One of my favorite microagressions that comes to mind is
this past school year when a parent told me, “I just hate it when Mexican
people do not speak Spanish, how can someone call themselves Mexican but do not
speak the language”,Mrs. Alvarez. I can’t figure out if it was the way she said
it or what she said but either way it hurt my feelings. I am Mexican however,
born in Fort Knox Kentucky so my home-language is English. Yes I am
Mexican-American, but was taught English not Spanish because of the insults
that my parents dealt with during the 1960-1970’s. As Dr. Derald Wing Sue, said
“there is a clash of racial realities”, yes I am Mexican, however I was born in
the United States where English is the home language.
At the time I felt hurt and it made me mad because I'm a fourth generation Mexican-American, however for me this has gone on for many years, since I was a child going to a spanish speaking church where the children were even immigrants from Mexico.
I'm a Hispanic-American woman who is very proud of my background I feel as though I am extremely lucky to be born into a family where many members were Pastors, where church was the main priority.
As a woman I feel that at times I have to compete with men, white or caucasian women, women of other ethnic backgrounds and now even Mexican women.
Tinka,
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience, me and my dad went to an Italian club, I was a teenager just to socialize. People were talking to me in Italian and I had no idea what they were saying. My dad speaks Italesh (Italian/English), but his parents who were immigrants only allowed English in the house because they didn't want their children to go through hard times like they did. My hope is now that people have the freedom to speak what ever language they choose and not be ostracized. Thanks for your post.