UGH-

Ever had that teacher that just had something to say about your work all the time?
Yeah, I’m there.

At school, we had a project that was basically to create a power point that depicted our American Dream, and in mine I added activism (because I feel very strongly for it). In one (of two) slides about it I discussed my reason(s) for wanting to be apart of the Bi/Multiracial/national/cultural movement/activism, and oh course, she had a comment. Since the moment I mentioned I fully consider myself multiracial she has had a sharp comment about it. Anyway, back to the power point, so unlike everyone else’s dreams, I said no house, I want an apartment. NO instate college, out of state’s is more favorable. No perfect, every-girl-dreams-of guy, just respectful and interesting. And finally came my dreams of activism, which she thought “wasn’t” apart of the American Dream apparently. To her, it’s ridiculous that I strongly prefer to be labeled (if I have to) as Multiracial (thus her nickname for me “my multiracial child”).
This goes with what’s called direct and indirect discrimination; sadly I can’t do a thing about it. Pisses me off, like any other 17 year old, but I’m going to continue to try to show her, somehow, why it’s important to me, and why she should at least TRY to respect that. As for the rest of the world, I’m still figuring out how to illustrate it to them. But I’ll figure it out….eventually.

WHY-

Being more than one race, culture or nationality isn’t the easiest thing when neither (or none) of them will accept you. Hard to picture? As you’ve previously read, I didn’t grow up in the states and growing up “different” is a story for another day, it’s when I came back to attend junior high (and now high school) in the states that I discovered that not one part of what I was had any desire to claim me as apart of what they were. This was when I started to actually think what it meant to be me; to be more than one race.
What’d I come up with? There’s absolutely NO REASON for me to choose one race/ethnicity over the others. I can’t change what my parents are, I can’t change what my grandparents and their parents were, and I CAN’T change what I am even if I claimed one race. Fact is, if to them I’m not “Puerto Rican enough” or “white enough” or “black enough” or “whatever enough” for them, that’s to dam bad, because I am what I am, and no matter what they say, THEY CAN’T CHANGE THAT. (Well, unless they can change my parents, their parent and their parent’s parent’s ethnicities. If they can do that, I’ll shut up and be rather impressed.)

My MiX

This blog is almost like a journal, but it's about my identity and how I and others identitfy myself and others (redundant huh?). I am portuguess, german and puertorican, and in puertorican I am Taino (indian) and black. That is why I called this blog Casta-Mix, because I am a mix containing portuguess.
Being Multiracial is important to me and I love it (and yes, there are people who do not love it, infact, there are those who aren't very nice about it).
My great grand parents actually came from Portugal through Ellis Island (documents say not together though, I think my greatgrandmother was rejected , but can back on another trip and made it into the country). My german ancesters have been here (in the good ole US of A) since a revolution times (and now live in what I dem the scary part fo Pennsulvania, where there's nothing to do for AT LEAST 10 to oh say 20 miles, I'm so gland we don't visit or I'd died. There's also limited energy there). My biological father (whom I refuse to see due to his violent additute towards my brothers, who live with him.), he moved here from Puerto Rico when he was young. He was born in Utuado, where there were still indian villages untill about the 1960's, and the land that (thanks to abuelo) I'll inherit one daywas where my tatara-abuela (great-great grandmother) was aprat of one of the last surviving indian village. Now, his family IS racist (I grew up in PR and racism and classisim is quite open in various parts of the island), so they will deny having black heritage, however my mother found out when I was 3moths old and the doctor sent a letter saying the I have Sickle cell trait. So my momma did some research and found that in the ole (that's how I write "old") days when black slaves escaped, them went to the mountains where most of them joined the natives, the Tainos, so that explained how I got the trait. But I have to say, I HATE trying to explain it to his family simply because they refuse to hear a word of it.
Anyway, that is my mix, my Casta-Mix.
Expect more blogs, MANY more on multiracialism and issues not only I deal with, but many others.