Is There Really Shame in Being Brown?

Let's talk about it: what our community said

Printed replies from readers on our page-2 conversation.

• “As a child growing up on San Antonio’s Westside, I attended Las Palmas Elementary. Around the 4th grade, we moved to a house near Babcock and St. Cloud, and our new school was Maverick Elementary. On the first day of school, Mrs. Rable introduced my sister and me as “two little Mexican girls.” My sister was pretty shy, but I waved to the class and said, “Hola!” LOL… I don’t think I had ever used that word before in my young life! I didn’t speak in school that first day, and the teacher wasn’t sure if I spoke English. The truth is, we were bilingual, but it was hilarious watching them try to figure that out. We had already met some kids in the neighborhood who knew we spoke English, but they didn’t say a word. Some of these new friends had one or both Hispanic parents but had been students at the school since first grade, so they had never been singled out. The next day, someone asked me if I wanted to play kickball. I answered, “Yes,” and we laughed all the way to the playground.”

  Blue Rose Alvarez

• “Awesome Yvette, you hit several points right on the nose !!! Please save and repost this !! I’m sure Thousands of Others identify with what you Said.( Your Friend , and favorite Bartender)! Rick”

  Ricardo Rodriguez

• “This really resonates with me because I saw the generational impact of this in my own family. My father grew up on the West Side of San Antonio, one of eight children, during a time when speaking Spanish at school could result in punishment. He told me stories of having his hand slapped with a ruler for speaking Spanish, the language he spoke at home. He went on to serve in the military, used the GI Bill to attend college, and became a teacher himself. Even there, he faced people who questioned whether he belonged. He proved them wrong, and he made a promise that he would never be the kind of teacher who made a student feel less than because of where they came from. He spent his career teaching in Edgewood, giving back to the same West Side community that raised him. But I also see how those experiences shaped the way he raised us. My parents spoke Spanish to each other, and I grew up hearing and understanding it, but my sisters and I were expected to speak English. My Dad wanted us to have opportunities he didn't have, and in his experience, speaking English was part of that. It wasn't about rejecting our culture, it was his way of protecting us and preparing us for a world he knew could treat us differently. Today, I completely understand Spanish, but I struggle to speak it, and that is something I truly regret. Now I encourage my own children to learn another language, especially Spanish, because I see it so differently. What one generation was taught to suppress, another generation is trying to reclaim. That's the part that really stays with me. Sometimes culture isn't taken away in one dramatic moment. Sometimes it happens quietly, through choices our parents made out of love and survival. And now we have the opportunity to say, our language, our history, and our culture are not things we need to leave behind in order to move forward”

  Anna Urrabazo

• “Why dwell on something that as children you didn't understand or couldn't do nothing about but look how you turned out beautiful smart and special just like a lot of kids don't hold animosity inside release it and be free of it”

  Richard Cortez

• “My story is similar but complicated. I was adopted at birth. My birth father was from Durango, Mexico and my birth mother from Missouri, I didn't know any of this growing up and only found out when I was in my 50s. My adoptive mother was from Spain and my adoptive military father from Missouri. Not knowing where my roots came from I felt a bit lost when everyone spoke of their ancestors, traditions and culture. I embraced them all and it was empowering. The melting pot meant something more real to me. I did get the racism from both sides as I did have a Spanish accent. I do speak Spanish fluently and have since I was a kid. When I go to Mexico I feel the judgement and disdain until I speak Spanish and then it changes everything. In the states I feel the judgement when I speak of my roots being Latino, which people don't understand. I speak Spanish with my wife every day but never taught my kids because I didn't want them to feel the judgement I did. I regret that so much now. The persecution of our people infuriates me as we shouldn't be in a culture war in any country as I've always felt that was a very weak minded ideology, a remnant of a past we should bury and remember with disdain. What I remember growing up vividly was that Latino, black and Asian friends welcomed and accepted me while white folk didn't, and I look white by skin color. It's crazy but that's the gist of my experience. We should never be ashamed of our ancestry and the fact it was encouraged in US culture is absolutely disgusting.”

  Frank Burton

• “Amen my friend. I was segregated to a different school across town because it was all white and we couldn't speak Spanish in class, they used to throw things at the bus like eggs and tomatoes. They would say go home bean eaters, I got in fights every day they would jump me in the restroom. I had about 5 cousins at school and we would beat them up after school. lol”

  Joe N Lisa Ortiz

• “I was a child when I came to the United States. I completed all my schooling here. Years later, as a mother, I went to my first appointment at Brady Green. The woman at the desk couldn’t pronounce my married last name. I corrected her,not in a rude way, just so she could say it properly. She snapped back and said, “Whatever! it’s still Mexican.” Then I replied loudly: *And you? What are you? You look Mexican to me!” Everyone behind that desk turned. She was a Mexican American who looked more Mexican than I did con el nopal en la frente, like my mom always used to say (lol). That experience stayed with me for 40 years. Jesus said, “Love one another.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case in the USA or around the world.”

  Jazmin D. Zuñiga

• “My last name is Torres, I don't speak Spanish. My mother was native German, I was raised around whites. So, I was always treated white, I didn't feel any discrimination growing up. Now my father was in the military, so we were used to all races. This forced tolerance on all. My neighborhood was predominantly military, so there were white, Hispanic and blacks all getting along.”

  Raymond Torres

• “Born and raised in South Texas, I love the Hispanic culture and the Hispanic people I would live nowhere else. I love the language, the art, the food and everything about it. I have been married to a beautiful talented intelligent Latina for 35 years. One of my daughters was on a volleyball team with older kids. My daughter is a redhead white as a bed sheet but half Latina. A couple of the girls were talking about her repeatedly in front of her. She finally had to inform them that she was completely understanding them. My daughter is fluent in Spanish, reading, writing, and speaking.”

  Tracy Bogert

• “The greatest generation changed and killed all of that fear. We ‘young warriors’ distinguished ourselves during World War II when we became the most decorated Americans of any race". That American experience changed who we really are and always were; "AMERICAN HEROES " and Mexican American Veterans returning from the war began to demand Accountability at home. And forever changed America until now. We, the people of the United States of America have another Challenge to defeat and overcome at home this time. ‘Let The Word Go Out; That Together We Can Return Back To Normal". Register Every Single Eligible Voter And Turnout To Vote For Your Country! Democracy. Reminds Us, " Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, But What You Can Do For Your Country ". Let's Go And Do It Again, Again And Again.”

  Roman Pena

• “Mija Once a Mexican, always a Mexican. Your ancestors left that beautiful legacy for you. And you’re a beautiful one. It’s funny you mentioned that, I feel sometimes when I say I'm not from Texas they look at me like I’m not a real Mexican lol. Do I care? “no” ? It is an honor to speak 4 languages, especially Spanish . Viva La Raza”

  Rosiebella GV

• “I came from Mexico at 11 years old, 1971, no teacher was Hispanic, I didn't know why there was a teacher that didn’t like me, I was ahead in math and she wasn’t pleased about it, several students copied me, and I made a lot of friends lol”

  Sonya De La Garza-Walker

• “I recall getting sent to the Principal's office repeatedly because I would not allow myself to be paddled for speaking Spanish in class. Having grown adults hitting children on the rear with a wooden board was sadistic. And I never allowed it to happen to me.”

  Mike Gonzalez

• ““I bought my first home on my own at age 25 as a single mom. My boss at the time told me I would eventually end up in foreclosure because I was ‘just a woman’, and a Mexican woman at that! Well, he was right about one thing: I am a Mexican woman, and that has made me more than capable of succeeding. My papi always told me, ‘Nunca digas que tú no puedes’; never say you can’t. I carried those words with me, kept my casita, and I’m proud to say I still own it to this day! And in an interesting turn of events, I became a licensed Texas real estate professional. Today, I have the privilege of helping people achieve their own dream of homeownership, including my beloved familias Mexicanas. I even took ESL classes as a child, so my journey reminds me how far determination, family encouragement, and believing in yourself can take you.”

  Ana Banda

• “Hold the front door. Where did you go to school that had white students? All the white students that Kelly, Lowell and Burbank had come on a bus from Kelly Base somewhere “”

  Kenneth Mumma

• “I only spoke Spanish until I was 6. In Kinder neither of my teachers spoke Spanish and one was racist. I was put in Spec Ed. I am a first Gen American, I can read, write, translate and fully appreciate Spanish as my first language. My mom came here at 13, alone. Her sacrifice makes me PROUD! What we lived in the 70’s, 80’s are lessons we had to go through to toughen and better the next generation. Oh racism STILL exists, but I’ve gotten worse from our own because I married outside our race. That one stings. So I decided to live in my own lane and not try to please anyone else but God! I pursued an education in Technology as a software engineer, where Mexican Women weren’t even considered. At the time it was a Male dominated industry. I took the challenge and have overcome every obstacle and taken any opportunity. We either sit and wait for others to approve who we are, or we take the bull by its horns. I prefer the latter.”

  Veronica Amaro

• “I wasn’t born Mexican by choice. I got lucky. brown and proud. I love all your post, ma”

  Linda Gaitan Estrada

• “You should see what it feels like having a white name while living in a "Mexican" community and within the Culture even though your blood runs brown. Talk about difficulty. It's hard when your own people spit on you because of the color of your name. Talk about discrimination. It didn't matter that I was raised by my abuelita in a predominantly Mexican community and within the culture. All they see is the color of my name. It's been rough being ostracized by your own community. Especially the Art Community.”

  Jeff Hull

• “Who ever told you you are not Mexican? They lied to you, that cactus will never go away even you do not does Spanish”

  JC El Leon

• “Was born here and raised in the barrios of Corpus Christi being the west side never really had a problem my parents both spoke English and Spanish the only problem was desegregation being bused to a white school I could tell the teachers and principal were harder on Hispanics than the white kids”

  David Garcia

• “My last name is Torres, I don't speak Spanish. My mother was native German, I was raised around whites. So, I was always treated white, I didn't feel any discrimination growing up. Now my father was in the military, so we were used to all races. This forced tolerance on all. My neighborhood was predominantly military, so there were white, Hispanic and blacks all getting along.”

  Raymond Torres

• “Born and raised in South Texas, I love the Hispanic culture and the Hispanic people I would live nowhere else. I love the language, the art, the food and everything about it. I have been married to a beautiful talented intelligent Latina for 35 years. One of my daughters was on a volleyball team with older kids. My daughter is a redhead white as a bed sheet but half Latina. A couple of the girls were talking about her repeatedly in front of her. She finally had to inform them that she was completely understanding them. My daughter is fluent in Spanish, reading, writing, and speaking.”

  Tracy Bogert

• “The Greatest Generation helped change that fear. We, the ‘young warriors,’ distinguished ourselves during World War II, serving with courage and becoming some of the most highly decorated Americans of our time. That experience changed how we saw ourselves and reminded us of who we truly were and always had been: American heroes. When Mexican American veterans returned home from the war, they began demanding accountability, equality, and respect in the country they had fought to defend. Their courage and determination helped change America. Today, we the people of the United States face another challenge here at home. Let the word go out: together, we can move forward, strengthen our democracy, and continue the work of those who came before us. Register every eligible voter. Show up. Participate. Vote for your country and for the future generations who will inherit it. Remember the words: ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ We answered that call before. Let’s answer it again and keep answering it for generations to come.”

  Roman Peña

• “I came to the United States from Mexico in 1971, when I was 11 years old. At the time, none of my teachers were Hispanic, and as a child, I didn’t always understand why one teacher in particular seemed not to like me. I was ahead in math, and she didn’t seem too pleased about it. Before long, several students were copying my work, and I ended up making a lot of friends because of it! Looking back, I can laugh about it now.”

  Sonya De La Garza-Walker

• “I recall getting sent to the Principal's office repeatedly because I would not allow myself to be paddled for speaking Spanish in class. Having grown adults hitting children on the rear with a wooden board was sadistic. And I never allowed it to happen to me.”

  Mike Gonzalez

• “I only spoke Spanish until I was six years old. When I started kindergarten, neither of my teachers spoke Spanish, and one of them was openly prejudiced toward me. I was placed in Special Education even though the real issue was that English was not my first language. I am a first-generation American, and today I can read, write, translate, and fully appreciate Spanish as my first language. My mother came to this country alone at just 13 years old. Her sacrifice makes me incredibly proud. What many of us experienced in the 1970s and ’80s became lessons that helped us become stronger and prepared us to create something better for the next generation. Racism still exists, but some of the most painful discrimination I have experienced has come from within our own community because I married outside my race. That one stings. Eventually, I decided to stay in my own lane and stop trying to please anyone but God. I pursued an education in technology and became a software engineer at a time when Mexican American women were rarely even considered for those opportunities. It was a male-dominated industry, but I accepted the challenge, overcame the obstacles, and took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. We can sit and wait for others to approve of who we are, or we can take the bull by the horns. I prefer the latter.”

  Veronica Amaro

• “I wasn’t born Mexican by choice,I got lucky! Brown and proud. I love all your posts, ma.”

  Linda Gaitan Estrada

• “You should see what it feels like to have a white-sounding name while growing up in a Mexican community and living fully within the culture, even though your blood runs brown. It can be difficult when your own people judge you because of your name. I was raised by my abuelita in a predominantly Mexican community and immersed in the culture, but sometimes none of that seems to matter. People see my name first and make assumptions about who I am. It has been painful at times to feel ostracized by my own community, especially within the art community. Discrimination can take many forms, and sometimes the rejection that hurts the most comes from the people you thought would understand you best.”

  Jeff Hull