Is it okay to be turned off by people of your own ethnicity?

Question

I'm an American of Italian-descent but find myself cringing at various functions that are dominated by people of my same ethnicity, such as First Communion parties.

So many of them act like a "guido" stereotype. They are disrespectful of women, use awful grammar, can't ennunciate properly, gamble (card games at communion parties!), etc., etc.

Am I just being harsher of people of my same ethnicity because they somehow remind me of an upbringing that I had cast away at one point?

Answer 1

Italian? Hot! My husband's Italian and he's absolutely gorgeous! And respectful and intelligent. :)

Well, my Dad's English but my Mum is Hispanic, and I guess I am turned off by Hispanic men...

Like you seem to be hinting, I threw away my upbringing somewhat. Growing up in Spain I took to dancing to earn a living when I got sick of making do with watching my parents have a dominant career but still barely scrape by. The men treated me very badly, they used to pull up my skirts and push up next to me and call me dirty names, so at about 14 we all came back here, to England.

So, to some extent, when I see a Hispanic man, it makes me cringe because of how I was treated when I was younger by them. Granted, some of them are lovely, but now that it's embedded into my head it's hard to accept them. It's still something I try to avoid.

Answer 2

anybody with morals would feel like you. Im a white male, but when I watch the show cops or even in real life, I see these white people who have poor grammar, walking around half-naked, and dont take care of their children, or when I see white guys who are "redneck" racists people, It makes me dissapointed in my own ethnic origins.

   There are two things you can do. 1. Be an example and protray your heritage in a good light  2. Accept the fact that there are good italians and bad ones, thats for any race.

   Whenever you hear about the "ghetto", people always assume that only balck or hispanic people can live that way. Its not true, not matter what your race, your upbringing and surroundings make up who you are, not RACE!

Answer 3

Very Normal, especially if your americanized.

Answer 4

Nothing wrong with finding your familiar grounds too familiar. It just means you want to see something different and exciting.  That's the basis of all new discoveries, social and technical.

Get out more and meet people of other cultures and customs. It isn't that far to another neighborhood where you can meet new friends and people.

Answer 5

Yes, I think I am more senstive to people of my own ehtnicity because their actions would somehow affect how other people would see me. I don't let me get to me though, because I am my own self.

Answer 6

I've never been able to identify with any "ethnicity" other than "white American" (don't mean that to be offensive....just can't come up with a better label for it), but I do have to say that I'm completely turned off by so many "Ugly Americans" I see outside the US who think that simply by flashing around their greenbacks and speaking English louder and more slowly that local people will not only miraculously become polyglots, but also bow and cater to their every whim.