What’s in a Race?

Many Americans today have more than one culture, ethnicity, or race flowing through their veins. For some, their race is what defines them or makes them unique. The issue of race is an interesting topic, and I don’t really think about it too much, except yesterday it became obvious that I felt like someone without a race.

Since I can only speak from my experience as a Mexican-American person, I must say that I actually find it difficult sometimes to balance my life on both sides of the fence. I am loyal and respectful to the reasons why my ancestors chose to come to the United States in the 1960s and I am grateful to have the opportunities I have today, but I also feel a sense of reverence to the history and plight of the Mexican people.

Those of my generation and after have had great opportunities to be able to live and prosper in this country, but there are also many who may question my opinions, struggles, and choices. I have a strong need to be a person of value who can contribute to this society in more ways than one. No one is perfect, none of this is personal, and I have nothing against my fellow Mexicans, but it saddens me to see that many of us still live within our cultural limitations and fall within the stereotypes that prejudices have defined for us.

I will address the issues I have with our lack of growth as a people at another time, but for now, I would like to write about the fact that I felt like a person without a race yesterday. At work, we had to fill out new personal data forms, and I encountered this section on the form:

Please check the appropriate category:
Ethnicity:
Hispanic or Latino ___
Not Hispanic or Latino ___

Race:
Black or African American ___
White ___
American Indian or Alaskan Native ___
Asian ___
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ___
Two or More Races ___

You probably see my dilemma, and you may think that it’s cut and dry. I can choose my ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino and I can pick one of the races listed or leave the question blank. But it’s not that easy for me, because I am Mexican-American, my parents and grandparents are all from Mexican descent, so none of these options make sense to me. So this intrigued me and I did a little research. According the U.S. Census Bureau, the form at work was missing this category:

• Some Other Race. Includes all other responses not included in the "White", "Black or African American", "American Indian and Alaska Native", "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" race categories described above. Respondents providing write-in entries such as multiracial, mixed, interracial, We-Sort, or a Hispanic/Latino group (for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) in the "Some other race" category are included here.

I don’t remember encountering this dilemma before; perhaps, on other forms I always had a choice of a race I can select from or perhaps I left it blank. I have to say that I am not one who does well within the confines of pre-defined boxes, and I am not happy about the “Some Other Race” choice. But for now, I take solace in that in the “ethnicity” category, as far as forms are concerned, this country is divided by whether you’re Hispanic or not.

Peace Out for now.

~A

The Spontaneity Factor

Happy New Year!

I’ve heard a few adjectives about myself in the last couple of weeks, and I wanted to address the root of those comments. I have been told that I am “negative,” “rebellious,” “unstructured,” "impulsive," and “unruly.”

I beg to differ.

I grew up with rules all my life. I was taught at an early age what time bed time was, what time dinner was, what the duties of the week were, versus the activities left for the weekend. I grew up in a Mexican-American Catholic household, so there were always rules! There was a time and place for everything… no T.V., no soda, few friends, no phone calls, no visiting people’s houses, no after-school activities, always do my chores, be respectful, respect my elders, and always know what was appropriate for a "girl" to do and not to do.

So I have all those invaluable lessons ingrained in my inner core. It’s just that something happened when I left home at age 16. I made up my own rules as I went along.

I do know what is appropriate.
I do respect those who respect me.
I am sensitive to the needs of others.
I listen attentively to people’s problems.
I offer advice when asked.
I respect others’ routines.
I value education and work ethic.
I am a perfectionist.
I think I am a good person, overall.

But... I am also spontaneous, lively, a little on the wild side, and I like to have fun. So…

I like to go grocery shopping at midnight.
I go to restaurants in the middle of the week.
I get in the car and travel 100 miles without hesitation, if I have to.
I can get on a plane within a few hours notice.
I can adjust my sleep – less or more – depending on what I have time for.
I plan and readjust plans all the time.
I visit friends on a Monday evening.
I record/DVR any shows I want to watch and fast forward through all the commercials.
I don’t have a set bed time hour.
I don’t have a routine.
I go to the movies in the middle of the week.
I don’t set my life in stone.
I can do almost anything in a minute’s notice.
I adapt quickly to change.
I try not to sweat the small stuff.
I encourage others to be spontaneous.
I have a “live and let live” philosophy.

I believe that as long as I am living a healthy life and not hurting anyone, there is no reason for anyone to begrudge my bohemian lifestyle. I crave change and have a short attention span, so spontaneity is my comfort zone. I feel restrained by routine if I were to follow the rules set in my childhood. So, in 2010, as I factor in my goals for change, one thing I will not let go of is my need for freedom.

~A