Ain't I a Woman?

"Hey Sherrie....I think I'm going to hang out with...ya know, my people tonight"
"Your people?"
"Yeah, other people...like me. Maybe you should hang out with your people!"
"My people?"
"Other Asian people!"
"Oh..."

That conversation took place my freshman year of college between myself and my Cape Verdean best friend. Now on my last semester junior year of college, I am still puzzled as to who "my people" are.

Yes I am Asian - Thai to be exact, I am also Puerto Rican...
I have no idea what that entails, but I do have a pretty good idea of society's perception of me.

So what everything came down to was the question of whether or not I was stereotyped by someone who I personally know has experienced racism?

Deep down I understand that this is about culture, and surrounding yourself comfortably around others who have similar beliefs, pride, tastes, ideas, etc. But why wasn't I allowed to join in? Because I wasn't the same race/ethnicity?

For years women have been excluding because of their sex, and even a combination of race and sex. But here I was being rejected because my ethnicity wasn't the right one. I wanted to learn, I wanted to take in her culture, learn about their experiences.

As for other Asian and Latina women - I've been rejected from those clubs on numerous occasians, or at least judged..."What do you mean you don't speak Spanish?" "How can you date a white boy?"

These comments make me fearful for the future of feminism. It took a long time for multicultural and black women to be recognized in feminism - constantly being separated they even have their own branches of theory. If we continue to point out that we women are different because...we women as a whole will forever be pushed down.

And we aren't ready to do that?
Well then you all need to make way for a new type of woman, because I know there are many women like myself who do not identify with their ethnicity but know what its like to be judged on both ends and I am certain they are tired of it.