Warning: Personal post ahead.

Today I went to the Puerto Rican Day Parade on 5th Avenue. It was so cool to see all those people celebrating their heritage and history (they are still celebrating 3 hours after the parade ended). I often go to these kinds of parades but I never fail to have the same feeling after all of them. This will be the first time I’m expressing the feelings. If they offend you (though I don’t see why they should) then sorry.

So. Whenever I watch parades and events that celebrate peoples heritage and culture, I get just a little jealous. I’d love to be able to celebrate the history of wherever my family came from, but therein lies the problem. I have no idea where they came from. Oh sure, I can trace my lineage back to the 1850’s but where before that? Was my family really from Africa? If so, what part?

Black History month feels like a sham to me. Why should I celebrate my American history, which is truly slavery and oppression? Jim Crow law and segregation aren’t things I want to have a parade about, but thats just me. So this summer when I’m walking around New York and I see the almost weekly parades celebrating one culture or another, I’ll be wishing I had a heritage I can be proud of.

Anyhow, enough of that. I just wanted to get that out for once.