Sunday, June 7, 2009

Reasons why I am not really Puerto Rican or Anglo/Jewish

ot PuertoRican because:
  1. You are 2 generations from the island
  2. Your mother is white
  3. You are so white you probably glow in the dark!
  4. Your Spanish is terrible! And what kind of accent is that I hear, Mexican?
  5. You grew up in Texas, that is so American.
  6. You put weird things in your carne guisado (barley, kiske) and call it cholent
  7. You have relatives with names like Chana, Kevin, Jessica
  8. We can't pronounce either of your first names (Jessica is Yessica and Yocheved is Jocheved)
  9. You don't eat your grandmother's cooking? Not even lechon? (roast pork)
  10. There aren't any Puerto Ricans that are Jewish

I am not Anglo/Jewish because:
  1. You are only 2 generations from the island
  2. Your Father is Puerto Rican
  3. You have such big hips, lips & hair! And you tan!
  4. Your Spanish is great! And what kind of accent is that I hear, authentic?
  5. You grew up in Texas, that is so a different country.
  6. You put weird things in your cholent (cilantro, cumin) and call it carne guisado
  7. You have relatives with names like Jesus, Chewy (like the wookie?), Teotista, Jose
  8. We can't pronounce your last name (Ruiz is Roo-is, Ruse, Ruz, or worse)
  9. You once ate your grandmother's cooking? Even roast pork?
  10. There aren't any Jews that are Puerto Rican

So basically I am a zorse. A little of this, a little of that, but too different to be completely accepted by either. Don't get be started on how I'm also a girly geek, and a just-plain-frummie!

ot PuertoRican because:
  1. You are 2 generations from the island
  2. Your mother is white
  3. You are so white you probably glow in the dark!
  4. Your Spanish is terrible! And what kind of accent is that I hear, Mexican?
  5. You grew up in Texas, that is so American.
  6. You put weird things in your carne guisado (barley, kiske) and call it cholent
  7. You have relatives with names like Chana, Kevin, Jessica
  8. We can't pronounce either of your first names (Jessica is Yessica and Yocheved is Jocheved)
  9. You don't eat your grandmother's cooking? Not even lechon? (roast pork)
  10. There aren't any Puerto Ricans that are Jewish

I am not Anglo/Jewish because:
  1. You are only 2 generations from the island
  2. Your Father is Puerto Rican
  3. You have such big hips, lips & hair! And you tan!
  4. Your Spanish is great! And what kind of accent is that I hear, authentic?
  5. You grew up in Texas, that is so a different country.
  6. You put weird things in your cholent (cilantro, cumin) and call it carne guisado
  7. You have relatives with names like Jesus, Chewy (like the wookie?), Teotista, Jose
  8. We can't pronounce your last name (Ruiz is Roo-is, Ruse, Ruz, or worse)
  9. You once ate your grandmother's cooking? Even roast pork?
  10. There aren't any Jews that are Puerto Rican

So basically I am a zorse. A little of this, a little of that, but too different to be completely accepted by either. Don't get be started on how I'm also a girly geek, and a just-plain-frummie!

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6 comments:

  1. Oh how I can relate! I'm a mishmash of things as is my husband. "Oh, you can't be Dutch, your father's French." "Your mother's Italian, so you can't be Jewish. Whose ever heard of an Italian Jew?" And on and on and on.

    So, you are NOT alone. I relate and I sympathize.

    Zorse? Oh, I like that.

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  2. :) People don't get that things aren't mutually exclusive! Too much for little brains to handle I guess, hehe.

    I have to figure out how to get notified about comments, here I thought I was by myself the whole time!

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  3. #3 in the second list sounds totally Jewish to me! ;)

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  4. PS By they way, I never think -- or identify-- myself as white, regardless of my appearance. I think many Jews, even Ashkenazis, feel this way. Or maybe identity is all relative. I might have to think on that theory some more, hmm ;)

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  5. Google alerts just sent me your blog. I'm wondering if you would like to write a piece for www.interfaithfamily.com about becoming a BT after growing up in a non-religious, interfaith family. Drop me a line to discuss it: editor@interfaithfamily.com. (I understand if you don't feel like you have time, with the little girls!)

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