Hello, everyone. It has been a long time since the last time I blogged. I’ve been trying to stay busy to avoid feeling homesick, and this reflection process makes me miss home that much more. I know I have a few people back home looking forward to my stories, so I have to put my big girl panties on. Again, I’ve been keeping a bulleted list of my experiences so I do not forget to leave anything out. I am on campus now, where the internet is a lot faster, but I forgot my USB cable at home. I can’t upload my pics to my computer, but I will do so later. Therefore, this blog will include stories that do not need pictures for justification.
It was only a matter of time before ethnicity became the topic of the conversation. To put it in terms of the Chinese, I look different than Brandon and Alyssa. One day during my office hours, Chuyu and Jack were working on their reports. I was eating pistachios and Chuyu brought up the fact that I do not eat meat. He put his two hands together, like praying hands, and asked if that was the reason; he didn’t know the word for religion. I explained that being a vegetarian is a personal choice and was not because of my religion. He went on to say he thought I was Indian, since most Indians are vegetarian. After sharing a laugh with him, I was curious. I asked Jack what were the thoughts of everyone else, and he replied by saying they knew I was different from Brandon and Alyssa by my skin tone. Most students thought I had a black parent and a white parent, which would explain my darker skin tone. I told them I am Puerto Rican American, and they had no idea what I was saying. I showed them Puerto Rico on a map to elucidate my explanation, but they were still confused. I gave up and told them Puerto Ricans are of a Spanish heritage to simplify things.
Just when I thought the ethnicity talks were over, a kid at the basketball courts bluntly asked, “Why don’t you look like her (her—referring to Alyssa)?” As much as I wanted to be a smart aleck, I refrained from my sarcastic remarks. I chuckled about it and answered by saying I am of Spanish decent. I didn’t want to explain Puerto Rican American all over again only for him to be confused. The kid knew we were Americans, and Jack was with us. I questioned if they were aware that there are more than just whites in America. I’m afraid if they think everyone in the US looks like Brandon or Alyssa, then they are in for a rude awakening. I tried to enlighten them about the different nationalities and ethnicities in the US. I’m glad they have some exposure to a minority now, and I hope my explanation was thorough. My cousin, Mia, was right – from an American minority to a Chinese rarity.
Ok, my time is running out. I will post again soon, and I will get my pics uploaded sometime this week. Peace!
It was only a matter of time before ethnicity became the topic of the conversation. To put it in terms of the Chinese, I look different than Brandon and Alyssa. One day during my office hours, Chuyu and Jack were working on their reports. I was eating pistachios and Chuyu brought up the fact that I do not eat meat. He put his two hands together, like praying hands, and asked if that was the reason; he didn’t know the word for religion. I explained that being a vegetarian is a personal choice and was not because of my religion. He went on to say he thought I was Indian, since most Indians are vegetarian. After sharing a laugh with him, I was curious. I asked Jack what were the thoughts of everyone else, and he replied by saying they knew I was different from Brandon and Alyssa by my skin tone. Most students thought I had a black parent and a white parent, which would explain my darker skin tone. I told them I am Puerto Rican American, and they had no idea what I was saying. I showed them Puerto Rico on a map to elucidate my explanation, but they were still confused. I gave up and told them Puerto Ricans are of a Spanish heritage to simplify things.
Just when I thought the ethnicity talks were over, a kid at the basketball courts bluntly asked, “Why don’t you look like her (her—referring to Alyssa)?” As much as I wanted to be a smart aleck, I refrained from my sarcastic remarks. I chuckled about it and answered by saying I am of Spanish decent. I didn’t want to explain Puerto Rican American all over again only for him to be confused. The kid knew we were Americans, and Jack was with us. I questioned if they were aware that there are more than just whites in America. I’m afraid if they think everyone in the US looks like Brandon or Alyssa, then they are in for a rude awakening. I tried to enlighten them about the different nationalities and ethnicities in the US. I’m glad they have some exposure to a minority now, and I hope my explanation was thorough. My cousin, Mia, was right – from an American minority to a Chinese rarity.
Ok, my time is running out. I will post again soon, and I will get my pics uploaded sometime this week. Peace!