Huh. I totally forgot about black history month. The historical figures remembered during the month helped a lot with civil rights, and I respect them for that. I've been told, though, that it's not
my history, because I'm a first generation American whose parents are from Africa. (So I guess that's the truth, technically.) Serious question: does that make a person less African/less American? Certainly I can't pull the "your ancestors made my ancestors suffer" card, but being born and raised here, I still consider myself an American through and through.
I remember in my eighth grade history class, we had a discussion about some blacks wanting reparations for the years their ancestors spent in slavery. There were four black kids in the class (including me), and it was pretty much split even between people who thought it was dumb (me and one guy), and people who thought it was a fantastic idea (the two other girls). I argued that not only was our nation already in debt, but doing reparations would be nearly impossible (tracking down all the people whose ancestors were slaves, as opposed to Holocaust victims or victims of the Japanese internment during WWII, which was much more recent). Also that then we'd have to pay everyone who's ever been blighted by the American government, and that a loooot of people. One of the girls opposing me snapped that I was just saying that because I wasn't African American and I wouldn't get any money from it. IDK, I guess it's a valid point, that I wouldn't get any money, but that's not what I was thinking when I argued against it.
(I saw that same girl at the mall just after graduating high school, and she said, "Wow, it looks like you've put on quite a bit of weight." Biiiiiitttttch.)Also a serious question, does anyone find their parents to be a little too racist? Seriously wtf is wrong with them.
Whenever I told my parents that I made a new friend at school, they always used to ask "are they black?" At the same time, though, they kind of dislike American blacks. Actually, I don't think they are more partial to disliking any particular race: they are equal opportunity when it comes to that sort of thing. (My mom is mildly insistent that I marry a nice-Nigerian-boy
TM but I get the feeling she wouldn't particularly care what he was as long as he was educated, had a paying job, and wasn't a complete dick.)
On a side note, Hispanic Awareness Month is October (I think). I always remember because it has the most awesome acronym. HAM.