What are we considered
I usually have a lot of thoughts going through my head at the same time, and one them came down to being, exactly what are Iranians, Afghans, and Pakistanis considered?
On things like the U.S. census, we have to put white, even though we don’t even consider ourselves white. We refer to ourselves as Middle Easterners, although that’s not even a race. Even people from northern African countries are supposed to put the same thing, even though they aren’t white either.
Countries like Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia are a part of Asia, so why don’t they let us say Asian? Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are considered to be a part of South Asia… yet they don’t consider us to be Asian. But then at the same time, they let Indians and Bengalis classify themselves as Asian, and their countries are a part of South Asia as well.
If they can considered themselves Asian, why wouldn’t they do the same with Afghans, Pakistanis, and Iranians? If that’s the case because of the region, why would they consider people from those countries not Asian, but let others do the same thing who are a part of the same region of Asia?
Even countries like Canada have one for those people to classify themselves - “Western Asian.” I think maybe the U.S. should do the same thing, because it’s what we are.
Since we don’t consider ourselves to be white, Middle Eastern is not a race, and they won’t let us classify ourselves as Asian… then exactly what are we?
I have such a hard time with the whole ethnicity question. I’m half Spanish and half ‘American’ (really I’m a mutt/mongrel with tons of different heritages but this makes it semi-easier). I used to put Spanish on things that asked that question, I’m not sure why, I guess I just felt more Spanish than anything else. I remember when people saw that they’d ask me “Oh were you born in Mexico/South America/Spain?” And I’d always say… “No I was born in America…” To which they’d respond, “Then you’re not Spanish, you’re American, you’re White.”
But does not being born in said country make me any less Spanish? I’m proud of my Spanish background, now I just check of White out of habit, but I still hate when I have to.
