Society Gets a Black Eye

Society raised me in a peculiar way.
I was brought up thinking the white man had it all. The money, the fame, the joy, etc.
So I scrubbed my skin in the shower to lighten my tan.
I hid my accent and learned to forget my Spanish.
I found a love for hamburgers and a distaste for refried beans.
I watched MTV and dennied my novelas.
I wanted to travel to New York and watch broadways instead of visiting my abuelita.

Society beat me in a peculiar way.
Security cameras followed me in stores.
"When did you cross the border?"
Job offers for housekeeping.
"Where did you learn to speak English so well?"
"Are you Mexican?"
I could be Puerto Rican for all you know.
I could be Native American for all you know.
I could be a gringa that spends too much money on hair dye and tanning booths.

I beat society back in a peculiar way.
The manager searched my bags and found a security tag his employer neglected to remove.
"I never crossed the border. Born and raised here. Any more ignorant questions?"
I apply for leadership roles and accept nothing less.
"English is my first language. Want to see how colorful it is cabron?"
"I am Mexican American. What the flip are you?"
I broke glass ceilings.
I rebutted stupid comments with fire.
I got higher grades than the blue-eyed, blond-hair elites.
I gave society a run for it's money.