Choques Culturales...

I was out to dinner with a friend last night. We are both from the north and sort of "foodies" and so we were looking for a Mediterranean place to eat. We got in and were super excited looking at the menu. We started making conversation with the guy working since there was really nobody in the place. He was a younger guy and he started talking about his family owning the place ect. After talking to him and having some friendly banter for a bit my friend asked the guy where he was from (to kind of figure out what country influences their menu the most).  The reaction the guy gave us shocked us. He was taken aback and said "Well I was born here, I am an American.  All of my family is American."  It wasn't just what he said but HOW he said it... It made us feel really bad.  He admitted that his grandfather was from Lebanon. When my friend said "Oh that is great! I have some family from Lebanon" they guy lightened up a bit and told us that he grew up a good part of his life there too.  Friendly conversation returned.

We sat down and discussed the reaction of the gentleman and agreed we'd never had this happen to us before up north.  It was like this guy had gotten used to defending himself constantly, and having to prove how "American" he is.

Although it doesn't pertain to Spanish in the SW, this post does pertain to identities, cultures and the subordinate status of identities to a "white" America.  I feel like here in NM I don't live in "white" America at all and the manifestation of racism or prejudice is stronger than I've ever felt it. This is just not from things I've experienced first hand, but also from stories that my New Mexican friends and professors have told.  NM is unique in that there are some major choques culturales happening here being un estado indohispano. Some of the articles have shed light on this by explaining in order to become a state in the union NM had to collectively conform and prove their "American-ness" or dare I say "whiteness." So this sheds some light on public discourse today. I'm just saying.. it makes me sad!