if it makes you happy

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that there are students in McNair who are not socially aware. And I said that I was okay with that, I could deal with it on some level in the classroom. Everyone did not grow up the same or have the same social networks or the same everyday education. But I don't know if I can tolerate it on a Saturday, when I'm trying to relax during my one-hour lunch break from studying, having stayed up until 2am the night before reading.

There is this one male whose politics I first wondered about when he explained that he was interested in studying something Eurocentric. (I am purposely being ambiguous.) Even then, I was fine with that, even a little. However, he continues to make sexist and racist comments. The problem is, I don't think he even knows he is doing so and thinks its an interesting story to tell us.

He will usually begin, "You know the weird thing that I've observed..." or whatnot. Today he started comparing American and Mexican women. He explained that the girls in Mexico were "easy" to impress because all he had to do was tell them that he was U.S. educated. I wanted to vomit my lunch in his face. Yes, he was sitting right across from me. I just didn't talk to him and started talking to someone else next to me. There are other students who try to say things right away, which is good. Every time he opens his mouth he says ridiculous things that women keep correcting him for. Well of course they are going to like you because you say you are Mexican-American. They associate America with whiteness, and whiteness with wealth and wealth with happiness.

This is one of the reasons, not the reason, but one of the ones why I get upset when people assume how people self-identify. Simply because a person is of a specific race/gender/class etc. does not mean that they identify as such or have the politics of such or even can be an ally or relate.

k, time for me to finish my reading.