Thanks for the response, and I apologize it took me so long to get back to you. Many of my generation of Hispanic people are caught in the middle — we often don’t speak Spanish, but don’t look white. For some of us, this is vexing — I have no proof that this is actuality, but it feels as if our Spanish-speaking brethren don’t consider us Hispanic, and our white neighbors certainly don’t consider us white.

My dad jokingly would call me a coconut — brown on the outside, white on the inside. The census is an interesting case, as is any survey that asks about our race and ethnicity. I write in Hispanic, personally.

I’d hardly consider myself a stepstool for racism — but I also cannot and will not be a token, stay-in-line apologist for everything anyone African-American or Hispanic has ever suffered. That’s not for me. The present is the only thing, as is the perspective I shared in this post, as well as a genuine desire to see us all live our best lives.

I don’t believe we’re as easily categorized as something, any of us. White passing? Racism stepping stool? Decent man? Helpful citizen? Which am I? All, or none? A percentage of each, sometimes willingly, other times not? That’s hard to say, my friend. But I am a writer and I will keep writing and looking forward to what people contribute in the comments.