Brandi Marroquin

Has there ever been a time in your life that you were treated differently because you are Hispanic and/or a woman?
Yes, just this recently just happened to me, this past February. My friend, Alex, gets floor seats for the Stock Show and Rodeo every year with her work. We got all dressed in our Rodeo gear and were ready for a night of fun. We arrived at the grounds and everything was going just fine. We found out amazing seats and decided to go to the bar to grab a drink. While in this very exclusive/high end lobby, we noticed her and I were the only Hispanics in that lobby. Then we noticed we weren’t just the only Hispanics, but we were the only Hispanic women. We cracked a joke about standing out, but didn’t feel intimidated at all. The show was almost going to start, so we began walking to our seats. There was a white male usher, who was stopping and helping people locate their seats. He was saying things like, “have a great time, enjoy the show, etc…” He never stopped and asked anyone for proof of their seats. While Alex and I approached him, he quickly stood in front of us, held his hands up on our face and said, “stop right here, I need to see your tickets!” We told him, we had just came from here, he said, “you’re not going anywhere until I see your tickets.” So we begin shuffling through our bags to locate our tickets, while struggling to hold our drinks and snacks. Meanwhile, there are other people walking by and he continues speaking to them kindly, while he allows them to go to their seats, without asking for tickets. I quickly tell him, “why didn’t you ask them for tickets?” And he just rolls his eye. We got our tickets and then showed them to him. The only response he then gave was, “well, you know where your seats are” and moved out of the way, so we could walk by. Didn’t wish us a good time or didn’t even apologize.
 

How did that make you feel?
My friend and I were pissed. I could not believe that in this day and age, it is possible to still fall victim to discrimination based on your race. I was so angry, I wanted to go back up there and curse him out, but I held my composure. I had never felt of such little value. It bothered me knowing that this man had the power to make me feel, as if I were less than him

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Did you say anything to the person/group that treated you differently?
I did ask him, why he wasn’t asking other people for their tickets, but I he didn’t seem to care. As the show continued I tried my hardest to have a good time, but every time I would glance in his direction I would get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. As the night progressed, as did the drinks and anger. As we were walking out and the concert was over. I could see his smiling happily wishing everyone a careful, goodnight. As we walked directly in front of him, I had to say something and yelled at him right in his face, “Racist!” He did not respond, he just continued to give me the same dirty look he had given us earlier.
 

Did you tell anyone after the event happened (right away, after the fact)?
My friend Alex and I immediately posted our experience on Facebook. Some people commented by telling us to telling him off. Others suggested we report his behavior to a manager. At work the next day, various people expressed their disgust for what had happened to me.
 

Why or why not?
There was no kind of drastic change after I expressed what happened. It did not take away the feeling of disgust I felt, but in a strange way it felt better to let it off my chest.
 

How did this event affect your life?
This just reminded me that even after years of laws changing for social justice equality for all, this hatred still exists between discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, etc.  
 

Being the person you are now, if you could go back to that specific time, what would you have done?
I probably would have reported him; I would have expressed to his superior how he treated us. Then again it wasn’t just my word against his. He treated both my friend and I the same way.
 

Do you think this event has shaped your life in some way?
It just reminded me to be more critical and aware. That if my gut feeling is telling me that I am being discriminated against because of my race or gender. It is most likely because I am and I should stand up for myself and my rights.
 

Do you think there is still a problem with gender equality and racism towards Hispanics?
Being an educator I know for a fact that there still is. Especially in the education we teach our students. There continues to be this hidden curriculum, that always keeps the white race in power when it comes to history and its stories. The text books which are used, which portray very one-sided historical events are voted by white people of power, so you know you are going to read very little of Hispanics or African Americans being portrayed as any type of leadership role.  “Whiteness” exists and always will. The elite stays in power while the socially/economically disadvantaged, will continue to stay at the bottom.
 

What would be your message to the younger Latina generation that may encounter a similar situation to yours?
Believe in yourself! Don’t ever let anyone make you feel inferior. If someone says, “you can’t do it!” You should use that as fuel to prove them wrong. Stand up for yourself, if you stay silent, the vicious cycle will only continue. One voice on awareness/unacceptance can make a difference.

What does being a Hispanic woman mean to you?