Race and Ethnicity

Race and ethnicity is often mistaken as the same. I believe that our race is defined by our biological classification such as:  Asian, American, or African American; and our ethnicity is defined by our religious views, language, and culture. I characterize my race as Asian and my ethnicity as Vietnamese. By saying that my race is Asian would be too broad because there are many different groups that can also claim to be Asian by their skin tone, hair color, and eyes such as: Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. My ethnicity is what helps me differentiate myself from other Asian groups; it is what makes us who we are. I characterize my ethnicity as Vietnamese because of the way I was raised up, my culture, and my language. I was raised with the traditional Vietnamese values and culture, while my little brothers were raised differently. Being born in Vietnam my parents had raised me with strict and traditional discipline to make sure that I would not repeat my wrong doings. For my brothers, who were born in the U.S., they were raised with more of the American culture; which means that they had it a lot easier. Instead of getting hit or slapped, they would be grounded and have their games taken away.

By being Asian, I have been mistaken for being Filipino many times. When I asked the person why? They tell me it is because of my skin tone. I am generally a little darker than most Vietnamese people because I like to be outside and be active instead of being a hermit crab. I believe the only time people identify my ethnicity correctly is when I have my name tag on at work because I have a Vietnamese name, or when I am back home to San Jose where the majority of the population are Vietnamese.  

I believe that racial categorization is universal. Where ever you travel to, you will always be categorized by your skin tone, how you look, and by the language you speak. For example, when I visited Vietnam for the first time after moving to the U.S. for 15 years, the people saw me as American because how I dressed and also by how I spoke the language. Growing up in the U.S. I mostly spoke English and would only speak Vietnamese at home, but even so I would not fully speak Vietnamese; it would be combination of both languages. By assimilating into the American culture, I slowly started to let my Vietnamese language slip. No matter how Americanized I seem, I still follow my Vietnamese roots and would always classify myself as a Vietnamese person. 

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