Originally posted by Sweet2th
[
Can you even fathom what it's like to be treated like that just because of your color? the answer is no you can't even imagine it.
Yea I do.
And you can add because of name to that too.
Back in the late 60s and 70s the town I lived in was known at the time as "little harlem"
the bulk of which were made up of Black and Puerto Rican. At least in the schools
My first day of school there in the 4th grade I was one of 3 white kids in my class and one of those was a girl (Talk about a minority) and it only got slightly better as the years progressed
Weekly race riots at the schools back then was the norm.
and it wasnt just at the highschool level either. It trickeled down to the middle and elementary level as well
Now while I am a mix of several nationalities. when I was growing up I was basically a white boy with a spanish last name.
which at that time lemme tell ya. didnt go over well with anyone.
Blacks didnt like me and wanted to fight me cause I was white.
Puerto Ricans didnt like me and wanted to fight me cause I was white.
And Whites wanted to fight me caus ethey thought I was Puerto Rican
Forget the fact that if you broke it down into percentages Im mostly German and Irish. It was the last name "Mendez" that did me in.
Inside the first two weeks alone I was there in the 4th grade I was in 6 fights I didnt start. All because of one of the reasons mentioned above.
and so it proceeded year after year, Grade after grade.
I made some friends yes. but those that didnt know me or only knew me by name. Forgeddaboutit.
Growing up I've been attacked more and been in more fights then a whole bunch of people can count on their hands and toes combined.
98% of which were for no other reason then I was white. or because of my last name.
I've been ganged up on,attacked with rocks,bottles,knives and even had a throwing star thrown at me once.
I've had so many friggen guns pointed in my face it no longer scares me. (which in itself is pretty scary)
Its only by some miracle or freakish twist of fate Im alive and relitively unscathed to talk about it. Or that I myself havent killed anyone out of survival
Now thats not a boast or brag. It is just how it was.
I've had girlfriends have to break up with me cause their brothers,family,friends didnt want them "going out with a spic"
and as I know I have mentioned before on this board I've been turned down for jobs because of my name. in one instance I was told after an interview. "You seem like a great guy and If it were up to me I'd hire you right now. But I dont want you have any false hopes. The owner wont hire you because he doesnt like Puerto Ricans"
I said. "But Im not Puerto Rican. and Im mostly German and Irish."
He said "it doesnt matter. You have the Spanish last name and thats all he needs to see"
Other times with people Even today though rare I sometimes see it.
Everything is cool till they hear the last name. then they kinda distance themselves from you to the point where you feel like an outsider.
Oh its nothing overt. But when you have dealt with it all your life you can recognise it when you see it
Thing is I never let that stop me from anything. I never let it be an excuse or cop out of being "held down". And like it or not thats just what it is. A cop out.
I always said. and say Fuggum
No matter how bad things have gotten in my life. and beleive me there was a time they were worse then just racism
I just kept getting up dusting myself off pulled my bootstraps up and kept going just as I do now.
And I did something with my life.
I may not have alot. I dont own a multimillion dollar company and sometimes times are real hard. But what I have is mine and I got it myself
Not because of my race or even in spite of it.
But because I, ME willed it so
And I did it without the handout of any government programs. Or equally racist cutsie little organizations set up specifically for my race or nationality. Or any organization set up for anything for that matter.
Race or no race. I dug it out with my own bare hands and sweat off my brow.
Sorry but I DO know what its like. I just choose to not use it as a crutch or an excuse. or reason.
Now I might be able to be lectured or have things explained to them on a great many subjects.
Racism isnt one of them
