Experiencing Difference

 

Latinos and the U.S. Race Structure

Clara E. Rodriquez

Retell

Clara Rodriquez speaks about her experiences being a light-skinned Latina from New York City. She learned, throughout her life how her appearance determined how she was treated in different situations. “As I grew older, I came to see that many of these cues or clues to status-skin color, physical features, accents, surnames, residence, and other class characteristics-changed according to place or situation.” (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p.236)

In her neighborhood her coloring was considered a tan and was envied. In the business area of NYC, it wasn’t acceptable and was looked down upon. 

Rodriquez says that it also happened when she was with other Latinos. “I saw some people as lighter or darker, depending on certain factors, such as their clothes, occupations, and families. I suspect that others saw mw similarly, so that in some contexts, I was very light, in others darker, and in still others about the same as everyone else. Even though my color stayed the same, the perception and sometimes its valuation changed.” (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p.236) 

Some Latinos are seen as white, some as black, and even some as Asian. If the person meeting them did not know they were Latino, they would be considered white, black or Asian. Once it is known the person is Latino, they automatically become not white. They are light colored. They are part of another group. Attitudes change.

Rodriquez says, “My own life experiences have demonstrated the social constructedness of race, and subsequent research has shown that “race” is not fixed, is imperfectly measured, is at variance with scientific principles, is often conflated with the concept of “ethnicity,” and is under increasing scientific criticism and popular interrogation. Nonetheless, race is still real; it still exits.” (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p.240) 

Everybody’s Ethnic Enigma

Jelita McLeod

Jelita McLeod writes about her experiences with her appearance. She is half-Caucasian and half-Asian. People see her as different ethnicities, usually, it seems, it depends on what ethnicity the questioner is.

Throughout her piece, she is made to feel bad and even finds it necessary to apologize for not knowing things. A Mexican immigration official gets upset with her for not knowing how to speak Spanish, a waiter helps her “remember” how to pronounce a word she has never heard before. McLeod has a terrific statement for the confusion and need-to-know people around her feel. “I know who I am. It’s everyone else that’s having trouble.” (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p.245) 

Recall/React

I remember a day when I was at Lyndon State College that something similar happened to me. I remember it well because it had never happened before. I was going through the food line with my friends. One of the servers started talking to me. I answered his questions and asked a few of my own. When I was getting ready to pay, he asked me a series of questions.

Him: Are you Eurasian?

Me: What?

Him: Are you Eurasian?

Me: No

Him: Oh. You must be Amerasian.”

Me: No

Him: Where were you born?

Me: Spain

Him: Oh.

Me: My father was in the Air Force.

It was a very strange conversation for me to be in. I honestly didn’t even know what those words meant because they were the first time I had ever heard them. I remember telling my parents and then my grandmother about it. I must say that my father does look Asian. My grandmother used to show us pictures when he was really small and say, “Doesn’t he look Chinese?”

It was an experience in someone trying to figure out my racial and ethnic identity. Once he understood I was white, the issue was over. I didn’t, until now, realize what it had meant. A stranger couldn’t figure out who I was. He was trying to place me in a group so he could make some decisions about me. It has been twenty-five years since that happened, but I remember it clearly. I wonder how it must feel to be asked those questions, or knowing people want to ask those questions, constantly? 

Rethink

These articles have made me think (these readings all seem to be doing that) about why I need to figure out where people are from. Am I wondering because I feel the need to put them into a group and make decisions about them? Do I want to feel sorry for certain groups of people? Do I want to envy other groups? It would be nice to have race not matter. Is that reality though? Will there ever be a time again when it doesn’t matter what race you are? Now that it is out there, will humans ever be able to see past it. Or, is it better to try to understand the experiences people of different races have and change our behavior to make all lives feel more equal?