The Voice of Valerie Hostos Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or color of your skin? Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten? Do you feel that new immigrants to North America should assimilate into the mainstream? Have you ever traveled back to the homeland(s) of your ancestors? Do you or did you ever wish that you were another race other than your own? Urban Mozaik Magazine asks these questions of our readers and this is what Lisa had to say... Name: Valerie Hostos Age: 47 Occupation: Research Analyst Birth Place: Fort Campbell, Kentucky Residence: Columbia, SC Mothers BirthPlace: Summerton, SC Maternal Grandmothers Birth Place: Summerton, SC Maternal Grandfathers Birth Place: Charleston, SC Fathers Birthplace: Summerton, SC Paternal Grandmothers Birth Place: Summerton, SC Paternal Grandfathers Birth Place: Summerton, SC Do you feel that new immigrants to North America should assimilate into the mainstream? To a certain degree immigrants should assimilate into the mainstream. While and I and, I'm sure the majority of the readers on this site find other cultures enthralling, the majority of white American (and an increasing number of Blacks) look on cultures that keep to themselves as threatening. It's a hard fence to straddle, to assimilate into this country and keep your culture, but it can be done. Would your parents object to you dating or marrying a person who was of a different race than you? I remember as a teenager liking a white guy (I'm Black). I asked my father how he would feel if I dated a white guy, and he said "No white man will ever put his feet under my dining room table!" 15 years later, looking around the table at Thanksgiving, with my father sitting at the head, were me and my Puerto Rican husband; my brother and his Fillipino wife and my niece and her WHITE husband!! Needless to say I've never reminded my father of what he said to me back then. I think the biggest proof of my father's love was that he put aside his fears (because I don't think they were prejudices) of what we would encouter if we married outside of our race and accepted the people we brought into our family with warmth and love. What do you think of affirmative action and racial quotas in the workplace? I think affirmative action is needed and will be needed for at least the next 25 years. The 25 and under mainstream generation doesn't have the same prejudices about races of people that my generation and older people do. I think that's so exciting!!! But for now, with the people who are in management positions, it's still needed. I see racism all the time in the federal government and in the military. So I can just imagine how it is in the civilan sector. What do you think of signs on businesses that don't have any English on them? I think that business caters to people who speak another language as their native tongue. I have no problems going into a Korean or Spanish business because I can speak the languages, but I admit I'm cautious of going in to an establishment with a sign that I can't read. I don't think those businesses mean to put English speaking people off, that's why you see more signs with both English and the other language on them. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or the color of your skin? Tell us about it. Yes!!! I'm and sure I will be again. I'm a black woman living in the south. The incident that sticks out the most, however, happened to me when I was living in Tuscany, Italy. My husband and I stopped at a roadside cafe to get a cuppacino. We sat down and ordered and then waited and waited for our coffee. Finally my husband went to the back and asked (in Spanish) where are coffee was. The people then exclaimed that they were so sorry, they didn't know we were Spanish, they thought we were Moraccan (I'm light skinned and wore my hair in long braids)!! My husband said no we're Americans...they said "Oh that's ok, we just don't service Africans here. Has anything, relating to race, happened lately that really bothered you? We have had a steady influx of Mexican, Guatemalans and Hondurans here over the last 10 - 15 years. The prejudices seem to be shifting from Blacks to them. What really bothers me is to hear a Black person say something like, "Man those Mexicans live 10 or 15 people to a house!" I happen to remember my mom telling me how members of my family fled the south to go up north to Baltimore or New York city and all live in a one bedroom apartment in order to be able to send money to the family back in the south. Where is our compassion and understanding of these people trying to make a better way for themselves like we did?? What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Where were you when you ate it? When we lived in Germany, my husband was mistaken for being a Turk and we ended up being adopted by a Turkish family. They made a dish with the biggest lima beans I've ever seen that were topped with yogurt!! It was good but different!! What is your favorite ethnic food? My favorite "ethnic" food is Italian tiramisu!! Where do you live and where have you traveled where the culture was the most different from your own? II live in South Carolina. I've traveled to every continent but South Amercia, Africa and Australia. The culture that was the most different from my own was Korea. Do you feel that you are in touch with your culture of origin? I feel that I'm a fence straddler. I grew up as an Army brat living in a multi-ethnic environment. I know about my race, but often feel that I'm not a part of it. I don't have that "soul" in my voice, can't double dutch, but I can throw down in the kitchen!! Once I married outside of my race, I feel that distanced me even further. Have you ever traveled back to the homeland(s) of your ancestors? Why not, if you haven't? I have traveled to the Middle East (Qatar). That's about as close as I've gotten. I haven't had the opportunity to go to Africa, but I would jump if I did. What percentage of your friends are able to speak a language other than English? About 80% percent of my friend speak Spanish In brief, describe your idea of a perfect world. My idea of a perfect world would be one in which we could all make our own decisions about where we want to live, who we want to spend our lives with, where we want to work, without the fear of someone or some group trying to keep you from having that because they fear they will lose what they have. I wonder if that will ever happen??? Do you or did you ever wish that you were of another race? If so, why? When I was a kid I briefly wished I was white because that's what was portrayed as "good". Do you feel uncomfortable if you are a minority in a room full of people who are all of one race? No...that happens to me alot!! Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? If so, why do you think you are? I think Latino men, and people from India are physically beautiful!! I don't feel, however, that I'm attracted to them over any other race of men. How did you feel about responding to this questionnaire? It made me so some soul searching, so that's a good thing!! 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