Feeling stuck in the middle

[iusesharpies]

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[devilpup]

Hi.. I'm an undergrad, pre-med, and Chicano. Since I look fairly racially ambiguous, I have been noticing that I have been getting obviously different treatment from other science undergrad students than my friends that fit the stereotype better. It gets even worse when talking about the dynamic with professors and even counselors.

Basically, other people expect nothing from the stereotype-looking Mexican but are fine with me and (to my knowledge) do not know that I am... full Mexican. It has been really weird for me. My Chican@/Latin@ friends have been telling me not to hang out with the other science people and that once they find out they won't want to study with me anymore.

I was wondering if anyone else has gone through this sort of tug-of-war situation and how you've dealt with it? Also, does it get dramatically worse as I move up through the ranks to becoming a doctor?

So based on your observations, you feel "science ppl" have lower academic expectations of Mexicans who look more brown than white?...

Hopefully at some point in your career you will learn to cut the BS and move-on. I might be wrong in saying this, but you're showing a defense mechanism known as projection.

 

[iusesharpies]

So based on your observations, you feel "science ppl" have lower academic expectations of Mexicans who look more brown than white?...

Hopefully at some point in your career you will learn to cut the BS and move-on. I might be wrong in saying this, but you're showing a defense mechanism known as projection.

what?

 

[dohlo]

what?

devilpup is basically saying that because you are insecure with your heritage and deep down feel that Chican@s/latin@s don't measure up academically, you project those insecurities onto your surroundings. This boils down to "you're imagining the prejudice/racism that you think you are seeing"

It's not always so as easy to just "cut the BS" in these situations, however, and devilpup's response seems to be not only condescending, but is not very helpful in my opinion.

I think you should take a look at your friends, and try to distinguish who really wants to see you succeed, and who may try to hold you back. I am going to assume that the other students in your class are not racists and would be friendly with your chicano/latino friends, if they knew them better. maybe it would be possible for some of your closer "other science ppl" friends to come and study with your latino friends, or vice versa. Try to be a bridge between groups, and do your best not to further separate them.

 

[iusesharpies]

devilpup is basically saying that because you are insecure with your heritage and deep down feel that Chican@s/latin@s don't measure up academically, you project those insecurities onto your surroundings. This boils down to "you're imagining the prejudice/racism that you think you are seeing"

It's not always so as easy to just "cut the BS" in these situations, however, and devilpup's response seems to be not only condescending, but is not very helpful in my opinion.

I think you should take a look at your friends, and try to distinguish who really wants to see you succeed, and who may try to hold you back. I am going to assume that the other students in your class are not racists and would be friendly with your chicano/latino friends, if they knew them better. maybe it would be possible for some of your closer "other science ppl" friends to come and study with your latino friends, or vice versa. Try to be a bridge between groups, and do your best not to further separate them.

Hey thanks for the sort of advice. I'm not sure how its relevant but I am not insecure in my heritage at all. Also, I have have tried "bridging the gap" many times, but my science people have told me straight up that they don't want to study with my other friends because they don't think they are as smart.. and my friends, naturally, do not want to study with them after hearing that... This is why my situation is sort of strange... 😕

 

[Namedmymember]

Hi.. I'm an undergrad, pre-med, and Chicano. Since I look fairly racially ambiguous, I have been noticing that I have been getting obviously different treatment from other science undergrad students than my friends that fit the stereotype better. It gets even worse when talking about the dynamic with professors and even counselors.

Basically, other people expect nothing from the stereotype-looking Mexican but are fine with me and (to my knowledge) do not know that I am... full Mexican. It has been really weird for me. My Chican@/Latin@ friends have been telling me not to hang out with the other science people and that once they find out they won't want to study with me anymore.

I was wondering if anyone else has gone through this sort of tug-of-war situation and how you've dealt with it? Also, does it get dramatically worse as I move up through the ranks to becoming a doctor?

Yes, you should be very careful that they don't find out you are full Mexican. They'll stop studying with you. I suggest you make some fake genealogical records and just scatter them around the lab to throw them off the scent.

 

[iusesharpies]

Yes, you should be very careful that they don't find out you are full Mexican. They'll stop studying with you. I suggest you make some fake genealogical records and just scatter them around the lab to throw them off the scent.

Not sure what question you were answering but nice advice. 👍