Iowans Ignorant of Ethnicity/Race (live, cities, Hispanics)

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by FBF

Why?

Is it because it is 90% white or they just do not travel outside the state much?

I am of mestizo descent (that is of mix heritage from Native Mexican and European) and yet when people look at me, they say I do not look Mexican enough.

Either because I am not brown enough (I am tanned, however) or too tall (174-175 cm). They insist I must be Indian or Arabic when I am not!

I only get this treatment here in the Midwest, in the West and East Coasts they sometimes mistake me as part East/Southeast Asian or Sephardic Jew (even though it is not a race, but an ethnicity) but they do not stare often. Even in the Deep South, I do not get stare much despite it being historically quite racist.

Details?

I know for a fact that most of Iowa and those who live there could really care less what ethnicity you are.
They are too busy farming, raising their children, working, going to school and having a life that does not involve anyone but their own friends and family.

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by Nedibes

Yes, it is because there is so little diversity in Iowa.

Iowans are theoretically very tolerant and open minded, but because so many Iowans have so little first-hand experience with ethnic and racial diversity, in practice they can be a little insensitive. I find more staring, and more unexamined preconceptions here than in places where folks regularly encounter more different kinds of people.

The upside is, Iowans are generally very open to being educated--they don't mean any harm when they ask "what are you" (the question that every mixed race person gets sick of hearing after about the 300th time). Odds are you're one of only a few people of color they've ever actually spoken to, so once you overcome whatever they think they know (based on TV/movies or the other Latino they talked to once), they'll accept you as an expert on the topic.

To be clear, not everyone in Iowa is like this. Some come from more diverse places, or have traveled a lot, or live in one of the pockets of diversity that exist in Iowa. But there is a fair chunk of the populace that was born and raised in a 95% white community, and hasn't ever ventured very far afield from that demographic.

You don't get around Iowa much do you?
Perhaps you are unaware of the "fair chunk" of the populace that is not white and were not raised around a 95% white community.
Those would be the Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese and Mexicans that make up a large portion of the populace in some areas of Iowa.
That doesn't even count the Amish and those who are decended from the German Colonies, you know that little place called "The Amanas"...

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Isn't making sweeping generalizations about all Iowans based on your anecdotal evidence essentially practicing the same type of prejudice you are accusing Iowan's of?

No. Hope this helps.

[FBF]

Originally Posted by Nedibes

Yes, it is because there is so little diversity in Iowa.

Iowans are theoretically very tolerant and open minded, but because so many Iowans have so little first-hand experience with ethnic and racial diversity, in practice they can be a little insensitive. I find more staring, and more unexamined preconceptions here than in places where folks regularly encounter more different kinds of people.

The upside is, Iowans are generally very open to being educated--they don't mean any harm when they ask "what are you" (the question that every mixed race person gets sick of hearing after about the 300th time). Odds are you're one of only a few people of color they've ever actually spoken to, so once you overcome whatever they think they know (based on TV/movies or the other Latino they talked to once), they'll accept you as an expert on the topic.

To be clear, not everyone in Iowa is like this. Some come from more diverse places, or have traveled a lot, or live in one of the pockets of diversity that exist in Iowa. But there is a fair chunk of the populace that was born and raised in a 95% white community, and hasn't ever ventured very far afield from that demographic.

Thank you for not assuming I am the one with the problem and answering politely!

It just tires me down a bit when I am constantly asked what am I. Like i am this exotic thing when i just want to be seen as normal. It gets worse when after explaining my origins some still insist I am something else.

I am a little lighter than the sterotypical view of dark brown Mexicans, even though Mexicans can come with different shades due to most having mixed heritage and some having different origins who livedin a certain neighborhood, we can be any color. They are also not convinced my cousin is Mexican because she has brown hair and green eyes!

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

Some people are overly reactive to things that really shouldn't matter. Blaming people for not automatically knowing your ethnicity/race is just silly.

Is everybody on this thread illiterate? Did anyone actually read the original post?

"They insist I must be Indian or Arabic when I am not!"

He's not mad that they don't automatically know his ethnicity. He's mad because they don't believe him when he tells them, and insist that he's lying to them.

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by CSD610

I know for a fact that most of Iowa and those who live there could really care less what ethnicity you are.

If you didn't bother to read the original post, don't feel obliged to post a response.

[601halfdozen0theother]

Originally Posted by FBF

I only lashed out once when I told this redneck I am not Middle Eastern from a rural part of Iowa.

Going by your logic, all Hispanics must be racist against "rednecks" because you used the term.

[FBF]

Love how you did not quote the rest of the paragraph where it explains why I was upset and called him that (he insulted me first)!

[FBF]

Grown ups do not bend the truth by only quoting part of the paragraph explaining what happened!

[601halfdozen0theother]

You are missing everyone's point.

The fact that you felt insulted is your problem, not the other individual's problem.