Eth 125 Week 1 The Interview Reflection

Interview Reflection
When the class was first given this assignment, I was very confused on why it was given or how this would help any. After giving my interview, to mother, I found out that some of our views are the same while others are extremely different. This interview made me appreciate where I come from and how I got to where I am today.
I was raised by mother; although my father was always in the picture, he was never home since he was the breadwinner. My mom has thought me everything that I know and I am extremely grateful for her. The first question that I asked was “Define Privilege”, immediately she stated, “A gift that you get or that is earn. Nonetheless, a gift.” A little thrown off, she continued to talk about my grandfather.

She mentioned that people would try to run her over for being Mexican along with being called names like “spick.” Racism had even continued to her jobs she previously had. She worked for about 2 years with Mattel Toys, Barbie’s and Hot Wheels, during this time she had a meeting the corporation. Mattel vocalized “All ethnic people are the same, Spanish and African-American, so the ethnic Barbie Doll of those two races should be the same.” I was shook, I thought “How can a brand that markets to so many young females limit many ethnics to one doll?” I asked her about if she had ever experienced classism, of course, she said yes. “Being married to a white man when you are Mexican is so difficult,” she told me. “I felt as if I was never good enough, as a Mexican, to be married to a white man. I felt so dumb because I did not go to college. I was just a waitress.” She left as if her identity was not inline with the community she married into. In our textbooks, it mentions that ‘identity is connected to community and various ways community is generally defined as “a body a persons having a common history or common social, ethnic, and political interest.’ (Scott,