Why Italy

Is it wrong for me to feel this way?

I'm from a Puerto Rican dad and Italian-Irish mom and raised mostly on my mom's side of the family due to problems with my dad (they are separated & his family has little contact w/ me). Regardless, since my teen years, I always took more of an interest in my puerto rican heritage and even cultures outside my own. Now I know what I am and what I am not, but my mom's family gets upset every time I choose to do a cultural report on Puerto Rico or mention my dating interests (I'm mostly attracted to Asians, Africans, and Latins). It's not that I don't like Italian culture, I just never really cared for it as a whole and always found it somewhat disappointing in a sense. Same thing with American culture and media which focuses on blonde hair, blue eyed, Anglo-White lifestyle. I always been attracted to someone who looks different from me, which is not a problem to them, but they always minimize any latin heritage i do have, and i am just as much latin as i am italian. I know where I was raised and WHO raised me and I am very grateful to that, but I just am not interested in Italian things, so to say. A part of it is how Italians just give their culture away ("everyone's an Italian") and how a lot of the stereotypical Italian-Americans act (obnoxious, loud, know-it-all yet knows-nothing). Also its because its shoved down my throat because someone always makes a reference to me being part Italian (or to them, "full Italian"). I know that's not how all Italians are and I'm sure over in Italy the culture is beautiful but it just isn't for me. Am I wrong to feel this way?

Public Comments

1. You can't help who you like or fall in love with.....maybe one day your family will see that. Make yourself happy and then maybe they will see the error in their ways.
2. fuggedaboutit
3. Italian stereotype as "loud, obnoxious and know it all but no nothing"?? Huh.. Seems I could name a few other races that would qualify in all three of those categories too....Ummm "sterotypically",of course...
4. I'm dating an Italian and I'm mixed (black, welsh, and native american) but I lean more towards the native american side, because I don't like Anglo culture, and black American culture displeases me (just like Italian culture is to you) but I do like African culture. Itlalians are very prideful people and do not like their family to lose their sense of italian roots. If you had an Italian dad it would be the other way around because the dad's culture usually dominates. If I ever have kids with an Italian man I'll make sure that they know their Italian roots. There's nothing wrong with enjoying other cultures...I actually think that's great because it's open-minded.
5. You are not wrong....You are more advanced than the average.