I was really surprised

[HeidiAnn67]

I work in a Middle School. One of our students had a baby in April (this isn't the surprise, sadly it happens every few years). She returned to school yesterday and brought pics. There were 2 pics of her son in the bath and he is circ'd. I was actually shocked to see it. This girl is Mexican, and by that I don't mean of Mexican Desent, I mean she's actually from Mexico. Her family moved here just a few years back. They spend every summer there and have plans to move back there in few years. We have a rather large Hispanic population at my school and I always assumed they were all intact (obviously the ones born in other countries, but also the ones born here), but now I have to wonder. It's obviously not something I can discuss with her (would be highly inappropriate) but I wonder if she did this by choice, was "talked into it", didn't understand what they were doing or what the reasoning was behind it.

[Raelynn]

I remember someone posting on here that they were able to convince a Mexican family NOT to circ - the Mexican family was going to circ to try and make their son "more American." Maybe it was a similar situation here?

[MarnieMax]

I live in northern California, which has a large Mexican population (as everyone knows). While hubby and I are non-ethnic, we have three intact sons and I tend to watch the circ situation with cultural interest. I also assume most Mexicans are intact (even the ones born here), but I have known a few hispanic families who circumcised. This tends to happen as they assimilate, speak English at home, and blend with the 'anglos'.

You don't mention where you live, but I suppose that if the local hospitals tend to push circ, it could happen, even with the Spanish speakers. (Our immediate vicinity is very progressive and the hospitals don't push it so much.

If the father has been circumcised, that might push things towards circ. If she is insured (through parents or other), that could be a factor as well.

Marnie

[DocsNemesis]

Yeah, if she had a doctor or hospital that was pushing it, lack of communication, perhaps her family said he needed to be like all the other american boys, who knows? I still to this day have no clue if my ds's bio father is intact or not but it seems likely to me, as he wasnt bothered at all by my son being intact (he asked if he was circ'd, I said no, he said cool, lol) and he is half mexican. Not that it matters, just saying...lol

[Claire and Boys]

Maybe she is Jewish?

[Night_Nurse]

I work in a Texas hospital. I'd say the majority of our patients from Mexico (here just visiting or temporary workers, etc) leave their boys intact (probably 95%). I'd also guess that about 50% of the moms with a Hispanic heritage but who have lived in the US for a length of time circumcise their boys.
Most of the Spanish speaking moms from Mexico look at the nursery nurse like she's psychotic when she asks about circumcising and the parents ask what it means and she tells them. I've actually seen a few moms eyes bug out when they found out what it meant.

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by Raelynn

I remember someone posting on here that they were able to convince a Mexican family NOT to circ - the Mexican family was going to circ to try and make their son "more American." Maybe it was a similar situation here?

That was me...A woman I worked with was going to cut her son so that he would be more American...Fortunately I was able to convince her to leave him intact. Her DH is and she had only been with intact men, all it took was explaining to her what her son and his future partners would be missing out on!

I also explained where her logic was flawed...she gave him a VERY VERY VERY ethnic name...If she wanted to make him more American...perhaps his name would be a better place to start than his penis!

[A&A]

Originally Posted by Claire and Boys

Maybe she is Jewish?

Most likely Catholic if her family is from Mexico.

I know a woman who was born in Mexico but has dual-citizenship and has lived in the US for a long time. I talked to her about leaving her son intact, and she said, "oh you don't have to worry about that. I'm from Mexico and no one cuts their boys there."

[urchin_grey]

I work with a girl that is 1/2 Puerto Rican (her mother is FROM Puerto Rico). I was really suprised to hear her say (after finding out that the baby was a girl) "I kind of wanted a boy, but in a way I'm glad because I really didn't want to have to pay $300 for a circumcision". I said "well, you wouldn't have *had* to because you don't *have* to circ... My son isn't circ'd." And she looked at me like I was nuts.

Good thing she's having a girl. :

[Claire and Boys]

I know of a woman on another site who is Mexican and circed her boys for religious reasons. She states that there is a strong Jewish community in Mexico, and that everyone she knows in that community circed their boys.

[bugmenot]

Originally Posted by Raelynn

I remember someone posting on here that they were able to convince a Mexican family NOT to circ - the Mexican family was going to circ to try and make their son "more American." Maybe it was a similar situation here?

I don't believe that.

They're wanting to move back in a few years. Why would they want to be "more American" if this was the case?

[mntnmom]

young moms can be very impressionable. A few words from a doctor about "infections" and "AIDS" could have been all it took to convince her. Especially since she probably knew nothing about the risks, and how it's done.

[1littlebit]

i am a young mom (not that young) but someone did that crap when i was pregnant i told them to shove it and that i wont be taking advice from someone trying to convince me to mutilate my son. but im opionated and i had hard time wien drs said stuff b/c i wondered if they really did know what was best. although now im over it. lol but yeah it can be hard b/c dr pressure everyone but esp. i think young moms b/c they assume they are ignorant. i was 20 when i had my LO i imagine a middle schooler would have it worse.

[MiamiMami]

Originally Posted by urchin_grey

I work with a girl that is 1/2 Puerto Rican (her mother is FROM Puerto Rico). I was really suprised to hear her say (after finding out that the baby was a girl) "I kind of wanted a boy, but in a way I'm glad because I really didn't want to have to pay $300 for a circumcision". I said "well, you wouldn't have *had* to because you don't *have* to circ... My son isn't circ'd." And she looked at me like I was nuts.

Good thing she's having a girl. :

My dh and all his brothers were born in PR in the 60's and 70's and all were circed. It is just as routine there as it is here.