Im Not Saying All You Caucasians, But Why Do You People Categorically Place Cultures?

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Anthony E. M.

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Like, for instance:

I was born in Englewood, NJ and raised in the state of New Jersey all my life. This would make me an American. However, just because my mom was born in Cuba as was her family and my dad was born in Argentina as was his family I am automatically refered to as "Spanish".

When in reality I am an American that just, so happens to be 1/2 Cuban/ 1/2 Argentine. This would also make me of Hispinic heritage. Not, Spanish because that is the language of Hispaniola the Spanish settled areas of the Americas that are now all nations.

Anyways, to make matters even worse they label me as Hispanic when I am a white. I do not comprehend as too why they do not understand that there are both white and black Hispanics. They also make stereotypical statements and I get offended and rightfully, so because I am just as American as they are.

This nation is a great melting pot of cultures and neither one of us as Americans can trace our direct lineage to the Americas. Not even, us with Native American blood because where do you think they came from. They settled in America, but human origin originated in Africa and then migrated to Asia where in turn they migrated in the Americas.

I am pretty sick in being treated as a 2nd class citizin within my own nation and its just not me as a Hispanic-American. White culture, and again Im not genralizing cause Im not saying all of white culture, but a great deal seem to have mixed as well as misconstrued feelings about ethnic cultures. Any thoughts?
 
I think of it this way, if you were born here, then you're American. If you move here from another country and become a citizen, then you're "insert country here"- American.
People just like to put things in categories, but don't EVER feel second class, we're all Americans no matter the color or heritage.
 
You said you're 1/2 cuban, 1/2 argentine, that does make you hispanic, not white. White doesn't refer to skin color, it refers to caucasian background.
 
I noticed that a lot of East Coast people call many people that speak Spanish, spanish. It seems like they rarely use the term Hispanic.
 
it all comes down to culture, and it just so happens that the entire western world (Europe, America, and Australia) was developed by caucasians, but over the years immigration from third world countries have overwhelmed western society with uncivilized cultural practices that are obviously undesirable. That's one side of the story, the other side is that alot of people from latin America don't want to give up their existing nationalities to become Americans. They basically want to extend their country into ours (i.e. the American southwest a.k.a. Aztlan) It's a power struggle man, and you people are winning! So just be patient and relax, it'll be your guys' country to do what you want with in no time.
 
in case you havent noticed the "white people" are apparently the inferior race now. hispanics r the main game now so yeah ur american as well as the others who jumped into the country. im not racist at all my brothers and step parents r puerto rican, im just mad that this is america, a caucasian, english speaking country and not all, but most other races act predjudice to white americans and that what im sick of. its actually a necessity for jobs and school now to learn spanish which is ridiculous. so believe me, ur not the 2nd citizen, whites r
 
Whites do it too whites too....Im a mutt and grew up in an italian neighborhood and was treated like a dog because my last name didn't end in O,E,I,or A
 
first of all there is no race called "white". and you have to ask yourself what race is. it is not always the country you are born in. it is actually pretty hard to define, so i guess its really just whatever you consider yourself.
 
you're right in that we all basically originated from the same place (africa), and you have no right being treated as a 2nd class citizen. move someplace else - it sounds like the area where you're living doesn't treat foreigners very nicely, but that is definitely not true about the rest of the country.

think about it this way too: it's even unfair to categorize whites. people who are white come from different countries in europe, and each country has its own culture and background. for example, i am half german and half english, and my best friend is half irish and half french...even though we come from completely different countries, we are both labeled as "white".
 
Maybe you should just stop caring what people think about your background and ethnicity. If people are going to judge you by it (which about 95% of people already do) then so be it. Don't get so worked up about it. If someone says anything about it just explain to them the difference, and walk away, and if they still have something to say, ignore it. I know it hurts inside, but you have to be strong. Not only for your race, but for you. You ARE an American and you deserve to be treated like one.
 
What color is america? I'm sure it's not your nation, it's our nation bro. Will there be a generation to stop drawing lines? Look within your own age group to change things because older men and women have grown up in different times. They want you to fit their catagory as you want them to fit into yours. Any insight?
 
Maybe your not worth a laundry list of nationalities/ethnicities to us. You want to be referred to as Cuban-Argentine-American? How about d-bag?
 
A German, an Australian, and a Mexican are on a plane. They say that they can tell where they are by sticking their hands out of the pane. The German sticks his hand out and says "We are in Germany". The others ask, "How do you know", the German says, "Cuz' it's so cold". Then the Australian sticks his hand out and says "We are in Australia", the others ask "How do you know", he replies "Cuz' it's so warm". Then the Mexican sticks his hand out and back in. He says " We are in Mexico", the others ask "How do you know", he says " Cuz' my watch in gone".







A US Border Patrol Agent catched an illegal alien in the bushes right by the border fence. He pulls him out and says, "Sorry, man, you know the law, you're going back across the border right away."

The Mexican man begs him, "No, no! Senior, I must stay in el America! Porfavor!"

The agent thinks to himself, I'm going to make it hard for him, and says "OK, I'll let you stay if you can use 3 English words in a sentence."

The Mexican man of course agrees right away.

The agent tells him, "The three words are: green, pink and yellow. Now use them in one sentence."

The Mexican man thinks really hard for about two minutes, then says, "Hmmm, OK. The phone, it went green, green, green... I pink it up, and said yellow?"




OIFUSMCVET: good answer bro, i was gonna say that but i tend to hide the pain of racism with humor :)
 
This is a highly racist post - please remove it.


- Pepper.

E.T.A.: SexiKitten24, usa.jim and GoingtoCollege, thank you for having brains.
 
The situation you have described should inform you of something. You need to categorize people as one of two things; enlightened or dense. If they're dense, their opinion isn't as important as someone who is intelligent and thinking. (Don't be concerned about the way dense people think. It does no good.)
 
You know I agree with you my friend and I do not get it either. It's something even I do not understand as to why it happens. I am American and I too get treated like I am 2nd class due to an ethnic background I have it seems.

It is a melting pot but maybe some do not regard it as such.

Even today, to be an American from the eyes of some people is quite different then it is to others. I even had someone tell me go back to where you came from, but what the hell, I am from New Jersey?

Some of these people that generally do this, always think they are right as well almost all the time, so at times it is even useless to even argue. I do not know what the fear is all about? Or possibly hatred? It's just uncalled for.

I just seen it happen too much to others as well as myself and it is a tragic thing to even occur with laws around and the fact we are past the civil war. A lot of people will deny that this does not occur and it is just a tale people are telling, but the reality is it does occur to those that face it and actually have experienced it. Not just once, or twice, or three times, but many times growing up.

The best thing you can do is to teach your kids how to treat others as you would like to be treated, and hope your kids can pass the message amongst those that are neglected by this form of wisdom by their parents.

Like I come form a mixed ethnic family with many different cultures intermixed. When i see someone imitating indian people accent, chinese accent, saying "yo quireo taco bell" to a kid with hispanic ethnicity and god knows what else, it really irritates me, to think that people of those races, their kids can hear you make fun of their accent and yet they look at you and ask why? Why does it irritate others if someone has an accent or if they dress a certain way or if they look a different way, why does it irritate them, its like some people treat others like they are total aliens from another planet and what not, and the ones doing this act like they are the top and perfect and flawless and that they can never be wrong. It's just ignorance my friend, ignorance.
 
Ignorance is this world. I go through a similar situation when people question my nationality. I'm born and raised in Canada yet because I'm black, people jump on me saying "No, you're not". I mean, how is someone going to tell me what I am? Just because I'm not white? And then when asked my bacground and I reply that I am Jamaican, People disagree saying I'm mixed so I can't possibly be 100% Jamaican. Yet when I explain that in Jamaica there are whites and indians, chinese, arabic, jewish Jamaicans amoung the African population, they disagree and shake their heads. Once again; how are they going to tell me my heritage, my culture is wrong? This world is fucked up and it's only because people are too damn lazy to sit down and read a damn book.
 
You are exactly right, and once upon a time in our country, everyone "got it." Thomas Paine wrote a booklet about the melting pot of America during the Revolutionary War. I think the book I'm thinking of is the one entitled, Common Sense. Anyway, in it, Paine talks about what kind of country America was going to be. It would be a new nation, not like the others. Many people would come here from many different countries and one new people would emerge. It's what "E Pluribus Unum" means on all of our money: "Out of many, one."

But, for some reason, people at various times, have felt offended when some part of their past heritage felt "forgotten" or trodden upon. Thus, groups of people have come together and assigned "heritage names" to themselves. Unfortunately, in attempting to end one form of racism, these groups have actually begun another form of racism.

The term African American, for example, tends to exclude Caucasians born in Africa, while assuming a national heritage on an American person who may not have any roots in Africa at all. Latino, tends to refer to Spanish speakers, although Latin derives directly from Rome, Italy.

And, as you say, Spanish refers to the peoples from Spain, though the Spanish language is spken in many different countries (and with different dialects).

It's not just "white culture," though. It is ALL the different cultures trying to retain their "differences." The trouble with any epithet or group name is that there are always going to be members of that group who will get excluded.

Even the system of "bilingual education" is exclusive. Bilingual education almost always refers only to Spanish/ English education. The kids from Africa, China, Korea, Japan, Israel, Iran, Russia... these immigrant children come to our schools in a sink or swim situation. The system excludes them. Generally speaking, the sink or swim kids learn English faster than the bilingual ed. kids. I used to be a teacher and I had experience with these kids, so I know.

I suggest we do like Thomas Paine first suggested. Of course we're all different. That's what's beautiful about our humanity. But let's celebrate our commonalities, how we are the same. Starting with, we are all Americans.
 
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