Posted by Pat on April 20, 2000 at 18:53:30:
In Reply to: Re: Hey, Im Greek-English And I have a question for Greek-Americans... posted by Billy K. on March 07, 2000 at 19:31:39:
: The only place I've seen any prejudice against
: Greeks, was in Minnesota. There are some people
: there that have double-standards against those
: are not exactly the "whitest of the white". The
: Greeks are not alone, though, as it happens to
: Italians and other people who are not fair-skinned
: and blonde, and not Asian/Black/Hispanic, either. Keep in mind that this mind-set does not reflect the majority of the good people of the twin cities. But there is enough of this "soft-core" type of racism going on in Minneapolis/St. Paul
: area to not make it the most desirable place to
: be Greek.........Omaha used to specifically bad
: for Greeks back in the 1920s-30s, but it has
: turned around over the years..........Overall
: though, most parts of the U.S. are tolerant of
: Greeks and the Greek culture....
Hi - Just wanted to tell you that "prejudice" is in how you
accept other people's preconceived notions of what to expect
from certain ethnic groups. I am of Spanish & Greek descent
and grew up in Texas. This is a state that has always viewed
persons of Hispanic origin as "born to serve". I can truthfully
say that I never was aware of any outright mistreatment due to
my ethnicity. I was brought up in a household that emphasized
the beauty of knowing my ancestry on both sides. The pride in
both heritage and culture was always instilled.
Bottom line is that no one can make you feel bad about yourself
unless you let them. My son is about your age; my husband is a
native born Greek; whilst I am American born. He attends a multi-
cultural school with children from Israel, Russia, China and American
born as well. He has never been ridiculed for having a father whose
accent was not American or whose mother did not fit the mold. In his
words "he is proud of everything he is".
Don't be afraid; walk with pride and focus on the positive. People
will give you the respect you deserve. Those that choose to act differently
are the ones that are deficient and fear what they do not understand.
Cheers and good luck!