Not A Genuine Black Man

I have begun reading "Not A Genuine Black Man," by Brian Copeland. I am in the first couple chapters and it already is a moving piece of literature. I like the section where his mother called him, "black," but his grandmother called him, "colored," and as he went through life he was identified using different names. Another name he was told to identify himself as was, "a person of color," and finally a lady in college told him he was, "African American." I think this is interesting because many people have ethnic backgrounds and either identify themselves as either American or from the place their parents or grandparents are from. It is funny because living in America, I guess you have to specify what your ethnic background is considering we are the melting pot. I am American, but when an American asks me that question, I assume they are asking me about my ethnicity. So I let them know that I am Cuban.

Whenever I say that I am Cuban, I feel a little more cultured and feel a different way. The attitude changes to be more like my grandma. Some times I'll break out in a Cuban accent, when I do not have one. When someone from another country asks me where I am from, I say California which lets them know I am American. The same thing happens ---I act like an American from California with the laid back attitude and beach style wear. When Brian Copeland explained the different names he was called, each of the names had some type of meaning. People may have perceived him in a different way when he stated he was, "Black," or "a person of color." Each of these identifiers, probably made someone react in a different manner. Thus, I found it interesting because I do believe when someone introduces themselves as Jewish, Mexican, African American, or Asian, people automatically think of how they perceive the group as a whole. I thought of this when I was reading that passage because the mother was very adamant about how Brian should identify himself.