My parents were both born here as well as all of my grandparents. I'm not from Mexico so I feel awkward saying I'm Mexican. I tell people that I am Mexican to simplify things and all they really want is to place a label on me anyway.
I'm very light skinned and don't look like the stereotypical Mexican. I am often asked which of my parents are white... uh, neither. I don't know when it became appropriate to ask people this, it kind of bothers me. I don't walk up to white folks and ask them about there heritage. It shouldn't matter.
I am subject to racism because I don't look like the traditional stereotype of a "Mexican". People say things to me that they probably wouldn't say to me if they knew I was Hispanic, which is worse because I feel like they are letting their true colors show.
A co-worker once told me that she used her "Mexican" tupper-ware that day. I didn't get it, in my head I was thinking: "Does she only put Mexican food in it? Is it a chili container? Is it red/green/white?" I had no idea and I asked her why she called it that. She told me it was because it was an old butter container and it was "ghetto" so that's why she called it her "Mexican" tupper-ware. I just stood there, shocked. She equates Mexican people with something cheap and dirty.
I look for certain things when looking for friends and not one of those things is what the color of their skin is. It takes all kinds so let's just all get along and be open to what each other has to bring to the table.
There, now I will get off of my soap box :)
Update: July 19th 2012- I went to DOPL to apply for my RN license and they asked me my ethnicity... my choices were Hispanic: Cuban; Hispanic: Mexican and Hispanic: Spanish descent..... I told her I was American :D
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