Twice as Hard.

I recently found out that ethnic studies were banned in Arizona.... and it reminded me of the words my parents constantly tell me. "Being Hispanic, or any minority, you need to work twice as hard to get the same amount of respect." Being a minority you get trampled on and it sucks. I'm a natural born US citizen but I have had people yell "Go back to Mexico" at me or call me degrading racial terms. I constantly hear how my people are ruining this country. Idk, I just felt like for me learning of my history and the great strides hispanics or hispanic americans have made gave me hope and reassured me we aren't a cursed people, Heavenly Father loves us just the same. If more people took the time to learn things about other peoples culture maybe we would all be a little more tolerant.
In high school I had to learn Anglo-Saxon and Caucasoid, Europid history and having a SMALL section on different culture or race history wasn't too big of an issue either, but for some students, especially in other states it just isn't important.
My thoughts on this are just a little scatter brained, but idk, it hurts to hear such awful things about who I am and where I come from and to think that there are students out there who won't have a chance to learn that minorities have contributed SOO MUCH to this world really bothers me.
To think that there are people who think brown=mexican really gets under my skin. Being hispanic is so much more. We come in all skin tones, heights, in all hair colors and types, and I'm tired of it being just brushed off. There are so many wonderful latin-american countries with their own sub-cultures that never get learned. I'm so grateful that my parents have taught me to love my brown eyes and brown skin and to love the country where they were born. (and no, they aren't even mexican! My parent's are Salvadorian) As sad as it might be, I'm glad that my parents prepped me for the racism I would face. My parents are very educated people, and my mom grew up in the States and my father came here as an honorary college student and it breaks my heart that there are some people who look at them and see gardener and maid, when they have MULTIPLE college degrees and have gone to grad school. It breaks my heart to know some people just don't get it, and I sit here and cry as I write this.
Minorities have to take pride in who they are or they get crushed. It's not a matter of thinking we are better than the Caucasian race, it's to feel equal. Ethnic studies helped me learn so much and not to be ashamed of any of it. Just my feelings.....