Response to "On being a Mexican American"

               I have a lot in common with the author. Not only am I Mexican American but my last name is Mendoza like his :). Well besides the obvious I had similar experiences growing up. I, like the author, was born in the U.S but born a Mexican. 
             My childhood experience was very similar to the authors. As a child I didn't see the differences of me and other people. I was always around my family and I always thought everyone else must be like us. The way I spoke is the way I thought most people spoke. At that point I thought being Mexican was no different from being American. It was not until school when I began to realize we are not all so alike. 
            According to the article and my own experiences, school is one of the first places you begin to notice being different. You see that not all the kids around you look like you, some children begin to tease you for being different, the things around you begin to unfold. In many cases you begin to become the thing your not.
           My father is very proud of his heritage and he strongly believes in maintaining it. My little brother and father would sometimes get into little quarrels where my brother says "I'm not Mexican dad I'm American" and my dad would just lecture him on how wrong he is and how he should be proud of being Mexican. So my little brother was being "Anglocized" as the author would put it.
       Knowing how much my dad does to maintain our heritage comes the question from the author "DO WE Mexicans ever totally integrate?". In my opinion I will never truly be "Anglocized". Despite how much I have changed to better fit this new society I will never forget my culture. I am proud to be Mexican but also an American. That is why I am Mexican-American.