Some People!

I was without a ride the other day, and desperate to go shopping. (I'm a shoppaholic)

I just really wanted to head to the mall. My husband was working and I don't drive myself....that's a whole 'nother story. I decided to take the city bus. Yeah, mass transit...a little freaky, but it gets ya to where you want to go.

So I'm standing at the bus shelter, and this man walks up and we struck up a conversation. Just the usual small talk to begin with. Looking at my daughter he asked is she was my only, and I told him no, I have 3 boys too. Turns out he had a son who was in school right then. I said yep, my boys too...it's a girls day out. He asked if I was from here, and I told him yes I was born here.

Two years ago he had been living in the Twin Cities, where he said it is horrible. (I have heard stories, but having never lived there myself, I can't really say whether it is or not). Before that he had been living somewhere in the south. Looking for a better place for his son, he wound up moving here and he says this is the worst place he's ever been as far as prejudice goes. (He was black) He also said he's moving back to the south with his son and never coming back this way again.

Very sadly I do see what he's talking about. I myself am Hispanic, and very dark skinned. My kids are half hispanic, their daddy is white. Race has always been an issue, people do see my kids differently I see it at school, and in public places and it makes me so angry.

I live here...I was born here, I've always been here and I'll probably always be here. During the summer months, we have migrant workers who come up from the south to work here for the farmers, and so often these workers of whom the majority are hispanic, are looked down upon by other nationalities. This in itself is so wrong, but also the fact that these same judgemental people lump me into this category, and treat me worse than usual during the summer months as if I'm some kind of second class citizen.

I see the disgust in their faces as they watch me walk my 4 kids to the park. Yes, I have 4 kids... and yes we like to walk to the park... where does it say that's a crime...? Or is my crime just that I'm not white? Pretty sad.

Anyway, back to my story. I eventually made it to the mall, where I met up with my cousin and her little daughter. She and I were in the women's restroom helping our daughters out of their winter gear and I was tellling her about this conversation I'd had.

I told her that it sometimes makes me feel ashamed to say that I am even from here. About this time a lady comes out of the stall and stands there near us. When I paused in my story, she said...can I just say something? I just wanted to say that my husband and I just moved here from Florida. We had to move, because it was just getting to the point that we couldn't communicate with anyone anymore. We had become the minority. You two speak so well. I have to tell you we appreciate the english language. That's all I wanted to say...and she said it like.... like she was trying to support what I was saying and I couldn't believe what had just come out of her mouth, I was completely blown away as she walked out the door I just stared at my cousin (who was returning the look).

Some people are just so friggin ignorant it's unbelieveable.