In the article Latinos and the U.S. Race Structure, by Clara Rodriguez (2000), issues of race, ethnicity, national origin, and immigration are discussed. Particularly valuable is the perspective and shared experience of the author, who identifies herself in the first sentence as follows: "According to definitions common in the United States, I am a light-skinned Latina...". As with previous articles from our book, the issues, histories, and experiences within and because of these topics are complex, with multiple truths often coinciding. The author mentions repeatedly that the experiences of one person are not necessarily the experiences of another, and that generalizations are just that. By illustrating a wide variety of expressions and opinions from within the same demographic, and how even those change depending on context, I think the author has done a great service to the readers.
For me, a major topic here is identification-by-self versus identification-by-others. When a person has a fixed idea of what race or ethnicity is or should look like, they tend to have expectations for how a people (and thus a person) should look, sound and behave. My mother is from Cuba; my maternal grandparents were also Cuban, with roots and complex histories going back generations. I have always identified as Hispanic, and proudly so, but without thinking this part of my identity, or my pride, makes me any better (or any worse) than anyone else. It is simply me.
Most people I interact with don't realize I am Hispanic until they find out or are told, but most people are not surprised to learn this about me. I'm not sure if there could be something like Cuban DNA, as current DNA analysis would show the haplogroups of origin, which could be from anywhere, but most commonly are European and African haplogroups, and also Native American, Middle Eastern and Asian. Cuba has a long history of admixture, similar in some ways to U.S. history but decidedly different in many ways as well. Many Cuban people are quite proud of all aspects of their ancestry, and I share in this viewpoint. I am American (nationality), Hispanic/Cuban-American (ethnicity), of English, Spanish, Irish, Native American, Middle Eastern, Benin/Togo (West African), French, Italian, and North African ancestry.
The shared goal of all of the articles I have read so far is to encourage understanding of individuals as complex beings. "Race", ethnicity, gender, religion, orientation, (dis)ability, and even social class can all be important components of who a person is, but even all of those demographic categories combined, with all the variance possible even within each category, are still only layers of who a person is as an individual. However, I sometimes grow tired of the refrains of "what difference does it make, aren't we all the same?", because to me that is a denial of the complexity and uniqueness of each human being. I think the goal of diversity is to embrace distinction; complexity should invite interest, not judgment or dismissal.
In undergraduate school here at JSC, I had been excited to enroll in Spanish III. I know that many people say that language is a fundamental part of culture, but for me, even though I grew up hearing and understanding Spanish, I rarely ever had to speak Spanish. In my experience in San Antonio, school, TV, etc. were all in English, with some Spanish phrases and words mixed in. My Mom, and of course my Abuelita spoke Cuban Spanish with each other, but mostly English with me. So today, I understand and speak some Spanish, but am not fluent (yet!). To me, culture and identity include language, but also includes stories, foods, holidays, and so much more. Culture and identity are a part of family; it's environment; it's who you are, and who I am.
Back to my story, here at JSC, I was excited to enroll in Spanish III, which I thought would be about the perfect level for me. I introduced myself to the professor with an open heart, identifying myself as Cuban-American and very much looking forward to see if I could unlock all of the language I grew up with. I wasn't prepared for her reaction; she looked at me strangely, and said nothing. During class introductions, she said to the class: "there is a person in this class who has said they are Hispanic...can anyone guess who it is?" True story. I'm not sure what the non-Hispanic teacher thought a Cuban-American should look or sound like, but apparently it wasn't me. Needless to say, the class was pretty de mierda, but being me, I stuck with it (it was mostly concerned with original (Spain) Spanish grammar) and the professor begrudgingly gave me a B+. I did not take Spanish IV.
It's terrible enough when a person tries to force their worldview on anyone else, and especially terrible when a person questions, much less ridicules, a persons identity. When mistreatment comes from a supposed authority, the results can be even worse. For me, this relatively minor incident was hurtful, but I was able to move on easily. Yet, I still remember it?
Rodriguez, C. (2000). Latinos and the U.S. Race Structure. Changing Race: Latinos, the Census, and the History of Ethnicity in the United States. NY, NY.
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