White Skin, Brown Blood: Living In-between
(University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
The recent presidential election brought mixed-race identity to forefront of American discourse and the way we categorize peoples of mixed race. As a child of interracial marriage I have been raised “Mexican” but feel burdened by my white skin and German surname as I can never be Mexican enough. I have experienced a level of exclusion initially when interacting with Mexican-American individuals or social groups. In other words, my skin color has rendered me invisible both as a “Mexican” within my community and as a self-identified Chicano. At the same time, my complexion has provided me with a level of white privilege allowing me to move in-between groups. Through the lens of skin color I will analyze my identities informed by the effects of ethnicity, class, and gender. My identity is a persistent issue of ambiguity as I negotiate between my white skin and “brown blood.” These negotiations have uniquely positioned me to consider the current discourse in America that has stereotyped Mexican-Americans as dark-skinned, working class, or immigrants.