"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
I can’t even begin to count the amount of times that I have had someone stare at me for quite a few minutes and then just blurt out the words, “What are you?” When I was younger I thought it was weird that someone would ask me this, but yet at the same time, I was flattered that someone was that interested in my looks that they felt the obligation to ask me straight to my face without even introducing themselves. One very interaction I remember so clearly was when I was working in a convenient store when I was in my early years of high school. I was cashing someone out and noticed she was not saying anything to me, just staring. I thought it was weird but she grabbed her stuff, said thank you, and walked out the door. A few minutes passed and then I had noticed she was back in the store but brought a friend with her. Two women in their mid-sixties I would say, both staring at me. Without any notice I looked up and then there was a flash. She had taken a picture of me. Naturally I looked at her and said, “Can I help you?” She smiled as if she had done nothing completely out of the ordinary, strange, or completely rude and responded, “You’re beautiful, what are you?” This led to one of the most uncomfortable conversations and days at work of my life and her taking out a notepad to write down what I am, but until this day it is something that has never left my or my parents' minds.
As a girl who is mixed, it fascinates me that people think that that is a question that is acceptable to ask someone. When you ask people who are mixed that question you are immediately categorizing them as some sort of “other.” I am not sure where the need to ask someone what they are comes from especially living in a place where immigration is at the forefront. You would think seeing how we are living in the year 2016 that people would realize that the United States is a melting pot of people of all different appearances pouring from every corner of the world, and yet there are still insulting questions being asked that deep down stem from the race game. When you ask me what I am I feel as though you are de-humanizing me and putting me into some kind of category or box. The shocked facial expression I see you make when I simply respond that I am mixed is comical only because in my head I am questioning your ignorance. It’s comical because I see how mind blown you are that there are people in this world who are not quite one race. People can observe that I am mixed, both black and white, but the curiosity in their eyes knowing there is more, what else are you? As if I am some experiment or a special dog breed. The worst part is when I stupidly answer the ignorant question of what I am and then people have the nerve to question me if I am sure? “Are you sure you’re not Brazilian?” The continuous confusion that pours out when people speak, “But you have white girl hair,” and “Why are you always tan, I wish I was always tan.” For starters I am not “always tan.” Should I go up to the next white person I see and tell them I wish I was always white like them? Didn’t think so.
As we have seen play out in this world, there are many people who will never get it, nor do they want to try and understand any situation other than their own due to their ignorance. What many of you don't realize is that you're giving me an entitlement that I never dared to ask for. But for those of you who aren’t so ignorant just think about it, if there were always people asking you such ignorant questions about what you are. I’m not making an excuse for those who constantly ask the question I’m just saying, you all should know better. At the same time I realize, however, many of you all really just don’t know better.
