"Hola Amigos"

           One thing for sure is, although I'm a Salvadorian female born and raised in the US in Washington, DC, I STILL constantly experience racism. People still tend to assume that I'm Mexican because apparently all "Spanish" people in the US are Mexican. Why people ask that? I'm guessing it's because they quickly assume that when crossing the border you're coming from Mexico you have to be Mexican. Well NO. Not all HISPANICS, not "Spanish" people come from Mexico. There are other countries in the world where Hispanic people come from.
           Just about a week ago, I was coming from the metro station at Columbia Heights and this guy from California who was Italian and White, was passing out fliers for some college meeting and comes up to me and asks me one of the most ignorant questions a person can ask me, "Are you Mexican?" Right there and then I didn't like this guy. Sad thing about this is that he seemed to be a very nice person from how he was talking to me, but that ONE question he asked made me see him as an ignorant person. I answered his question and calmly told him, "No, I'm Salvadorian" and he says, "Yeah, you don't look like you would be Mexican". So now my questions are first, why would you even ask if I was Mexican if I "don't look Mexican" and how does a Mexican look? To me it's so rude and just plain ignorant for someone to ask a question like that. If you want to know where I'm from then just ask me "Where are you from" and you won't get on my bad side and you won't look ignorant. This guy's question just really made me realize that there is still racism going on. I mean I know he wasn't being racist towards me, but in a way I felt disrespected by his question as a Hispanic. I felt even more that people don't seem to understand that there are Hispanics from other countries other than Mexico!
          Then not just do people think that, but they also want to automatically speak to you in Spanish. Now I know it's not ALL people either, but there are people who do it. Especially when it's people who are not Hispanic, and they try to talk to me in Spanish because they assume once more that you don't understand English, and this can really get under my skin. One thing is to assume, but another thing is to just be plain ignorant. Like really, saying "Hola como estas?" or "Hola Amigos" because I'm Hispanic and you have to talk to me in Spanish is not necessary at all! I would understand if at first you talked to me in English and if I didn't understand what you were saying or you didn't understand what I was saying then it's okay to talk to me in Spanish, but just please don't automatically go into speaking Spanish because I'm Hispanic.

          There are also times when people just do it to be funny. But sometimes it's not funny at all, it's actually really rude. I get how there are times when someone you know does it and you're just kind of used to it because you know that they do not have bad intentions when they say things like that. But when someone you don't know does it I automatically feel like it's rude. Unless I have time to get to know the person then maybe my perspective towards them about their comments in Spanish would change, but other than that I don't think my thoughts towards people who assume I'm Mexican without asking and people who talk to me in Spanish first without even knowing if I understand English will remain the same.
       Now about the Santa Monica noose incident, I am actually NOT surprised at all about what the school did. The incident happened to an Africa-American student and White students did the "horse-play". The school didn't EVEN bother to call the student's parents to notify them about what happened to their child, about a white student connecting their son to a locker with a lock and yelling out "Slave for sale!" And yet people want to believe that racism doesn't exist anymore? REALLY?! I don't think so. Racism still exists and this incident COMPLETELY shows evidence of it! But not only did that happened, the school calls the students' parents who committed the ignorant incident instead! Are you kidding me!? I think it is completely RIDICULOUS to not even notify the African-American student's mother! It is clear that America is NOT post-racial. Racism still exists and I am sure that it is noticeable, but apparently nothing is being done to stop it or to even recognize the way it should be to prevent it from getting worse, because it is still going on. America needs to acknowledge that there are different races in this world besides the typical White race that people are used to. Racism will never go away and people will not be treated equal until people in America start to accept ALL races.