the box you belong in
today in the washington post magazine I read an article about latinas with blond hair - it brought up a lot of mixed feelings. the author Belén Aranda Alvarado is Chilean, she talked about not "looking" latina enough because of her light skin and straight hair. its something I've heard quite a few times - I could be "darker" if I wanted but I don't feel like subjecting myself to premature aging due to sun damage. I remember being in the 4th grade at Tuckahoe - some kids told me that I must be adopted because my mother and I didn't look anything alike. it was such a change from congressional. I never though of myself as different or biracial until I reached middle school. it also brings to mind the whole "passing" thing - I remember being told that I could "pass" for white by my african - american roommate Patrice, it hurts especially when another minoraity tells you something like that that you could/should deny a part of yourself a part of your family. even Barack Obama has to deal with it , I read an articule in the Post about a month ago about how African Americans didn't regard him as "black" enough. liberals and conservatives both suffer from this easy categorization attitude when it comes to "minorities," I was once told by this kid named Rick in my spanish class "you had to have a quinceanera to be a latin girl." I just kind of glared at him instead of explaining that they only do that in certain latin american countries not columbia.