The ‘Something’ Special in Us All

Most of us are “Something American,” but many of us aren’t really aware of what the “Something” is. I am Mexican American. My “equation” looks like this: Mexican-born parents raised mostly in the U.S. + my being born in the U.S. = Mexican American.

All of my life, I have spoken Spanish (although English was my first language), eaten Mexican food, listened to Spanish-language music and watched Spanish-language TV, including “novellas.” So I should feel fairly “Mexican,” right? Well, despite my exposure to certain elements of the Mexican culture, I have never felt very connected to my heritage, and have felt instead like what I call a “generic American.”

A lot of U.S. denizens fall into this category. We are nonethnic -- not living any particular culture; not rejecting our family’s history, but not embracing it either.

Although this nation is an amalgamation of many ethnic groups, many of us have forgotten (or have never known) what the word in front of “American” really means. Unconsciously, we drop it and then become just one generic people.

In many instances, it is a situation that is beyond one’s control. Parents may choose to not make their ethnicity a dominant part of their children’s upbringing.

A good friend of mine is Chinese American yet learned more about U.S. popular culture than she did about Chinese culture. I don’t remember ever getting a lesson on Mexican culture, as I did on U.S. culture with Honest Abe or Independence Day. I had friends who bragged about eating menudo and carne asada, yet hardly spoke a lick of Spanish.

Many families only scratch the surface when attempting to impart a cultural education, and it is seldom comprehensive.

Living a certain ethnicity is many times a conscious choice. I know a Czech woman who married a Mexican man. She learned fluent Spanish as a result, and now says that she feels more Mexican than anything else. Before, she says, she was just “plain.”

In this wonderful, diverse country we should feel free to explore our roots and let them flourish. Our approach, though, must be an educated one, and not what I call a “faux nationalism,” when a person is prone to impassioned (and sometimes hostile) remarks or actions stemming from ignorance.

Take, for example, the many Mexican youths who proclaim their “brown power” without even knowing any of Mexico’s history. (And by the way, not all Mexicans are brown. My father is whiter than some “white” people and has blue eyes to rival Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.)

Some people go to the extreme and “super-identify” with their ethnic background to the point of rejecting or insulting their U.S. citizenship. It doesn’t need to be this way. Two different flowers can flourish alongside one another.

We used to be called a “melting pot,” in which all ethnic groups blended together into one. But this is no longer accurate. We are now often called a “salad bowl” society -- a mixture of different ethnicities and cultures, none losing their individual flavors when combined but instead retaining them and contributing to make this country a rich, flavorful mix of people.

Remember, no one is just “American.” An American is a person with ties to another land. So strengthen your “equation.” Learning about and living your ethnicity will entail something different for everyone. Care about your history. Incorporate it into your present and carry it into your future.

Don’t be content with being “plain.”