Mind- (1376 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 0.73 on 21 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <tina.at.tina.com> (View user info) at 2002-12-20 19:56:07 EST
I read some of the heated discussions concerning race, and it got me thinking. I ask my friends this all the time--does having a first-generation immigrant Mexican mommy and an Irish-English daddy make me Hispanic? I know it does when it comes to documents and college applications and stuff, but I mean would a regular person think it doesn't count if you are only half like me? I guess the question is am I Hispanic or "white"? I only thought of this because of the whole race debate. I usually don't really like labels, I think it is all in what you feel, but with a mommy like mine, boy am I Mexicana sometimes! I mean stereotypical stuff--we literally eat beans and rice every other night and speak Spanish and take lots of naps and yell a lot. But anyway, I am interested in what everyone else thinks. I ask friends but they usually avoid the question, I don't know if it is because they don't want to hurt my feelings. So tell me what you guys think--am I a fraud if I say I am Mexican-American? I am no more "white" than I am Mexican, after all. I guess sometimes I feel not "Hispanic" enough, and likewise not really "white" either. My Hispanic friends consider me Hispanic, and my "white" fiends consider me...I don't even know--I think it depends on the person. On one of my SATs I put "white," on another, Hispanic. My dad says I am white. My mom says I am Hispanic. @_@ I'm dizzy.
I don't really like the word "white" now that I am using it. I makes me feel like I am saying a mean or bad word. It makes things so complicated. "My mom's Mexican-American and my dad's white." It sounds a little...I can't think of the right word...not mean, but almost like I am brushing my dad aside. My mom's an American citizen now, but she was born a Mexican...and my dad was born in Virginia...they are both "American," but somehow my mom's ethnic background is more important than my dad's? Am I wording this right? However, one thing I definately hate is when people see my mother or hear her thick accent and tell me "wow, you don't look Mexican." Sorry, forgot my sombrero. I mean, lots of Mexicans are white--my aunt Catalina has blue eyes and blond hair, while my uncle Jorge has really dark skin and black hair. I also hate it when people say something stupid like "But your last name is Johnson." But, it is the opposite with my sister's fiance. His last name is Berrigan because his father is of Irish descent, but he inherited the dark hair and skin of his Puerto Rican mother. He is really proud of his Irish heritage, but people look at him weird when he goes on and on about his great Irish ancestors and see his very dark skin. I think my point is that ethnic destinctions are very confusing. I guess it doesn't matter what I am, but I am curious sometimes...
Did this make any sense?
User Reviews
Submitted by korthrun (user info) at 2003-05-19 17:36:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Your mom has an ethnic and cultural background. Your dad is white.
I wouldn't say your brushing him aside, the truth is that white americans
don't really have ethnic or cultural backgrounds, as far as 'american' goes. I think our country is the most lacking in culture. So I think the question is, are you a Mc or a spic.
The answer is your both. Because your father is american I will assume that he is not in much touch
with his irish history. As where your mother is, being from mexico. Sure you do all those things, they are there, and they are part of your mothers life. What does your dad do or remember about irish culture?
Submitted by PapSmirnoff (user info) at 2003-05-19 17:27:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Race doesnt play a role in my eyes because all men are created equal its just different ways mankind has evolved. I dont care if your any colour or where you are from or what not we are all human.
Submitted by nemo (user info) at 2003-04-21 18:32:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
When we took some standardized test in 5th grade, our teacher told our entire class to fill in all the racial bubbles, and we did. I think the teacher got in trouble for that, but I don't really remember.
Submitted by IndianOcean (user info) at 2003-03-07 14:27:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
you are one confused mother fucker. mother fucker.
you are fuckin mixed.. done! end of story
Submitted by Nicole3 (user info) at 2003-03-07 13:33:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I just realized that my last post didn't come off at I meant it. I don't think that you need to classify yourself as one versus the other. Unfortunately we live in a society that forces us to classify ourselves constantly. If I were you and had to pick one I would pick white because of my past experiences. Many hispanics I have met take their ethnicity very seriously (too seriously sometimes) and would probably not think of you as hispanic because of the cultural gap. Personally, I wish there was a "Mutt" category as most people would fit into that one. Have you ever tried filling in more than one blank on those stupid forms. I wonder if it would be accepted.
Submitted by K.M (user info) at 2003-03-07 12:50:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I am irish on both sides, and proud of my heritage. You should be too. You seem to think that you have to distinguish yourself in society due to your skin colour or heritage. People will (except of perhaps a flagrant racist) simple notice that you have a slightly darker skin colour, and then never give it a second thought. It truly does not matter what race you are, except in the idea that you should be proud of where you have came from, and understand how it plays a part in your present self.
Submitted by Nicole3 (user info) at 2003-03-07 12:16:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Growing up I had lots of Mexican friends as my hometown had a very large Mexican population, both legal and illegal. I don't mean to be derogatory when I say Mexican. That is how I think. Most of the hispanics I know where either first or second generation immigrants from Mexico, not any other latin american country.
Most hispanics would say that you are white, not just because of the color of your skin, but your culture. My Mexican friends were called all kinds of names, coconut for example (brown on the outside, white on the inside) because they hung out with white people. Unfortunate but true. It is stupid to try and classify people by race in the first place, but I would have to say that if you have fairly light skin tone and more importantly, fit in with the "white" culture more, than I would classify you as white.
Submitted by Jason <qrtermain.at.hotmail.com> at 2003-03-07 11:54:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Its the Mexican-Irish couples that produce the hottest daughters. Every Mexican-Irish woman I have ever seen is just off the scale. Being Irish myself..gives me a little nationalistic pride that we can make other things well besides beer.
Submitted by _JP (user info) at 2002-12-23 23:53:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
By the way, before anyone starts calling me hypocritical or something (I know how Ubersite works), I'm not saying that that is how it should be. I'm just saying that is the way it seems to me.
Submitted by _JP (user info) at 2002-12-23 23:34:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
That's because there is no such thing a "white identity."
There are 2 things that cause you to have an "identity." One is a common nationality. There is no common white nationality. "White people" can be from many different countries. The US census defines "white" as originating from any European country or the countries of North Africa (yep Africa).
The second thing is a common culture that is separate from the predominate culture. I say separate from the predominate culture because if the culture that a person subscribes to is the predominate national culture then it is defined as the national culture. Because white culture is the predominate culture of the US, it is just American culture not white culture. Whereas, what is commonly described as "black culture" is something that is very different than traditional American culture. Whereas a white American may commonly say that they have an American culture, it would be much less common to say "white culture."
This is why it is a common view (though it may not be accurate) that a bi-racial person identifies their non-white ancestry while neglecting their white ancestry. White identity is treated as synonymous with American identity.
Submitted by Random Joe at 2002-12-23 18:46:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
crap wanted to rate this higher, sorry.
Submitted by Speric at 2002-12-23 18:46:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I hear ya sky
Submitted by sky (user info) at 2002-12-23 15:34:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Interesting.
I wouldn't label yourself either. All those silly ethnic boxes are optional. Although, it is beneficial for college and scholarships and stuff like that. I have a tiddly bit of American Indian in my family, along with a ton of Swiss & German, and I'm so much more proud of the American Indian heritage than the 'white' heritage.
Sometimes I feel that creating a group based solely on racial identity is only acceptable if you're NOT white. I mean, sure there are tons of groups where most of the members are white, but the only real group that I can think of (in America at least) where they admittedly base membership on being white is the KKK, and that's not exactly something to be proud of.... Unless there's a secret yuppy club that I don't know about, what exactly is 'white identity?' All these books about black identity or hispanic identity say that keeping your heritage is important...is it important to be proud of and promote your white heritage also?? so tricky really.
Submitted by hendrixjrr (user info) at 2002-12-23 14:43:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Razor, I'm sorry my analogy was so stupid, but I'd like to clarify a little bit. Remember when Halle Barry won an Oscar? How was she the first black woman to win when one parent is white? If someone is relatively dark at all, they are assumed to be something other than white. You are an example of that. You said so yourself. People don't see a white person unless there is no trace of anything else in them at all.
Submitted by lodnem (user info) at 2002-12-23 12:39:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
i wouldn't marry someone of mixed race and nor would i procreate with any woman who was not 5'10"+, anglo with blonde hair and blue eyes.
it's not racist, it's an unfortunate barbie fetish.
Submitted by Razor (user info) at 2002-12-23 12:15:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
hendrix, that was far and away the dumbest shit you ever said.
I know how you feel, author who's name I can't remember, since I am (ready?) Ashkenazim Jewish-Cherokee-Hungarian-Bavarian-English-Russian-Welsh with the family tree to prove it. (Bavaria is part of Germany).
Believe it or not, the two guesses that people go for first are always Mexican and Arabic, depending on whether I've shaved.
When people ask me my ethnicity, I just laugh.
Submitted by _JP (user info) at 2002-12-21 03:57:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Just my personal opinion:
How you define yourself is a personal thing. You have to figure out who you are. It's best to accept, embrace, and honor both sides of your ancestry. You can go on about your proud Irish ancestry and your proud Mexican ancestry.
The other thing that you have to do is understand that everyone else in society (I used "everyone" loosely) will also try to define you and probably do a bad job. Most people will have to fit you into their box because doing anything else would require thinking. You have to be prepared to deal with people who say insensitive things and don't understand that you are who you are. I would respond very confidently and calmly "I'm of mixed racial background" or "I'm both Hispanic- and Irish- American" and just leave it at that. You don't have to justify yourself to anyone.
Submitted by hendrixjrr at 2002-12-21 02:14:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
coming from a very white white guy, I'd probably describe you as hispanic. This is a dumb analogy, but when you mix paints and you mix white and blue, you get a blue color. When you mix white with green you get a green. You never come out with a color that is described as white. Likewise, most people don't notice the anglo features in a person of multiple races.
Submitted by SdSlacker (user info) at 2002-12-20 23:46:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
yes.. I know exactly what you're talking about.. I deal with the same thing. I have a dual racial background as well, mexican-anglo(german) Sometimes a moron approaches me, meeting me for the first time, and says "duhhhh what ARE yoU?" *puzzled look*
Not that it bothers me..it's just funny how provincial some people are.
Submitted by Titinita (user info) at 2002-12-20 20:00:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Ha Ha! I put "fiends" instead of "friends." That's funny.
Submitted by Titinita (user info) at 2002-12-20 19:57:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Uh...I accidentally pushed enter before I was done with the title... Sorry.
Tina