tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post6620342832493797494..comments2023-09-26T08:20:15.098-05:00Comments on Criss writes...: Some thoughts on race, ethnicity, and what I amCriss L. Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664903417376487387noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-72451718444330036662009-08-31T21:56:41.576-05:002009-08-31T21:56:41.576-05:00That's what the term "Chicano/a" is ...That's what the term "Chicano/a" is for--Mexican-Americans. Let the rest of us have a term goshdarnit! Latina is for Latin America as a whole! Spain, too, right?<br /><br />Personally, I don't believe in the term "race". I think ethnicity covers it. As I learned in my college anthropology class, race is a social construct that was used to differentiate people based on how they look. The modern blessings of science now tell us that genetically speaking, there is more genetic differentiation between people within one "race" than there are between people of different "races". As in, a white person and a black person may have more genetic similarities than two white people or two black people. It's just unfortunate that the few things they have genetically different are so visually obvious. <br /><br />Ethnicity labels a person based on their cultural background. Where you come from geographically, what language you speak, what beliefs you (may) have, what life practices you adopt. I think race got mixed in with ethnicity because often times, people from the same ethnic background also look similar (but as we know, not always!!!). <br /><br />So I'd like to throw race right out the window. It focuses way too much on what we see rather than what we experience. And that's not to say one ethnic group will have similar experiences; socio-economic status takes care to not let that happen; freedom of religion, too (in some cases). There are so many potential cross-breeds of experience based on so many levels of situations and circumstances that it's impossible to get a label right. Look at the Civil War era: situations were vastly different for African-Americans in the North as opposed to the South; but do you think the Northeners refrained from thinking of themselves as African-American because they had a different set of struggles? I haven't come across that in any history books.<br /><br />In conclusion, I happily take on the ethnic label of Latina, fully aware that my experience is vastly different from Chileans who've stayed in Chile, those who live in the campo, and those who moved to Sweden after being exiled in the 70's. Ethnicity just scratches the surface of human interaction; so many other notions come into play to make up life! increasingly so as the world continues to globalize; maybe this should be a clue to not have ethnicity play such a huge role in the way society runs...ethnicity is just a step more detailed than "human" and "male/female" as far as I'm concerned...<br /><br />and those are my two heavily-worded cents.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14701479815790385532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-83638101126479480552009-08-31T12:31:35.580-05:002009-08-31T12:31:35.580-05:00Marcy,
You bring up a good point, that we often (s...Marcy,<br />You bring up a good point, that we often (subconsciously) assume "black" or "Hispanic" involves "poverty." And that's a pretty poor assumption for me to make.<br /><br />Perhaps instead of "poverty" we're thinking of "struggle;" I've never struggled with being thought dumb or incompetent because of a lack of command of the English language, but many Hispanics have (regardless of SES).<br /><br />Another thing that makes me feel less "Latina" is that I'm not Mexican or Cuban or Puerto Rican (which, technically, are the only nationalities that are considered "Hispanic" by the US Census), and I didn't grow up eating spicy tamales and listening to rancheras. I actually have a very low tolerance for spicy food, and it's really irritating to have to explain to people that yes, I am Chilean, but I don't like Mexican food. (I used to go into a mini-geography lesson, but soon found this utterly futile.)<br /><br />But tacos aside, "Hispanica," especially here in Texas, seems to me to mean "part of Mexican culture," and I'm not that, so I feel either left out, or like a poser.Criss L. Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04664903417376487387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-63804450608053752882009-08-31T11:23:29.296-05:002009-08-31T11:23:29.296-05:00This reminds me of many discussions Zach and I hav...This reminds me of many discussions Zach and I have had about whether or not Obama can be considered "black." Zach insists that he's not "black" because he grew up in a "good" family and has had a relatively privileged life (which I'm not sure about, since his mom was a single mom and all that, but whatevs). I find that insulting, because what it's saying is that to be "black" you have to be poor, you have to be "gangster" you have to be out there playing rap music with a gun in your pocket. <br /><br />The same goes for saying you're not "Hispanic" because you grew up in an upper-middle-class family and have pale skin. That implies that to be truly "hispanic" or "Latina" you have to be poor, have dark skin, etc. I haven't read your follow-up post yet, maybe you address this there. <br /><br />Those kids who are surprised at your being hispanic but with white skin? Educate them! Not all hispanics have dark skin! They should learn about that!! That's all part of breaking these stereotypes we all fall into! Their surprise is showing the same kind of ignorance that we roll our eyes at here in the US, it's just that we're not allowed to call "minorities" "ignorant" or "racist" because clearly THEY must know all about race because they are a different one, right? It's a ludicrous idea. The color of your skin or eyes or hair does in no way discredit your blood, your heritage, your experiences.Marcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00792375260633790983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-78360781883781339652009-08-30T21:37:20.330-05:002009-08-30T21:37:20.330-05:00Good post.
htpp://www.eloquentbooks.com/WhatISee-...Good post.<br /><br />htpp://www.eloquentbooks.com/WhatISee-ANewPrescriptionforThought.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-8284708895278591482009-08-30T15:49:57.929-05:002009-08-30T15:49:57.929-05:00I think "white" doesn't mean a somet...I think "white" doesn't mean a something, it's just kind of "I'm not anything else." Which is why so many USians identify themselves as Irish, German, Polish... they find some ancestry to claim.<br /><br />Also, if you're half-black, you look black. Nobody cares about your actual genetic makeup, we look at the color of your skin... This may be why your half-black friends call themselves black (because that is how they are most often viewed), but take the time to mention they do have a white mom.Criss L. Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04664903417376487387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-63446890519073760442009-08-30T13:49:51.080-05:002009-08-30T13:49:51.080-05:00I've been thinking that my bi-racial comments ...I've been thinking that my bi-racial comments seem pretty judgmental so if they come across that way, I apologize. Like I said, it's not my place to define someone else's race or ethnicity. I think I'm annoyed because I want these so incredibly awesome people to say they are part-white so I can be just a little bit more like them. Yes, I'm projecting. *sigh*Daninehttp://danine.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-55184382474279403042009-08-30T10:57:04.344-05:002009-08-30T10:57:04.344-05:00Great post, Criss, with some very interesting obse...Great post, Criss, with some very interesting observations. I look forward to the follow-up!Marshahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03315289632435632377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37507520.post-67039904354950772082009-08-30T10:45:08.840-05:002009-08-30T10:45:08.840-05:00But you are in a hard place, Criss, so give yourse...But you are in a hard place, Criss, so give yourself some credit. You may be white and have freckles, but you are still Hispanic. There are people of every race and color who are Hispanic. Cameron Diaz, for example. There are Asian Hispanics (http://www.everyculture.com/South-America/Asians-in-South-America.html) and black Hispanics (Dominican Republic). <br /><br />When your students don't understand how you could be white and Hispanic, maybe you could show them pictures of you and your family in Chile. Talk about the racial and ethnic makeup of Chile. Lots of teachable moments there.<br /><br />As far as affirmative action, well, I assume you got your act together and graduated? UT-Austin is a public school, isn't it? I wouldn't feel all that bad. You are doing your part for society, teaching and trying to enact change in the "small strokes" as Ashley would say. I think I understand what you're saying, that AA needs reform, but just by talking about it, you're helping work towards that change.<br /><br />The race "categories" (for lack of a better term - it's Sunday, my brain is resting) are ridiculous and need re-thinking. So many children now fall into the bi or multi-racial category. Even President Obama is bi-racial. Actually, I find it really strange that many people, such as Pres. Obama, Melissa Harris-Lacewell & Liza Donelly (@blogdiva), say they are African-American "but their mother is white". Aren't they part white, too? Far be it for me to tell someone how to define his or her race and ethnicity, but this still seems strange to me.xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07708038776840345609noreply@blogger.com