Mexican Archives - Page 2 of 21 - The Race Card Project

Adopted but am I still Mexican

August 9, 2024August 9, 2024 adopted, African American, boyfriend, Clemmons, dark hair, ethnicity, Greek, Kasey Nichols, Latino, Mexican, middle school, NC, other, white

Kasey Nichols,
Clemmons, NC.

I’ve known I’ve been adopted since I can remember and never questioned my ethnicity until I reached middle school age because we had to fill out cards with “check yes if Latino, African American, white or other.” Biologically I’m Mexican and Italian, but I was raised white with my dad being Greek and mom “white.” I kept asking myself what am I? I don’t speak Spanish well and I grew up with a white southern family, but my blood says Mexican and Italian. I worked in retail and Hispanic people would assume I was Latina from my short stature, olive skin, dark eyes and dark hair and started speaking Spanish, they would stop when they saw the confused look on my face. Especially when I go out with my Mexican boyfriend. However, I don’t resemble either culture. So what am I? I’m an American born and raised. I’m a mixture but I don’t need a label. I am ME. Just a person.

Not, Mexican not American but Chicana ?

April 25, 2024 CA, Chicana, Imperial, Mexican, Viridiana

Viridiana,
Imperial, CA

Mexican white culture misunderstood Latino confusion

April 25, 2024 CA, Dante Barajas, El Centro, Latino, Mexican, misunderstood, white culture

Dante Barajas,
El Centro, CA

“I am Mexican all the way”

April 25, 2024 anonymous, Mexican, USA

Anonymous,
USA

You don’t look THAT Mexican!

April 25, 2024 CA, Corona, Jessica Gonzalez, Mexican, SAC, you don't look

Jessica Gonzalez,
Corona, CA

I’ve heard this phrase for many years. Even Mexicans show racism towards other Mexicans. People seem to prefer light-skinned Mexicans to darker-skinned ones. I’ve witnessed this even with my family. My grandparents from my father’s side showed more love to my sister because she’s light-skinned and I’m not.

Indian mother Mexican father Chicana tattoo

April 22, 2024April 22, 2024 Anne Bressler, Chicana, Indian, Mexican, mother, OR, Redmond, tattoo

Anne Bressler,
Redmond, OR.

I’m not the RIGHT minority.

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 American, black and white, Brianna Acosta, Leander, Mexican, right minority, TX

Brianna Acosta,
Leander, TX.

All the U.S. is talking about is black and white, but what about the Mexican Americans? Discrimination against us has risen 50% in the last ten years while discrimination against most other races in the U.S. has gone down.

You don’t look like a Mexican.

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 IN, Indianapolis, look, Mexican, stereotype, twitter

Ryan
Indianapolis, IN
Submitted via Twitter: @Antisthanes

I’m A Human, Not A Fruit

March 22, 2024March 21, 2024 Asian, brown, CA, coconut, facial features, fault, fruit, Gabrielle Guzman, heritage, human, Mexican, San Diego, skin, Spanish

Gabrielle Guzman
San Diego, CA

Yes, I am Mexican. Yes, I know I apparently hold the same facial features as someone who would be considered Asian. No, I did not just cross the border. No, I do not speak Spanish, although I can understand it fluently and am taking classes to learn it. I am a human, I am not, as some of my friends and family like to say, a coconut. Brown on the outside, white on the inside. Just because I don’t fulfill your or society’s view of what someone of my background could act like, that does not mean that I am any less of a person, or any less proud, of my heritage. I am a human, not a fruit.

“But you’re not like other Mexicans.”

February 28, 2024February 28, 2024 High School, lesson, Mexican, Mexican-American, Seattle, stereotype, Tom Vásquez, WA

Tom Vásquez,
Seattle, WA.
I was in high school when this happened.

I’m a son of a Mexican-American, so I’m 50% Mexican blood. 50% French-Canadian and English. When I was in high school, I was struggling to understand what it meant to be Mexican-American. The other Mexican kids in my school … well, the ones I was most aware of … were not the best influences. They drove low riders, they didn’t care about school, they clowned and acted like idiots. One guy in particular stuck in my mind. I thought to myself, “I don’t want to be like him. He’s like the worst stereotype of a Mexican, and I don’t want to be like him.”

I don’t even remember the conversation, but I remember who I was talking to. I won’t share his name, but he was a red-faced, blonde-haired kid. Good athlete, did well in school, seemed to be doing okay socially. And we were just talking about the kids in school, I guess, and then he said that.

Matter of fact, what I think he actually said was, “But I get along with you. You’re not like other Mexicans.”

What did that mean? That I didn’t have an accent? That I didn’t wear baggy pants and slicked-back hair? That I worked hard in school? (I’m going to note here that several Mexican-American students in my school were doing well, including several in my own class. But I fixated on the slackers, the bad examples. Those guys were the Mexicans to be wary of. They were the examples of who not to be.)

At the time, I took it as a compliment. It was working! People didn’t think of me as one of “those people.” I wanted to be distinguished for myself – just Tom, not “that Mexican kid Tom.” I saw it as a choice.

Now, almost thirty years later, I still play that conversation over in my head. What should I have said? Should I have told him that all Mexicans don’t act alike? At age 15, I was still learning that lesson myself.

Pacific Islanders are not Asian ok!

February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 Asian, Chamorro, Huntsville, Luis David Garcia, Mexican, OK, Pacific Islander, TX

Luis David Garcia
Huntsville, TX

I am Mexican, my wife is Pacific Islander and our girls were born in Virginia and Texas. My girls are the minority among minorities and yet are lumped together with the largest population in the planet (Asian/Pacific Islander). Now try to tell my Chamorro wife that she is Chinese and you are up for an interesting conversation.

Guatemala isnt in Mexico, we’re different

January 24, 2024January 24, 2024 Anaheim, CA, Central America, Cypress College, Guatamala, Guatamalen, Jocelyn Hidalgo, look Mexican, Mexican, sound mexican, speak Spanish

Jocelyn Hidalgo,
Anaheim, CA

Im Latina, I was practically raised in Central America… Guatemala if you couldn’t have guessed. I do have a warm skin tone and have a typical “Mexican” appearance… whatever that may mean to you. But when you hear me speak Spanish I tend to have people second guessing if I’m actually Mexican.

Having beard does not mean Sikh

January 24, 2024January 24, 2024 CA, CYPRESS, Cypress College, Hindi, Mexican, Muslim, nursing, Shubham bhardwaj, sikh, speak Spanish

Shubham Bhardwaj,

Cypress, CA

I am Indian. I am not Sikh or Muslim. I am Hindu. Having beard does not mean I am Sikh or Muslim. I study at Cypress College. I also speak Spanish but I am not Mexican.

I want to become a registered nurse. My major is Cypress College is Nursing.

Just another Mexican from Los Angeles

December 5, 2023December 5, 2023 beans, CA, Daniela Rubio, Downey, illegal immigrant, judge, Los Angeles, Mexican, rice, same, stereotype

Daniela Rubio,
Downey, CA.

Just because their are a lot of Hispanics/Latinos in southern California, specifically to Los Angeles, it doesn’t mean we are all the same. We are all not illegal immigrants, we don’t eat beans and rice everyday. It does not give anyone the right to judge us or lump us all together.

Is that because you are Mexican?

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 Gina Vidal, liberty, Mexican, MO, stereotype

Gina Vidal,
Liberty, MO.

The concept of race creates fear

October 31, 2023October 31, 2023 concept of race, excuses, fear, hatred, ingroup, Mexican, outgroup, Peter Smucz, Power, USA

Peter Smucz,
USA.

The concept of race is actually a manifestation of a very old and fundamental human process, that of ingroup and outgroup identification. It developed for a single purpose, to facilitate harm against the outgroup, in this case the race in question. But hatred doesn’t come out of nowhere, their needs to be a reason, even if it is not a valid one. People wouldn’t bring such energy to bear against a target they thought didn’t matter, so the best remaining emotion to draw on is fear. All prejudice stems from fear. We even recognize this in terms like homophobic. Without fear, hate has no basis. Fear is based in the belief that a harm will come, and is built around taking action against it. This plays in to the nature of prejudice. The hatred of prejudice is designed to keep a group from gathering any power, and showing them that they are not welcome. Without the certainty that the group could cause trouble, there would be no reason to pay them any mind. Therefore, the concept of race must convince its believers that members of the other group is dangerous in order to get them to take action. This is why you see claims like the Mexicans are taking our jobs. To add an ironic twist, since the current concept of race developed during the colonial period, its likely that it developed out of a fear that what the colonizers were doing was wrong. To counter this fear they developed excuses that made it easier for them to do what they did.

But you look like you’re Mexican

October 3, 2023 black enough, Charlotte, Mexican, NC, skin tone, Stephanie

Stephanie,
Charlotte, NC

I’m Black and Korean. But to many others I’m Mexican. My skin tone, my hair texture, my facial features apparently aren’t Black enough. They’re not Korean enough either. So in order for people to make sense of my appearance, they tell me I’m Mexican. This has caused so much pain and confusion with my racial identity development. Growing up, I always felt like I had to constantly prove that I am Black…that I am Korean. I had to overcompensate my words and actions to prove I belonged to my identities. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more comfortable with who I am. I correct people when they assume I am Mexican, but it no longer causes me anger or shame.

I look Asian but I am Mexican

August 15, 2023 El Paso, Gabriela Arce, look Asian, Mexican, TX

Gabriela Arce,
El Paso, TX

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