According to the U.S. Census Bureau the “Hispanic origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before arriving in the United States. People who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be any race.”

Being Hispanic is something I am very proud of, but sometimes what others say or do may make you feel inferior or unwanted.

Something I don’t understand is why others judge me for what another person of the same culture decided to do. It’s not OK to generalize and racially profile me because I am Mexican-American. Yes there are bad people in the world out there that happen to be Mexican, but guess what? There are bad people in every race.

Imagine how it feels when someone assumes I know about doing illegal things, just because of my heritage. When I ask them why they would think I know, they have the audacity to respond that it’s because I am Mexican-American and they assumed I would know. It’s a good thing my parents taught me how to respect myself and not stoop to the level of those who think they know. I simply bring up scenarios in which people of their race have done wrong, and that seems to shut them right up.

I also have noticed that the oppression doesn’t just come from Caucasian people surrounding me but from fellow Hispanics as well.

Instead of bringing each other up we would resort to compete with each other, we would try to  to prove others wrong but instead of being hand in hand and facing our oppressors we became them as well.

Since I was little, I felt as if I needed to be more American than any American I knew and more Mexican than any Mexican I knew. It felt like there was no middle ground. I was judged for being “too Mexican” by my Caucasian classmates, but I was judged for being  “too white” by my Hispanic classmates.

I felt at home when I visited Mexico, though I was technically and ironically considered a foreigner. But somehow I also feel like a foreigner in my own home here in the U.S.

A lot of times Hispanic cultures are not appreciated by others; instead they are made into mockeries for their own pleasure. (Early heads up for Halloween, my culture isn’t a “sexy” or “funny” costume.)

When it comes to the constant switch between languages, it gets tricky going out in very conservative towns.

It has come to the point where I am warned to avoid speaking Spanish in public places because there are people out there who don’t understand that the United States isn’t just for English-speaking Caucasians anymore.

In fact, It never was that. The ignorance and fear of other races and cultures needs to be addressed. Because whoever still thinks it is OK to treat others like they are less because of their race need to be informed.

It’s a scary notion; sometimes I would whine about our cultural problems, but I wouldn’t do anything about it because I feared I would be shut down, scared people would tell me it was all in my head. I suppressed my problems and feelings so much to the point where I went numb. I tried not to let these comments and remarks about my race faze me, knowing that I was literally a minority in many cases.

I decided to even avoid talking to others and offering my opinions, scared I would be thought of as less because I am a minority.

It is really hard to not let these things get to you, but it is not impossible.

But then I remember my parents didn’t move to the U.S. 20 years ago, leaving the comfort of their families in order to create their own and be able to provide for them and for me. I would never let others put me down for something I am proud of.

I remember the stories of struggles they tell my older sister and I about. And I have had a great childhood traveling to Mexico every year in order to get to know our grandparents.

Now we are living in our own home with everything we need and everything we want, thanks to my parents’ determination and love for the U.S. I feel so proud that I grew up knowing one more language than the majority, I also grew up learning about my heritage and feeling at home when I go to Mexico, but knowing that our home is in America.

I am so proud to be Mexican-American and nobody can take that away from me.

And no I am not being a ‘snowflake’ (or whatever you call hyper-sensitive people). I am not being sensitive for being offended when people try to make a mockery out of me. It is rude and inappropriate when others decide to attack my culture and expect me to not do anything about it.

Laws don’t change the thoughts and opinions of others concerning race and though a lot of progress has been made to the problems surrounding discrimination against races, much work remains.

For all other minorities reading this, you are not alone and you are not at fault for what others think of you. Don’t tolerate unjust actions. Instead, speak up.