Mixed Race Is Never The Right Answer
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Mixed Race Is Never The Right Answer

What percentage of my race is enough?

29
Mixed Race Is Never The Right Answer
Jacqueline Weisbaum

I am the product of American addiction and Salvadorian brutality, the child of prosperity and pain. Being a mixed race woman has tested my strength in many ways. For years it was difficult to accept myself as both white and Hispanic. Somehow it seemed that the two did not belong together.

It all began with a box, a middle school's need to classify its students. On the form it stated that if you were white you were not of Hispanic decent. However, I could not grasp this idea, for if my father is white and my mother Salvadorian, that would mean that I am both white and hispanic. The form prohibited me from identifying as who I truly am.

To this very day, that box exists. It is a concept that lingers in our modern perception of race and ethnicity. I am reminded of its existence each and every time the question is asked. With a last name like Weisbaum and my inability to roll my R's, people often neglect to see that I am in fact half Salvadorian.

I am not upset that they cannot identify me based on my physical characteristics. Rather, what pains me most is the fact that my whiteness is complimented and my Hispanic heritage is thrown under the rug. Upon mention of me being half Hispanic, I often hear things such as, "You don't even look Hispanic!" Or, "Wow, I was sure you were a White girl." It is the tone in which they say it in that shows me how they truly feel about Hispanic individuals. There is a sort of pity, as if they are apologizing to me for my being Salvadorian.

Why is it that I cannot be both a white girl and a Latina? It is as though my being Hispanic cancels out my Whiteness. It is viewed as a stain that sullies the pureness of being White. Many people seem unable to comprehend that I proudly wish to identify as both ethnicities. Both have greatly impacted the person I have become, and I believe it is crucial that we love all of who we are.

Not everyone has given me a strange look when I tell them my ethnicity, but the judgment has occurred far too much for me to neglect it. For many years I interpreted the rude comments as a way to determine both my worth and beauty. In my early teenage years, I loathed my complexion. I wanted pale skin, crystal eyes, and lighter hair. I wanted to erase half of who I am.

It was detrimental to my development for I was incapable of seeing myself for all that I am. Instead, I looked only at what I was missing. As I got older, I learned what my dark features represent. My deep brown eyes are a reminder of the dark times my mother was forced to endure. They are the darkness that engulfed my mother as she crossed the border to escape the Salvadorian Civil War. My reddish brown hair tells the story of her bloody and overworked palms. She was forced to stay at home and take care of younger siblings, unable to receive a proper education and a slave to her parents.

When I look in the mirror, I see my father's stories and my mother's struggles. I see the combination of two incredible people. We must never lose sight of who we are and where we came from. I implore you to learn the history of your people to gain a better understanding of where you come from. Be proud of the cultures you represent, and never let anyone try to take that away from you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

50080
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

31964
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

955403
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

180558
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments