I'm half Mexican on my father's side. People rarely believe me when I say that I'm mixed because I have my Irish mother's complexion. While I'm proud of both sides of my heritage, it has always bothered me that many have claimed I have no right to celebrate my Mexican roots because of my appearance. Even my dad discouraged me from learning Spanish; he had a difficult time learning English and always wanted his children to master it. (He believed that my brother and my best chance to "make it" in the US was to appear as White as possible, at least professionally.) He's lightened up on this considerably over the years. Now my son is a quarter Mexican and has my coloring. But I am determined to raise him with pride in his background and a respect for all peoples and

cultures.