Sorry

If they want to know where I was born, well that’s easy. I was born in Austin, Texas.

But if they want to know why my skin color is different, then my mom is from Venezuela and my dad is from Turkey. Then it gets more complicated because I don’t want them to get the wrong idea of my people. My mother is a white hispanic and I have to explain that not all hispanics are dark skinned. My father is the darkest of the Turks and I have to explain that Turkish people are actually pretty white- my father is more of an exception.

But if they want to know where I grew up, then it’s Round Rock for eight, France for one, Fishkill for five, and various parts of the Capital Region for high school.

But if they want to know how where I came from influenced who I am today, then I talk about my brothers.

But if they want to know about my brothers, I have to give a long winded response of the various places they live in the United States that they may or may not listen to- I often waste my breath and it makes me sad. My oldest lives in Seattle and works as a software engineer, my second oldest lives in Texas and is getting his PhD but is currently doing a summer internship, and my youngest goes to university for computer science.

But if they want to know what language I speak at home, it’s English. I know a lot of Spanish though and am learning Turkish.

But if they want to know why I took Spanish in school if I was “already” fluent, I have to explain that I wasn’t already fluent. School actually helped me become fluent.

But if they want to know…and the list goes on and on.

But that’s okay because even though it is hard sometimes, with people making assumptions about me due to my diverse background, I wouldn’t be the kind, open minded, understanding, smart person I am today.

I wouldn’t change a thing.