To the Bat Fridge!

“What are you?” The answer seems quite simple: I am human. I am an American. I am a woman. All these things are obvious.  But It’s always the same question, with the same intonation: “What are you?” Every time I hear it now I want to scream “WHY DOES IT MATTER?” No one asks who I am. “What are you?” I am a chef. I am a daughter. I am a girlfriend. I am a friend. “But like, what are you?” I wish someone would at least ask what they really mean to  ask. “What are you?” I am the direct result of America’s melting pot; I’m a little bit of this, a little bit of that; honestly just a Midwestern white girl from a nuclear family. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to explain; “No, I don’t have family overseas.” “No, I don’t speak Spanish.” “ Yes, I’m sure.” “What are you?” Seeingthe disappointment in the eyes of  someone with an actual cultural identity, like my momma didn’t raise me right. I constantly have these assorted cultures and ethnicities projected on me, but can never live up to the expectations.  It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault that during WWII, when Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps, that my Filipino family had to assimilate or die. That all I’m left with is a few watered down family recipes. It’s not my fault that I didn’t have that much interaction with my big, extended Italian family. It’s not my fault I was born with brown hair and brown eyes and tan skin and features that you can’t quite put your finger on. But guess what, I’m constantly being judged by the color of my skin. I know I’m lucky. I know I’m privileged. Most of these people are well meaning. It doesn’t happen every day. There have only been a few times where I’ve wondered if I was being discriminated against. 

What would a Trump presidency look like for me, though? I’m already constantly being mistaken for a Latina. Would I be able to find a job? Do people already  think I’m taking jobs away from “hard-working Americans?” Will there be unwarranted hostility towards me? 

Because I’ve already annoyed every other social media site with all these pictures. 💙🐬🐳🐟🌊

Kik: alinberg