My Roots are Spanish, Not Latin American

My father is a full-blooded Spaniard, as well as a good size of my family. Since my surname is Martínez, everyone is surprised to see that I am a very, very pale girl with strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes. I emphasize that my roots are purely Spanish (and therefore, European), yet I still get comments about the color of my skin. They often think my kind is rare, such as a white Haitian or a black Peruvian. They believe I should have dark skin and black hair. I keep reminding them that they are thinking of Mestizos, who are the so-called "Latinos". Unlike them, I have no Amerindian blood. I am a white European! Spain is a European nation, not a Latin American nation! Look for it on a map and you you'll see what I'm talking about. I speak the Spanish of Miguel De Cervantes, not Francisco Arriví.
Sorry if that rant sounded racist, but I just needed to get that off my chest. I just wish people would open a book every now and then, or travel more often.

 

not at all, i have in-laws whose family has lived in new mexico for a couple of hundred years who have the same problem

 

Yeah, I wish I would travel more often too.

 

fair enough. i get the same thing, i'm welsh and a full blooded celt

but i've olive skin and more or less black eyes and very dark hair also. people expect me to be ginger like the scottish, or look like a potato like the irish

but the southern welsh are of the basque celts, who travelled north from what is spain now.

 

What kind of stereotyping dumb asshole says something like that?

"Your name sounds like__________, therefore your skin and hair color should be ____________."

Sometimes people don't even understand how asinine they sound. Maybe they're closeted racists and don't even realize it.

 

It is asine! I can't agree more! I once knew a boy who had very dark skin and dark hair. He was often asked if was an Indian or an Arab. His surname, however, was Slavic and his father was from the Czech Republic.

 

I think that people just have a set of expectations, and when they see something that they don't expect they are surprised.

 

My ex went threw threw the same thing- he has spanish blood, his last name is also Martinez and he is blue-eyed and as blond as they come. But upon learning his name, people would always act surprised and say "Wow, you don't look Mexican!"

Facepalm.

 

I think your just offend to be in relationship with any spanish country south of the USA boarder. I mean who the fuck uses the term "Mestizo"? to describe brown skin latinos nowadays?that just fucking racist.

 

Yeah, this is whiny.

 

That's agreeing with saying that beans are a mexican thing.

 

I had beans on toast with grated cheese on them and I'm not Mexican.

 

In South Louisiana there are plenty of people with blond hair and blue eyes with names like Ortega, Sanchez, Perez, Ruiz etc. Most of them live out in Cajun country.

 

Does it really matter that people you hardly know perceive your surname to be of a Latino country rather then Spain and European culture ?

Blood lines are all mixed up in the United States . Surnames mean nothing as far as race or national identity identifiers .

I've known people from Spanish origin with that name , as well as A person from Nicaragua with that name . And they are all just people to me . I really don't care which nation they choose to identify with , as far as cultural roots . That's up to them , makes no difference to me . Nor do I assume that because of a persons last name is iron clad proof of ones national origins . Every country has immigrants and nationalization . So clearly through marriage blood lines don't always represent a persons particular last name .

And honestly it does sound a little racist or class-ist to me . Does it offend you because you perceive people from Latin America , South America or "Mexican" to be of less social status or class ? Or perceived more negatively racially by most Americans because of illegal immigration ?

As I read your posts , it's clear to me you're a very intelligent cultured young lady . Who has been well educated and well traveled . Which indicates at least upper middle class family structure to me . However I must wonder if the offense you take from your surname being misidentified or stereotyped is more class identified then racial identified ?

So to hell what these people think . Be yourself , a great intelligent person . More than some stupid stereotypical name sake . Be identified as the person you are , not by the nation you wish to represent .

And above all be thankful that you have have had so much opportunity and have been so fortunate and blessed in your life . To allow you the luxury of world travel and education . Most are not so fortunate as you to have this lifestyle . Most will never leave the area where they are born . Be proud of who you are , and thank your parents for giving you such a wonderful cultural education that travel brings .

 

yeah YOUR dad is spanish and not you. Your surname is Martinez? ok? my last name is Martinez too so am from Spain now? So what that your a redhead I seen facking redhead mexicans your point?

Your rant isnt racist but your facking racist. I mean seriously who the fack reffernces to anyone south of the boarder "Mestizos"????? Btw since your living in orlando florida which is pretty ignorant area here in florida I understand where your coming from. I was up there last year and this redneck women in a store called me a mexican because i spoke spanish
confused.....so just to be a **** I tell her she needed to hurry up because I need to get home and drink some tequila.

but anyways I just feel your just to "good" to be associated with any brown skin "mestizos".

btw where you even born in Spain? I have Spanish "roots" in my family line but no way in hell am Catalan.