder County, Pennsylvania has rushed to disavow Harris’ overtly racist comments. County Commissioner Malcolm Derk told The Daily Item, “Americans are people of any race, color or heritage. Cheers to the individual working at Epcot for showing what a true American looks like.”

According to their website, “Mark and Irene are both pro‐life, believe marriage is between one man and one woman, are for open records and transparency, believe in very conservative principles and the Republican platform.”

The RNC has been marred by racist incidents this week; on Tuesday, two delegates had to be escorted out after throwing peanuts at a black camerawoman and called her an “animal.” Harris told the AP at the beginning of the convention that he liked how Romney was “hitting all the conservative bells” and “has the potential to be a great president if he keeps going in that direction.”

This post was originally published by ThinkProgress.

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James C.

5:27PM PDT on Sep 13, 2012

Speaking as a Scot with some American ancestry (great grandmother, whose ancestors were English) I have given a great deal of thought to what constitutes a ‘real’ American. My conclusion ..... The Bison (arrived across the Bering Straits 200,000 years ago), mammoths, mastodons and giant ground sloths plus all the other native wildlife have the greatest claim. Any human who is a citizen of a country, irrespective of ethnicity, has just as much right as anyone to represent that country and anyone with a work permit has every right to work in that country, or does this not apply in the United States?

September 13
send a green star

3:52PM PDT on Sep 13, 2012

Magdalen B. “I don't think the I. R. A. was formed because people got fed up o "Oirish" jokes”

I agree, it wasn’t. As you say, it may however have everything to do with racism, illustrated by the way in which England (in the name of ‘free trade’) refused to help the Irish during the famine and lodging houses in England showing signs that said “No blacks, no Irish” or it may have been because of the Black and Tans’ brutality.

My wife is half Irish (Republican background) and although not the main catalyst for the founding of the IRA, the anti-Irish sentiments and racism expressed in the form of ‘Jokes’ about the Irish did contribute to the hostility felt by Irish people towards the English.

nancy D.

1:52PM PDT on Sep 9, 2012

There is no cure for stupid.

September 9
send a green star

1:44PM PDT on Sep 9, 2012

Linda E - Seems you have been drinking the kool-aide. You had worked in the medical field? I can see you are really a compassionate person. NOT!!!!! You really are a tool. You are spewing all the hatred and lies of the wacky right wing nuts. it is obvious you listen to Fixed Noise. You are pathetic. I will pray for you. Maybe one day you will see how wrong your bigoted thinking really is. I have a question - one that I have asked Elaime A. Do you iron your sheets before wearing them to terrorize citizens?

Susan O.

1:47PM PDT on Sep 4, 2012

Republicans: The lowest level of human excrement.

September 4
send a green star

Hugo C.

7:04AM PDT on Sep 4, 2012

U.S white people are famous for thier general ignorance about geography, this is well known mostly in all of the AMERICAN CONTINENT, which is, incidentally, their constant display of ignorance regarding the fact that the U:S: is part of NORTH AMERICA, along with México and Canada. The U.S. is NOT THE WHOLE OF AMERICA even if you have been made (brainwashed) to beleive it. besides most mexicans in the u.s. ARE AMERICAN IN ORIGIN THAT IS BEFORE THE STEALING OF HALF OF MEXICO´S TERRITORIES. Now you better get used to the idea that the U.S. no longer has a white anglosaxon majority,

Wanda C.

4:37AM PDT on Sep 4, 2012

I was offended when I visited the American Pavilion and did not see a single Native American. Those are the "real" Americans. The rest are all imports.

Chris R.

10:33PM PDT on Sep 3, 2012

I suppose he'd like to deport Speedy Gonzalez? Dios mio!

September 3
send a green star

John H.

6:50PM PDT on Sep 3, 2012

Continued:
I sincerely wish some of those among us were not ignorant of the very trait that makes the USA different from virtually every other nation in the world; it is that even the original Americans were not a single nationality. There is no specific group of people who makeup Americans. Every single nation in the world is represented in the United States of America and each and every one of these people can proudly stand and say “I am an American” and be 100% correct and to my mind this is one of our greatest strengths. I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Harris didn’t have a mother like mine or apparently a single teacher capable of reaching either their minds or their hearts. Perhaps when they learn their stupidity has embarrassed the country on an international level they will learn just who an American can be.