I never looked at myself differently while I was growing up. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood where many of the people who lived here were Caucasian. I dressed like everyone else and spoke like everyone else. I did everything a normal girl on Long Island would do. People always ask me where my parents are from. Most of the time people think I'm of Italian descent. I laugh and tell them no that my father was born in the Dominican Republic and my mother's family is from Puerto Rico. Most people think it's awesome that I'm Hispanic and I'm proud to be what I am. Then there are some people who look at me like I have two heads and they ask me if I'm an illegal alien or if I'm Mexican. I try to explain to them that just because I'm Hispanic, doesn't mean I'm an immigrant. Doesn't necessarily mean I'm Mexican.
I could never say I'm not proud to be Hispanic. My roots make me who I am. I love that I assimilated into not only the American culture, but also the Boriqua culture and the Dominican culture. For someone to exclude me from something just because I'm not white, I find that to be an issue. I applied for a job a few weeks ago, it's a store I love to shop at. The woman who manages the store called me and asked me to come in to meet her in person. I did. She then started asking me questions. Questions that included my ethnicity. She asked me if I was an immigrant. I told her to just forget about the job that I didn't want it anymore. After I got home I realized that it really wasn't a big deal that she asked, she was probably just curious. She seemed nice in the beginning. She was polite and she didn't seem racist. Something had struck me the wrong way, I just couldn't believe she said that. I felt attacked. I didn't know if she meant to say it the way she did, I just couldn't believe she said it.
High school was definitely another issue. I had a teacher who I genuinely respected, I didn't agree with some of his views, though. He often spoke about how minorities get all the perks and how it would be easier for a Hispanic teenager with poor grades to get into a college than for a Caucasian teenager with good grades to get in. He also spoke about how minorities are given everything while no one else isn't.
Statements like that disgust me. I just didn't understand why he said that. My friend was just as shocked as I was. Did he not realize that I and a few other students were Hispanic? Did he really believe in what he was teaching to the class? Did he not realize that I can work just as hard and as efficiently as a person who is equally qualified? Whites have always get paid more than Hispanics. I hate saying that because it just sounds so mean. I'm not mad they get paid more, I'm mad because it's the Hispanics who are always accused of stealing jobs, getting all the governments money, etc. Especially now with the presidential election.
I'm a legal citizen of the U.S. and I'm scared of Donald Trump's "wall." That's silly to say, but it's true. This goes for any ethnicity, one bad thing happens and society accuses the whole group of people. I won't deny that some people do bad things, but that doesn't mean everyone will go out and do it.
One day, when I have children I don't want them to be discriminated against because they are Hispanic. I don't want them to be judged because of their roots. I want them to know all about their ancestors. I really hope one day people learn that just because someone's different doesn't mean they are a bad person. I know the discrimination won't stop, though. People will believe in whatever they want to believe.
I am Brianna. No, you can't call me "spic" or "beaner." No, my mom isn't a maid. Yes, I enjoy traditional American food. No, I'm not an immigrant. My surname isn't the definition of me. I am Hispanic and I am proud.
