I posted this response to an article regarding the actions of my govenors daughter as of late. Thought some of you may appreciate it. Just to warn you, its long..... I liked this article. But there is something I would like to add from the white mans perspective. Please stay awhile and listen. You just might appreciate this. I come from a Catholic family. I went to Catholic schools. I remember in kindergarten learning about St. Patricks day for the first time. Imagine this. Youve been going to school for the first time. Youre six months into this new lifestyle. All of a sudden, one day people start pinching you because youre not wearing green. Your uniforms are white shirts and navy blue pants. So of course youre not wearing a green pin or green bracelet on this random day. Youre confused and people are picking on you. But it seems like a fun game. Then you find out youre ancestors were Irish. So this really should have been explained to you, but it wasnt. Thats my story, but it gets better. Obviously I identified with my Irish Catholic heritage for YEARS after this. I embraced it. I took pride in it. I grew and reveled in it. I later grew apart from my Catholic faith (the constant in my life from my birth), but held on deeply to my Irish roots. Finally I realized something in my early twenties. Having never been to Ireland, I felt that if I did visit (as I felt I should because of my heritage) then I would probably be viewed as a tourist and laughing stock to the people that lived there. It was a harsh realization, but I realized that I was not in fact Irish. I am American. That insight left me with a bit of an identity crisis. After all, I was born in Oklahoma, so Im native to America. But Im not Native American (Ive been told Ive got some Mohican in me, but lets be honest, Im white. I dont even know if I spelled Mohican correctly since auto-correct is saying I didnt.) So Im not Native American. And Im not Irish. Being of Irish decent, my ancestors most likely came to this country after the Native Americans were forced from their homelands. More than likely (but not certainly) they did not own any African slaves. Thats beside the point in a way. Dont get me wrong, reparations should be paid. But I doubt my ancestors caused the wrong to begin with. More than likely they were exploited as cheap labor. Yet, they were white. And so I am white. Does that mean I am responsible for their actions? Especially when it is doubtful that my ancestors participated in the wrongful actions the white man committed? And if I am responsible for the actions that my ancestors committed then shouldnt I be able to at the very least feel that I can honestly identify with their culture? Because I dont feel that way. I dont feel like I have any right to identify with Irish culture. Sure, I know a bit about it. But I really havent experienced much about it. But here is what I have experienced.... I like Asian food. And I like to use chopsticks when I eat it. I like Mexican food. Toss me a taco, burrito, enchilada, or quesidilla and watch it disappear. I like Italian food. Kind of hard not to. And Ive had haggis once at a Scottish festival. I loved it. Even though I know that comparing a Scotsman to an Irish man is like comparing a German to a Frenchman. So basically what Im saying here is that food is off limits. No matter the culture you are or the culture the food comes from, if you like it, then enjoy it without any guilt. Food should bring us all together. And yet I feel that I can not relate to any of these cultures. I have blood from more than a few of them, but what am I? I AM the melting pot. Where is my culture? Though Im native to America, I cant even claim to be Native American, because Im white. Now please dont get me wrong, Im not saying my plight is worse than that of any of these cultures. Especially not the Native Americans. You basically lost your homeland after all. And now Im living in it.... What I am saying is that Im unsure of my culture. Which means Im unsure of my personal identity. Heres what I do know. Im a native Oklahoman. And Im proud of that. I love this state (despite its past.) I love the city I was born in. Oklahoma City by the way. When Spanish was being forced upon me in grade school, I hated it. I felt that if people wanted to come to my country then they should learn English. But in time I grew to be more accepting. After years of working in kitchens I learned to appreciate what little I learned about Spanish. Thats because I worked with some very hard working Guatemalans. They are the ones I truly learned ANY Spanish from, and it exited me to learn a bit about that culture. I love to speak what little Spanish I do know. Turns out, its FUN! And I would love to volunteer my time to help any Spanish speaking immigrants to learn to speak English, because it will help me to learn Spanish. Especially because many Latino cultures have a heavy Catholic influence. While I can never claim to be Irish, I definitely WAS Catholic and can understand that culture. So yeah, I feel that I empathize with Latino culture more than any other minority. I know enough to know that when my neighbor invited me to his daughters quiencera, I knew it was an offer I could not refuse no matter the color of my skin. Even if I felt out of place with anybody there, including the only other white people there (the neighbors two doors down.) I felt awkward as all get out. But more importantly I felt honored to be invited in the first place. I hope to never forget that night. It was amazing. So heres my bottom line. When I see my governors white daughter wearing a headdress, it disgusts me. It disgusts on the same level of disgust I feel when I see a hispanice/white/black/purple-blue-or-green person wearing a Rosary around their neck like a piece of jewelry. Both are sacred objects being treated without any reverence. I do keep an open mind though. One of my best friends grew up in San Antonio. His Spanish is much better than mine. Though he never was Catholic, he grew up with many Hispanic Catholic friends. He has a deep respect and appreciation for Catholic culture. So I see no problem with his tattoo of praying hands holding a Rosary, which is well hidden under any shirt. He may not completely understand, but he does truly empathize. He shows reverence and respect. Very admirable considering hes TEXAN. Sorry, had to get a jab in there on that. I do not apologize for the actions of people who lived before me, no matter whether I share their race or not. Granted, reparations are owed by the American government (which Im proud to be a citizen of despite the wrongs that government committed.) I want to see an America that is a melting pot. Where all cultures can come together and share with one another. But where no culture is asked to sacrifice what is sacred to that culture. Share the food definitely. But keep the identity. That belongs to YOU not the country. In the mean time Im an American. Though native, Im not a Native American. My culture started in 1776, and Im proud of that culture. And that culture may sometimes leave me asking who am I?. But it also defines who I am. I believe in equality. I cant speak for every white man in America. I cant speak for every white man in Oklahoma. But I can speak for me. I am a white man with a very limited knowledge of Native American culture. But I appreciate it. I am a white man with some experience with Hispanic/Latino culture. But I appreciate how it has truly enriched my life and I am grateful for it. I am a white man whose ancestors were Irish. And I will always love the color green and love to share a pint. And until my feet reach Irish soil, my life will be incomplete. I am a white man who was once Catholic. And that religion gave me a foundation for who I am. But first and foremost I AM AN OKLAHOMAN. I believe in working hard. I believe in helping those around me. And I believe that I should never meet a person that I didnt like. I hate people as a whole. But I want to love each and every individual person when I meet them. Some guy named Will said something to that effect, and Im pretty sure he never gave bad advice. Im just glad I grew up close enough to hear that advice decades after he passed on. Im just glad I AM an Oklahoman. So, let me extend Southern Hospitality as I understand it.... Can I be of any help to you?
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:45:51 +0000
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