An “oreo” is another word often used for an African American with the characteristics of a white person. It’s generally defined as “black on the outside and white on the inside.” According to our modern society, a stereotypical African American is loud, violent and uneducated. If an African American acts any other way, they are considered an “oreo.”
My whole life, I have been told that I am an oreo or that I “act white” by friends, family members and even strangers. People tend to call me an oreo because I speak properly, grew up worshipping Britney Spears and Katy Perry, and have more white friends than black friends. I always tend to laugh it off and agree, but to be honest, it bothers me. I do not “act white” on purpose and I’m not ashamed to be black at all — I’m just being myself.
Growing up, I went to a school with a significant amount of white people. I was friends with anyone I got along with. It never bothered me if someone was Asian, black or white. To this day still does not matter. I ended up growing up with a lot of white friends and not as many black friends. Throughout most of my life, I felt as if I was wrong for having white friends and I should only have black friends. Finally, I realized that skin color does not affect who someone truly is. It truly does not matter who I’m friends with, as long as I’m are happy with who I surround myself with.
I thought something was wrong with me for “acting white” for most of my life. It caused a lot of self-esteem issues for me throughout middle school and high school. I had to realize that it truly does not matter how I act, as long as I know I’m not being someone I’m not. The fact an African American speaking properly and striving for success means that they are an oreo is extremely offensive. Black people should not be stereotyped as loud and uneducated in the first place. People are falsely assuming that just because I’m black I should be loud and uneducated, but that is not the case. I am a smart and independent black woman, and I’m not ashamed to be.
It’s sad to think society has labels for almost everything. Just because I was born with brown skin doesn’t mean I have to act a certain way. I refuse to be labeled. Stereotyping anyone is pointless. I do not want to be known as an “oreo” or a “stereotypical black girl.” I just want to be known as me. I’m tired of seeing people judge by the color of someone’s skin. Although racial stereotypes have been much less of a problem than it was long ago, it still exists very much today. I have been called a “white girl wannabe” and an “oreo” my entire life. That is truly not how I identify myself. I identify myself as Alexis Baines. Whether someone is white, black, Asian or any other race in the world, people should not stereotype one another just because of what skin color they were born with. Instead of seeing a Caucasian with blonde hair and automatically assuming they are stupid, actually get to know the person and judge for yourself. People should not be characterized as acting a certain skin color. Skin color does not define who people are. Individuals define who they are.