"Your parents aren't from here?! It's just that I've never met someone who's parents aren't from here, you know. Cause I was born here and my parents were born here and my grandparents were born here-.
I sat there in complete disbelief, was this actually happening in 2016?
She continued to list why it was SO strange that someone's parents can be from another country, yet the child native born. This was the first time I encountered such white ignorance on campus and certainly not the last.
I was immediately angered. There was just so many things wrong in what she said, yet she had no idea.
Just a few things wrong with her statement:
1. The United States is composed of immigrants from all over the world, approximately 42.4 million to be exact. So unless you're living under a rock, you've definitely encountered someone who wasn't born in the US. Possibly a professor on campus, a student, a fellow friend- to say you haven't just shows how sheltered/ignorant you've been your whole life. Reevaluate please.
2. SO WHAT- Why did you feel the need to announcement that you and your entire family are "American because you're born here? Do you think you're more American than someone's parents who weren't born here but became citizens?Once again no. White does not equal American.
3. WELL actually, You and your family aren't from "here". Unless you're Native American descent, then you're not "from here". Your great grandparents migrated to the United States just like everyone else. No, we're not “foreign” so please don't use that word. It's offensive.
But instead I didn't say anything. I was shocked to hear such ignorance on my campus. I was shocked someone still considered immigrants as foreign and the concept of naturalization strange. I was shocked that someone still believed in order to be perceived as American, you had to be born here.
Although the microaggression wasn't said towards me, I was still so angered this mentality was still present. I wish I told the girl off, educated her of the ignorance of her statement. I wish I spoke up for the timid girl who refused to correct her white privileged friend.
So to the girl that decided to proclaim her whiteness:
please educate yourself before you assert microagressions on campus. It's not that hard.
