Q: I have a question about my family’s heritage. My father’s father arrived from Germany along with many of his cousins and married a Mexican woman living in Texas. The cousins married many Mexican female relatives of my grandmother’s, so we had a large extended family.
My grandfather and grandmother had four children. On their children’s birth certificates, it says they are white. Many years later, my dad married an English woman and they had six children. On our birth certificates, it says that my dad is white and that we children are too. The irony is that the Hispanic gene is very prominent in most of my siblings, including me, but my mother and father (and his siblings as well) refuse to claim the Mexican heritage that we all share.
So what nationality am I considered legally? Many of my past bosses have assumed I am Hispanic. I accept being Hispanic, but I am at a loss as to what I write down on a Census report or my kids’ school papers that request this information.
Danny: Being American is just not enough these days unless you fit under one category or another. The great news is that racial and ethnic categories are constantly being revised and updated in order to capture the diversity of this country, especially when dealing with the U.S. Census Bureau.
The most recent Census allowed folks like you to check all the categories necessary to identify your race. The important question, however, is with whom do you most identify?
Your family history is a thing of beauty and reason to be proud. It’s a shame the elders want to hide the very diversity that makes this country so great and your family so American. Perhaps the melting-pot theory will live on through you and your offspring.
Catherine: I just checked my own birth certificate. My mother is from Colombia and my father is from New Jersey, so I, too, am at a loss as to which box to check.
I found two interesting categories on my birth certificate, though. One asks for race and another asks whether you are of Spanish origin. My mother’s race is “white,” but she is of Spanish origin from Colombia. Race and ethnicity are two very different things. You can be “white” and Hispanic, “black” and Hispanic, and everything in between and Hispanic. So by checking a box that says your race is “white,” you are not denying your Hispanic roots.
Hardly anyone in the United States is 100 percent anything, so check as many boxes as you see fit and enjoy your rich blend of cultures.
Lily: Some bicultural people list themselves as Hispanic to qualify for perks such as scholarships that are only designated for that group. Other folks feel comfortable leaving this part of their family history in the past.
My son, whose father is “white,” is listed as Hispanic. Why? Because when asked, that’s what we decided on. In no way did we deny that he is bicultural – it was just a personal preference.
For an educated answer, contact your local university; there might be a genealogist there who could provide a more detailed answer.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer.
Consejos is a bilingual advice column focused on relationships, culture and identity. E-mail your questions or comments to consejos@dallasnews.com. Or send your letters to Consejos, c/o Texas Living, The Dallas Morning News, 508 Young St., Dallas, TX 75202. Visit Lily, Catherine and Danny online at DallasNews.com/consejos.
