Race Designations

I wanted to thank everyone, Paula, Emilie, Robert, and Esperanza for the
tremendous help you have given me regarding this sensitive issue of race
classifications in Mexico and, as you pointed out, in America, as well. We
see this sadly all over the world.

People ask me if I am Hispanic and I say, I'm an American of mostly Mexican
and German ancestry. Since I have been doing genealogy, I have been
thinking, well, my Mexican ancestors were of Spanish ancestry, so maybe I
should start saying that, which gets me back to being "Hispanic." Yet,
there could be some French, some indigenous mixture there, so it just
doesn't work to get down to classifying ourselves or others anymore. I
could say I am of European ancestry, but that still excludes all
possiblities. That's what they have been finding out in the census taking,
that people are no longer simply white, black, brown, yellow, green, or
purple, but a blending of races. When it comes down to it, what is the
purpose of this kind of accounting anymore?

My mother was born in Guadalajara, spoke Spanish, and she grew up with her
family in Los Angeles. The story is told a million times over, family
members one by one immigrating to the U.S. during the Mexican Revolution and
then staying here. My mother's mother only spoke Spanish, grew up and went
to college in Guadalajara, but worked in LA in the garment industry as a
factory worker until retirement. My mother's father was born and raised in
Chihuahua and El Paso. He was a musician, like his father, worked as a film
extra in silent movies, but eventually became a clothing salesman for Victor
Clothing Company in downtown LA until his retirement. I used to see him on
their television commercials in the 1960's. He had changed his name from
Jesus to Fred. My grandmother's aunt owned a shoe store on the plaza right
by the Cathedral in Guadalajara, lived a well-to-do lifestyle and had
servants. Her store was burned down during the Revolution, so she
immigrated to the U.S. She worked all the rest of her life for the Diamond
Laundry Company in LA. Why didn't the women do as well in this country as
their own? I know that they lived in fear of getting sent back to Mexico,
they isolated themselves, they did not want to stand out or make waves, make
a fuss, and they all had a great deal of pride.

I married a man of French and English ancestry and live far away from my
family now. The Mexican influence of my upbringing has worn off quite a
bit, I have found out. At a Mexican restaurant last Mother's Day, we had
brunch with my mother and my brother and his wife, who is Mexican. He asked
me if I had tried any of this particular dessert they had there. I said I
didn't know what that was. He looked at me and asked, "You don't know?
What kind of Mexican are you?!" So, you can get it from all directions, put
down for being too dark, too light, too Mexican, not Mexican enough, for
speaking Spanish, for not knowing Spanish, etc. etc. Enough said.
Thank-you, all!

Corrine Ardoin
American Heinz 57