In the past and sometimes even now I deny that I am Mexican. I always hated speaking Spanish and I would get easily annoyed of everyone speaking it around me. I would always say that I didn't like Mexicans and Tijuaneros (which are people from Tijuana). Where I was from, Moreno Valley, a lot of people didn't talk Spanish in school. So I am not used to having so many people talking it around Southwestern College. I would always say I’m a different ethnicity and that I wasn't Mexican. In reality, I love being Mexican and I absolutely love my culture. I wouldn't want to trade it for anything. I love the food and all but I have done many things to disguise from being Mexican. I would always say I was Filipino and/or African American. I felt as being Mexican was to plaid out (meaning everyone was Mexican). In high school, I would join the Black Power clubs and do their activities. At the end, my mother would always get mad at me for disowning my ethnicity. But I didn't care. Now, I would take it all back and do my best to make Mexicans look better and be prideful of my cultural. Mexican is what I was raised to be and Mexican is what I'm going to be until I die. This all ties in to the question from the Bayan retreat questions, "Have you ever done anything to disguise or hide your racial/ethnic identity?"
Hey Liz!
ReplyDeleteI think for you to express your feelings about your ethnicity is very courageous because many people will take their beliefs of their ethnicity to the grave. I applaud you for recognizing that you should be proud of who you are because it's true we are not always proud of we are. I have not always been proud of who I am just like you I joined clubs in high school trying to find myself. However, I didn't deny that I am African American. I think it's more about finding pride in who we are and who we set out to be. Rather than taking pride in our ethnicity. Because ethnicity may be the tortilla of the burrito but, who we are is the roller that flattens out the tortilla.
I really liked how you were open about not being Mexican. It is something I can relate too. But, you should feel proud to be Mexican it's one of the best kind of ethnicity. Great article!
ReplyDeleteWow! I understand how you feel too. It is so brave and honest of you to write something so deep. I am curiouse though, What made you change your thoughts? How and when did you realize that you were trying to disguise that you were Mexican? I am glad you were able to find yourself and accept youreslf. Alot of people try to hide who they really are and I am sure that you are not the only one. Being a Mexican isn't about having the same skin color or speaking spanish, being a Mexican is more than that and We should always be proud of who we are. We can't hide who we are, no matter how hard we try, and that is a lesson we all need to learn.
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