Last week I wrote a post about being a first generation american and how that has affected me. I also talked about how people should not categorize others based off of what they look like, sound like, or where we are from.
Today I am going to elaborate more on the main points and ideas that I touched on. My last blogpost came off as being very nationalistic (which in some way was my intent). However, i failed to mention a key aspect to my side. And that is, people should be able to define themselves not the other way around.
I support people saying that they like to be described in a certain way. If someone is an American citizen but refers to be defined as something else, then I have no problem with that. The truly irritating part for me is when someone wants to be described as an American and is instead generalized into some other category.
Although I did have a really nationalistic post, I too like to describe myself as being Portuguese. I would never want to lose that part of my history and heritage. It angers me when someone neglects to respect the fact that I am not just some white kid. Yes that is the color of my skin, but that does not mean I am not Portuguese.
I sympathize with people in our culture today who are struggling with issues relative to mine. For those of African descent who are trying to stand up for both their rights and/or traditions. I sympathize with you. I know that I have far different experiences than you have, however, through my own experiences I have built a level of respect and understanding for the motives behind your movements. I sympathize with those people who are of mixed descent and are not truly accepted by both races. And I sympathise with anyone who feels as though the way they are described by others varies from how they describe themselves.