[Shae’s Two Cents] Stop With Derogatory Use Of Ethnic Labels!

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Am I the only one bothered when someone tells me that I look like my ethnicity? For example when someone says “You look African.” Or “You look Mexican.” that really makes me irate. Not because they are noticing what I am composed of but, it seems like that is the only thing that I am being defined by. I don’t walk up to people because they are wearing a certain article of clothing and just assume they are of a certain ethnicity or religion simply because I can be totally wrong. People don’t think of that before they speak, obviously.  Since I wear a lot of hairstyles that are ethnic, it never fails for someone to throw the “African” card out there. Usually it’s not gestured in a friendly way,now I am a proud African American and that is one of the reasons why I sport the styles that I wear with pride. It just kills me that people try to throw a label on everything like we are limited to what we do based on culture. If you never heard of a cultural melting pot then I advise you to research it. We are no longer strictly separated by ethnicity people,wake up! The lesson you can get from this is to think before you assume! We may look African, Mexican, Chinese, Muslim or what have you but, keep the ignorance to yourself. Eliminate the derogatory use of ethnic labels!