Rachel Allocco
Phoenix, AZ

My boyfriend is Mexican and grew up in Southern Arizona near the Mexico border. His father, a successful doctor and US Army veteran, is from Mexico. His mother is from a predominately Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles. People assume that because he grew up immersed in his Mexican heritage, the future of our relationship will be dictated by “Mexican” stereotypes of marriage and family – several children, strict religious adherence, a strictly patriarchal household – stereotypes that I know to be untrue and have nothing to do with his race. Nevertheless, others seem to have a strong opinion on the health of our relationship, and what I should be “prepared for” in the future. I wish they would mind their own business.