I previously blogged about how interesting I thought it was that a friend of mine does not embrace his Mexican side. I thought about how this happens sometimes with minorities. Then, I began to reflect. I began to realize I do this exact thing very frequently!
I am over 75% Irish, the other 25% being mostly German, with a hint of French. I have a very traditional Irish first name, and my middle name is even more Irish: MÃ ire (pronounce Maura – it is Gaelic, which is very old Irish). As anyone of my close friends could tell you, I have an immensely strong Irish pride. However, to my “dismay”, my last name is completely German. I can not even recall the amount of times I have said something along the lines of, “Yes, my last name is German, but I’m over 75% Irish! It’s not even FAIR!” Or when people ask me what nationality I am; I usually only respond with Irish and rarely mention my other 25%.
I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why?” Why did I make such a big deal about it? And all I can say is that I am more proud of my Irish background than my German, which is not even a sound answer. I think it is because my family heavily emphasizes my Irish side (my Mom being 100% Irish). My Dad is the one who I get my German from, and he is simply indifferent about it.
I had never really thought about how it does not have to necessarily be in relation to a minority for someone to want to cover up or hide where they come from.
The pride one has in their nationality, race, or heritage, largely comes from outside factors. In my friend’s case, his Dad cut ties because of the social stigma, for me it was a family factor. However, in the end we can never really escape who we are and what our last name is… I guess being a woman I could change that…Just marry Irish. Ah Ha! The answer to all my problems.
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In fact, it's a lot easier for white ethnic groups to hide or ignore parts of their ethnic identity and emphasize others, as you describe. See, even though your friend's father rejects his Mexican heritage, anyone who looks at him can tell he's Hispanic, at least, and in this day and age, they will probably guess Mexican.
ReplyDeleteWhen the cues are more visible and contrasted to the "norm" (i.e., white), the power to control your identity gets taken away from you. People only get to know something about your Irish/German heritage when they hear your name, and the French and other parts get revealed only when and if you want them to. But if they only saw you, they wouldn't have any idea about your ethnic heritage. Your friend, on the other hand, probably looks Hispanic. In places where Spanish is spoken in the US, people also know right away something about one's heritage without even having to talk to that person.
So it goes like this:
White people in the US have optional ethnicities. They can either be "the norm" (white, American) or they can add a dash of ethnic spice to their identities.
Racialized minorities in the US are automatically categorized. They can rarely "take away" the identity that is imposed on them from the outside (by society).