CBU HIS311 Archives - The Race Card Project

I find my identity in Christ

November 27, 2025December 2, 2025 American, CA, CBU HIS311, Christ, exercise, God, identify, identity, Janine D Herrera, Mexican, Mexican-American, old habbits, Rancho Cucamonga, sibmings, Spanish

Janine D Herrera,
Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

When beginning this exercise, I almost regressed back to my old thinking habits. I came up with the six-word phrase, ‘English language no Spanish still Mexican.’ However, I realized I was going back to what I was delivered from. I used to struggle with my identity. I am Mexican America, I speak English and only know very little Spanish. My parents used Spanish to have adult conversations so that my siblings and I wouldn’t know what they were talking about. Therefore, we weren’t taught the language. However, growing up it was a struggle. To my Hispanic Spanish speaking friend’s and Hispanic elders, I ran into, I was teased and viewed as white. When I attempted to speak Spanish, I would be laughed at when I spoke it wrong. I wasn’t Mexican enough for them. However, for the white people I was viewed as Mexican and not white enough for them. Although, I did not identify with white, I struggled with being truly accepted. It wasn’t until I truly committed myself to Christ that I realized my identity was truly found in Him. And it wasn’t until then that I was set free from the boxes society tries to fit or confine me in.

Thanks CBU HIS311

Mexican Born achieving my American dream

January 1, 2025January 23, 2025 American Dream, CA, California Baptist University, career, CBU HIS311, first experience, Jesus Castro, Menifee, Mexican, military, retirement, Spanish, teaching

Jesus Castro
Menifee, CA
California Baptist University
CBU HIS311

I was born in Mexico and am the first person in my family to have a career with retirement benefits. Proud to be in this country and served in the Military. I now have a family and I am teaching my 2 year old son the spanish language. **CBU HIS311

Yes I’m Black, but not angry

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024 beautiful, CA, CBU HIS311, Ellise, embrace beauty, fool, God, inspire, JOY, opportunity, pretty for a black girl, Race, Riverside, stereotype

Ellise,
Riverside, CA.

My race is not what you see, It is what I feel. Do not let your stereotypes fool you, I am happy, beautiful, and peaceful about who I am. I use to be angry with who I was. I have been told “I was pretty for a black girl” all my life. That made me ashamed of who I was. I could not hide from what God intended to be, so I embraced it. I saw other black women embracing their beauty and it gave my joy. I want all little girls to see that beauty in themselves. Despite how I may feel, each day is my opportunity to inspire all girls of all colors to embrace how God made them. God does not make any mistakes. First embrace the beauty in your heart, then allow it to shine through your skin.
CBU HIS311

Waiting for my caramel macchiato grandbabies.

April 22, 2024April 22, 2024 CA, caramel, caramel macchiato, CBU HIS311, Celtic, Gaelic, grandchildren, grandmother, Heinz 57, irish, Riverside, scottish, Yvette Sandoval

Yvette Sandoval,
Riverside, CA.

I am Gaelic (Scottish & Irish), Celtic (Welsh), English, Scandinavian (Swedish), Native American Indian (if recently a discovered lineage holds to further research) – basically, a typical All American Heinz 57! When my daughter and her husband give me grandchildren, they will be all of that plus Mexican and other White ethnicities from my husband’s ancestors AND black from my son-in-love. Oh, I so can not wait – but I must. CBU HIS311 Minorities in America

Straight Caucasian male, not a privilege.

April 4, 2022April 4, 2022 CA, caucasian, CBU HIS311, male, male privilege, Nathan Hansen, no privilege, straigh, Yucipa

Nathan Hansen,
Yucipa, CA.

CBU HIS311

Did not choose to be Jewish

March 3, 2022March 3, 2022 @DarkHairedDaisy, ashamed, CA, CBU HIS311, choose, eastern european, Jewish, Laguna Hills, Mexican, religion, Sarah Elizabeth Rosen

Sarah Elizabeth Rosen,
Laguna Hills, CA.

I did not choose to be Jewish. But, I have come to realize as I got older to appreciate who I am and how my religion is important to me. People think I am Mexican because I am tan, but really I am a Eastern European Jew. When I tell people that I am Jewish, they look at me and say I can see that, you have the hair and people are sometimes making money comments. I am proud to be Jewish and I do not care what people say. I love celebrating the holidays and getting to know about my families lives. Being Jewish is a big part of me and I am not ashamed. CBU-HIS311

Blackcican Spanish Speaker Didn’t Teach Kids.

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 Blackcican, CA, CBU HIS311, Creole, Marisha Vandenberg, my own language, National Geographic, Riverside, spanish speaker, teach kids spanish

Marisha Vandenberg,
Riverside, CA

I was raised in a Mexican household with my mom and her entire family: Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, 2 Uncles & 3 Aunts. I’m also half Creole, so I was always darker and taller than my family and I had long curly hair. We went to church and I stood out like a sore thumb because they all looked alike, and I was the dark one, taller than everyone else not only in my family but in most of our church! I learned Spanish and when we visited family in Mexico, I was only allowed to speak Spanish. I was never really great at it, but over the years, I developed enough vocabulary to get by and native Spanish speakers gladly helped fill in the blanks. I speak Spanish with the appropriate accent, so they were glad to accept me, even if I was a bit darker than they anticipated. Fast forward to when I marry a Dutch German and we start our family. He became concerned that our children would be “confused” if they learned to speak English and Spanish at the same time, even though he knew that I had. None of my reassurances helped. He insisted they not learn both, and I caved in. Both of us regret those choices now and are working on teaching our children how to speak Spanish as teenagers. Our son pronounces words with the appropriate accent. Our youngest daughter pronounces words like a “white girl” (so she says). Our eldest daughter is adopted, so isn’t Mexican at all, but keeps up just fine! I wish my young ignorance hadn’t allowed me to cave in, but it’s never too late to right some wrongs! Thanks CBU-HIS311 for pointing me in this direction! What a great site!!!

You’re not Mexican, You’re Mexican-American

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 American, Aztec, CA, CBU HIS311, compliment, Fountain Valley, Mexican, Mexican-American, politically correct, Vanessa Ayala

Vanessa Ayala,
Fountain Valley, CA.

I was 17 when I first realized how important it was for others for me to be politically correct about my race. I was at work one day and an older gentleman stopped me to “compliment” me, he said I looked like a beautiful Aztec princess I just smiled and was trying to get back to work, he said what is your ethnicity? To end the conversation as quickly as possible I just said, “Mexican”. He said, “Do you speak Spanish? Were you born in California? or Mexico? I just stared at him and said California… Ah he said, then you’re not Mexican, you’re Mexican-American”.
CBU-HIS311!

Linda Ronstadt, I have missed you!

March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 CA, Canciones De Mi Padre, CBU HIS311, Christine Bunker, culture, fall, Family, Linda Ronstadt, love, Por Un Amor, Riverside, sahre, tamale pot, tamales

Christine Bunker,
Riverside, CA.

It is almost that time of year when the weather changes and the tamale pot gets taken out of storage. It is the one time of year when the sound of Linda singing, “Canciones De Mi Padre,” fills our home and our hearts. We feel close to her because she sings a language that is only used once a year. We feel close to her as she reminds us of a culture filled with love, family, and sharing.
CBU HIS311

“Beauty Inside Shines through the Outside”

October 28, 2020October 28, 2020 1950's, 1960's, African American, beauty, black dad, CA, Catholic School, CBU HIS311, Inside, interracial families, irish, isolation, Matthew Powers, Mexican, outside, Riverside, shine, single mom, whit ekids, white mom

Matthew Powers,
Riverside, CA.

“Growing up Irish and being raised by a single mom in the 50’s and 60’s in Omaha I saw racial tension and acts all around the city, but I can’t say I understood anything about it until my younger sister and I were transferred to a different school because mom couldn’t afford the tuition at the Catholic school we were attending. The elementary school we were moved to was an all African-American school and we were the only “white” kids there, we took a lot of abuse and faced the fact that our skin color wouldn’t allow us to fit in or be accepted. We were the target of a lot of being beat on, racial slurs, isolation, and being chased home daily but eventually we did make a few close friends and things settled down. I can’t say we ever fit in but we survived and built a few relationships. It was one of the best things that could have happened to me from an understanding point of view as I saw and felt from the other side what being defined by a color or race felt like, it didn’t matter who I was inside. My family reflects that lesson we learned, my seven children’s mother had a white mother and African-American father, my children are mixed and they are proud of it, and have spouses and boyfriends and girlfriends from other races and it’s a beautiful community. My sister married a Mexican man and had three boys. Through the experience I learned that true beauty, goodness, and humanity comes from the inside, and shines through the outside regardless of what color or race that outside is and we taught the kids to see all people in the same way, individually from the inside out.” CBU HIS 311

You are pretty for an Asian

July 15, 2020July 16, 2020 Asian, CA, CBU HIS311, Corona, Laurel Nelson

Laurel Nelson,
Corona, CA

My whole life I never felt like I was the ‘right’ race to fit into being ‘pretty’ because of this phrase I was always told. Every race and every individual is beautiful. CBU HIS311

Angry Black person or unsatisfied customer?

June 18, 2020August 4, 2020 angry black man, angry black woman, black customer, CA, CBU HIS311, Christina B. Henderson, customer, customer service, patron, Riverside, stereotype

Christina B. Henderson,
Riverside, CA.

Why is a Black person speaking up for themselves in a situation when customer service has been less than satisfactory stereotyped as being an angry Black woman/man? Shout out to CBU HIS311.

Black Lives Matter! All Lives Matter!

June 9, 2020September 9, 2020 ALM, BLM, CA, CBU HIS311, Natalie, Upland

Natalie,
Upland, CA

CBU HIS311

Not Connected To My Own Heritage

September 23, 2019September 23, 2019 Amanda Bajema, america, American, CA, CBU HIS311, Connected, culture, Family, heritage, immigrant, Netherlands, Riverside, The Netherlands.

Amanda Bajema,
Riverside, CA.

When my great grandparents immigrated to America from the Netherlands after World War II they put in their best effort to become a part of American culture, which in turn meant loosing their own. Growing up my mother and her siblings were growing up they were not to learn Dutch, to the extent of not even calling their grandparents Oma and Opa, Dutch for grandma and grandpa. Because my great grandparents felt the need to become American, in a sense, I feel disconnected from my family’s heritage.
CBU HIS311

I didn’t know you are black

August 5, 2019August 5, 2019 Black, CA, CBU HIS311, ethnicity, Family, Gianni Johnson, mixed, Moreno Valley, you don't look

Gianni Johnson,
Moreno Valley, CA.

A lot of times when the topic of race or ethnicity comes up people are not sure where exactly to place me. People who I’ve just meet, and even people whom I have known for a while will say, “I didn’t know you are black” or they might say “I always wondered what you were mixed with”. It always confuses them even more when they see that the rest of my family is mixed as well.
CBU HIS311

The Chicana to make a difference

August 3, 2019September 3, 2019 CA, CBU HIS311, Chicana, College, difference, fail, graduated, High School, make a difference, Maria Pacheco, Principals, Riverside, school

Maria Pacheco,
Riverside, CA.

My parents never graduated high school. None of my family members have ever been to college. But this Chicana wants to be the first one to make a difference in my family to show them that it is never too late to go back to school and earn a degree. I gave myself many reasons why I could not go back to school and that was because I was afraid to fail. I am towards the end of my journey with school and I have been on the Principals List ever since my first class. I am proud of how far I have come and I hope to make my family proud the day I walk across the stage and earn my degree. This Chicana will make a difference for her familia and for the next generation of family members to come. This Chicana has done it! Aaaayaaaaah, ja, ja, ja, jaaaaaaiiiiiii!!! “shout out to CBU HIS311”

Being proper is not “acting white”

July 16, 2019July 16, 2019 acting white, being white, CBU HIS311, Kira Knight, proper, stereotype, USA, white

Kira Knight,
USA.

CBU-HIS311

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY AND FREEDOM

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019 Abbi Bocanegra, Big Bear Lake, CA, CBU HIS311

Abbi Bocanegra,
Big Bear Lake, CA

The number of people coming to the US has changed significantly over time. Many families migrate to the United States to provide a better future for their children and in search of the American Dream. No, we do not come here to steal your “jobs”. Work is work, and not every job is fulfilling. The truth, is wall or no wall, papers or no papers, laws, or no laws, the draw for immigrants to work in the U.S remains. The U.S is the land of freedom and opportunity.
CBU HIS311

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