Stuck in a stereotype?

[WriterofWords]

Boyd!! See what you started you heavy drinking and cussing trouble maker!!

 

[Laurajean]

I think poor Boyd is running like heck away from the crazy man-hating, man-stealing, lesbian-ish, recluses, some of whom have the gall to be vegetarian no less!

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Oh I've dealt with stereotypes for years. I was raised by a single mother, so that alone lead to a whole host of stereotypes as to what kind of people we were because I didn't have a father, but then we're also Irish. When we moved into the Chicago suburbs when I was 10 we moved into a Bohemian, Italian, and Irish town, though the Irish were far outnumbered by the Bohemian and Italian. Well, upon hearing my last name, I got ribbed endlessly about how we must be drunks because we're Irish, and I actually had a boy in high school walk up to me and he asked me "What's the difference between an Irish girl and her mother?" I said I didn't know and he replied "About $2". And then he laughed and walked away. I was shocked, and then I cried. So now because I was Irish I was also loose? I had to rise above those stereotypes. I grew up, met my now ex, and we had children together. He's Puerto Rican. I never thought anything of our nationality differences because my aunt was married to a Mexican American for ages before they divorced and she got together with her fiance, who is Puerto Rican. But oh did his family have a field day with ribbing me! I cannot to this day wear green around them. If I do, I get called a lepracaun. They tease me saying my family drinks heavy (truth is they drink harder than my family!!!), that we all have hot tempers, and that we all believe in little lepracauns, etc. The list goes on and on. I have learned to turn the other cheek with them. Then my mom and I moved out here to West Central Indian with my kids so that my kids could have a better life and we were hit with all new stereotypes. Now apparently we're clueless city slickers because we came from the Chicago area, that we'll bring *gasp* GANGS with us, and much more. Oh, and my kids must be Mexicans cause my older daughter's skin is a little dark. Cause dark skinned people are Mexicans.

We have this lady in our town that I kid you not, she had the nerve to walk up to my daughter one day and she didn't even say hi or anything, instead she got right in my daughter's face and said "Are you Mexican?" My daughter, because I have raised her to be polite, simply smiles and said "No, I'm Irish." And then went around her and kept walking, leaving the lady standing there looking dumbfounded. The lady asked her once more if she was Mexican, and my daughter answered honestly, no. I have quite a sarcastic streak in me, and my daughter has inherited it. She has also inherited my sense of irony. She drew a lot of pleasure from leaving that ignorant, racist woman standing there not once but TWICE, scratching her head and looking confused. The woman, to let everyone know, is the wife of a MINISTER, and a church going woman. Now, her husband isn't as ignorant, thank goodness. But since she has deemed that my kids are "Mexican free", she will now speak to them. I however will not speak to her unless I absolutely have to. The lady living next door to me tried to tell her son IN EARSHOT OF MY KIDS, that he couldn't play with Mexicans. My younger daughter who is a very "in your face" kind of person, and very blunt, went right up to the mom and said "We are NOT Mexican!" and then walked away. Again, this lady was also left standing there looking dumbfounded. I told my kids it's no one's business what nationality we are. Either they like us for who we are, or they don't like us, but it shouldn't be based on the color of our skin or our heritage.

Oh, and to the single ladies, I hear you loud and clear about the stereotype that we are all manhunters!!! I am single, I have been single for years, and I am perfectly content. I had a hellish relationship with my kids' father, and it left me...I don't want to say damaged, but maybe wary is a better word. I had a brief relationship a few years ago but realized that he was moving WAY too fast for me, so I broke it off, and I've been happily single ever since. Because I'm single, everyone and their brother wants to set me up. Apparently I can't possibly be happy single. My one friend changes boyfriends like you or I change underwear, and she thinks that I need to find someone like NOW. But I figure if he's out there, I'll find him. I'm not in a rush to meet just anyone, especially if there's a chance he could turn out to be anything like my kids' father! But I get the same thing. If there's a wedding I am told about all the "available" guys in my age bracket before the wedding even rolls around, or if there's a party I'm first introduced to the single guys. It gets a little old after awhile. Oh, and being single has become almost dangerous on Facebook! I have reconnected with a lot of people I went to high school with on there, including some people that I wasn't even really friends with back then, but we are now. Well, some of them are single men. Believe me when I say they are single FOR A REASON. Well they see that I, and several other of my friends on there are single, so apparently that makes us desperate, or that we NEED them to be our boyfriends. Um, NO! So while some of my single friends have kept their profile as saying they are looking for friendship, relationships and dating, I made sure a long time ago that mine says friendship only!!! Now, I am not opposed to dating, in fact one day I'd love to find an honest, caring man to spend the rest of my life with, but I can also confidently say that none of the men that I went to high school with are that man! I try to limit my interaction with those particular guys because I don't want to give them the wrong idea. Being single is not easy. So far I have not been accused of being a lesbian, though it wouldn't surprise me to hear that people have thought it. I'm not a loner, but some days, when I deal with ignorant people like that, I sure do feel like just giving them a big ole...

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
actually I'm taking notes and looking up phone numbers

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
actually I'm taking notes and looking up phone numbers

Too funny! Glad we didn't scare you off!

 

[Kansaseq]

So, what if you WERE Mexican, Chick_China_Mom? Was that the kiss of death to your neighbor and the pastor's wife? Good grief!

 

[saddina]

Quote:
actually I'm taking notes and looking up phone numbers

lol try redial. Matthew is just thrilled that you're the one listening to me go on about the benefits of bunny poo and pruning techniques...

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Quote:
Well, don't you know that if we were Mexican there would 20 of us living in the house instead of just 4...

It's a big house, so maybe we could fit 30 in here...

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Well, don't you know that if we were Mexican there would 20 of us living in the house instead of just 4...

It's a big house, so maybe we could fit 30 in here...

where I come from, that's not a stereotype - that's the truth.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Well, don't you know that if we were Mexican there would 20 of us living in the house instead of just 4...

It's a big house, so maybe we could fit 30 in here...

where I come from, that's not a stereotype - that's the truth.

I was just thinking the same thing. And it's not because they are poor, or cheap either. It is a way of life that starts in Mexico. The entire family lives together, grandparents, children and spouses, grandkids, great grandkids. Not every race lives the same way born-Americans do.