What would you tell this young person? It’s an interesting conundrum, but one hopes the day comes when “race” or skin color or ethnicity aren’t used for good or ill to define a person. I call myself American, though I am happy to have Scottish, Dutch, French, Welsh, English, and Irish roots. I call this young person an American, too. Much simpler that way, and it’s true. All the forebears give us their genetic and cultural heritage. That we can celebrate, but they all ended up in America for a reason.
My family identifies as Heinz 57 but we have Native American ancestry that intrigues those in my family who would like to apply for minority preference. I sometimes get questions from them (because I’m the family historian) about the tribes associated with our family. I’m sure we don’t have the blood quantum to qualify for preference and I also think we shouldn’t use that heritage for preference when we have never lived on a reservation and/or chose to identify as “white” as Natives since the Indian Removal Act of the 19 century or have been too embarrassed not to be white. My opinion.
Seems like a mature and reasoned approach to me. I personally have no answer to this so am interested in how others deal with it. I think people more and more appreciate their heritage and how it broadens their world view, not restricts their ability to function in the world. It’s a good thing, I think.
I appreciate my heritage but haven’t suffered on account of it. I don’t begrudge others who feel they need minority preference.
Neither do I. Mistakes were and are made relative to how minorities are treated. Some will say this plays the system. I say the system played certain elements of society, and it’s ridiculous to get “knickers in a knot” if the people who got poor treatment (or whose ancestors got poor treatment) finally get a token hand up.
There’s even a Biblical basis for doing what’s right:
Matthew 25:40
New International Version (NIV)
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
I toss that out, not as a Bible thumper, but because the people who least want to help minorities or poor tend to be Bible thumping conservative people who forget this fundamental lesson of their faith.