Ethnicity, I feel, is a very confusing subject. People label themselves as black or white, I've even heard brown. I've heard things from Arab to Asian, Oriental and Chinese. There're Europeans, Germans, Italians, French, Irish, etc. I've heard Native Americans and Mexicans and Cherokee. These are just a few of the many categories that people can label themselves as. How is it determined what "race" a person is?
When I was growing up I was told that I am Hispanic, more specifically Mexican, and Czechoslovakian. More recently my parents told me more about my heritage which includes a French and German grandfather and a Czechoslovakian grandmother, both on my mother's side of the family. My other grandfather is French, Portugese, and Mexican. My other grandmother is Native American from the Apache tribe and Mexican. That makes me part Mexican, part Czechoslovakian, part Native American, part french, part Portugese, and part German. That's just tracing my heritage back 3 generations. How am I sopposed to determine what ethnicity I am?
My Grandfather was German only because he was born and lived in Germany for a significant period of his life. His parents were both considered French though. So is he really a German or a Frenchman? He was considered German because along with the French influence, he was also influenced by German culture. Since I was born in the United States and the only culture I know is US culture, would that make me United States American?
MY Grandmother was Apache Native American because her mother was a kidnapped Apache native, who had been taken to Mexico and stayed there until she died. My grandma was only considered Apache, and I am too, because someone in her lineage was an Apache. Is ethnicity determined by genes? If so, then what traits are used to identify different ethicities?
What is it that determines a person's ethnicity?
If you're having trouble understanding what I'm saying, let me know and I'll try to clarify it.
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can u explain it to me please?
Gaby
I am looking for other people's opinions on ethnicity. I want to know if it is determined by the culture one is raised in or through genes?
That's a good blog. I like it.
By looking at my skin a PC person would call me African-American and not be worried about being wrong. My mom was born in Waco, her heritage goes back to lots of "African-Americans". My father on the other hand was born and raised in Panama, he lives there now. His skin is darker than mine. Walking down the street not saying a word someone would call him African-American. I doubt he's ever been to Africa and he was never an American citizen. So how do you classify him? He calls himself Panamanian. What am I? Am I half African-American and half Panamanian? I maintain that I am neither. I've never been to Panama, or Africa. I am American, period. My skin is dark brown (black, as the common term), I was born and raised here. I speak, read and write English fluently and Spanish proficiently. Classification just doesn't always work.
--Naj
...I told you I'd change the world.
i think that ethnecity is what makeus we are born with it.
Gaby
Being born with it and it making you are different things. Do you want to be classified by your skin color or cultural background? Because while I love my Hispanic roots, they could never define me.
--Naj
...I told you I'd change the world.
Some people can't be classified when they're such a mix of races. And in some cases they conveniently use one for the purpose of affirmative action or what ever they feel like. Other times they might just associate themselves with the culture that was more prominent while growing up.
Here's one thing that bothers me about this. If ethnicity is used as a means of classifying people, then how is it that people can be unclassifiable? Eventually won't everyone become unclassifiable in these terms?
Yes. So let's just stop classifying, why don't we?
--Naj
...I told you I'd change the world.