HISPANIC PANIC

It seems that the going conversations these days are about not only the pandemic but also the continuing saga of racial discrimination. The latter is such a touchy subject that it is considered "verboten" in social gatherings but since we can't have social gatherings it's not talked about much now. Therefore I have chosen this time to tell you of some of my racial discrimination experiences. Me? A white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant? No way. Yes, way.

My first husband was Hispanic. Tall, dark, handsome and charming. As my father said, "He could charm the warts off a hog." Too true. That's beside the point here. After the birth of my first child my mother was coming out of church one Sunday when a good God-fearing woman came up to her and said, "I hear you have a new grandchild. What color is she?" My mother, always one with a quick comeback, said  "She's pink with blue spots. What did you expect?"

I should have told you this next story first, but I have a chronological disability. We went to Mexico on our honeymoon, driving from San Antonio to Mexico City via the Caribbean coastline. It was a beautiful trip driving through the jungles and mountains. After visiting with my husband's relatives in Mexico City, we went out one evening for supper at a very nice restaurant. We were finishing our meal when a large family of about ten people arrived and sat at a table near us. They took their time staring at us and jabbering about who we might be, such as "She's definitely a gringa, but look at him. Maybe he's a paid escort."  They kept on in Spanish about us and my husband told me in English, "Just watch this." He called the waiter over and in Spanish asked for the bill. When they heard him, they all got up and left because they were so embarrassed about what they had said. Oh, by the way, I am completely literate in Spanish as well.

Next was the birth of my first child in the Nix Hospital in San Antonio. On the second day a nurse came in and told me she needed the information for my baby's birth certificate. My baby's first name is Cristina, so the nurse wrote down "Christina". I said there is no "H" in her name, it's Spanish. She harrumphed and said okay and then proceeded to write down our last name which happens to be hyphenated. Well, she wasn't having that so she said it had to be one or the other. After my telling her she needn't worry about it since she wasn't going to use it,  I ask her if she could write down exactly what I tell her. Then I spelled it out very carefully for her. She left still complaining about the name asif it were her personal problem.

There's more but this is too long. Even though I have told you of these incidences, please understand that I did not have many of this type. I find attitude and personal assurance have a lot to do with how people react to you or your name.