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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
I am the pp to whom you are responding. Thank you for your thoughtful response. I was saying you were being overly sensitive, sorry that is how it came off. Again, as an AA woman I know what it is like to have assumptions made about you.
However, I must say that I see things differently.  Personally, I don't think that having the group is an all call for all Hispanic people, only the ones interested in what the group is offering. Though you made a good point about the name -- perhaps there can be a better name.
Perhaps it also needs to be clearer what exactly the purpose is. NO, not all Hispanic folk are the same, but that does not mean that  those   folk who have needs to be met, cannot have a group that meets their specific needs.
I know at our ES, the coffees that were held on Friday seemed to be well-attended and well received. In addition, a lot of those same families are also an active part of the broader school community. I say this because you see them involved at lot at the different activities - the principal calling some of them out along with other folks who are involved -- know what I mean?
Is your issue a broader one in that you don't believe in having groups that are focused on folk who have a commanlity of sexual orientation, ethnicity and/or race?
Please note that I did not say EXCLUSIVE , that is a  different thing and meaning. 
I am a black woman who attended an HBCU(Historically Black College or University) so i don't have a problem with that at all.
At some point, we have to address our specific needs and not worry about what anyone else thinks.
I cannot always worry that a black person getting welfare means someone thinks that I am too.
If our school had a large Nigerian community and they had a group, I would not worry that folks think that I am Nigerian and English is not my native tongue.[/quote]

I'll freely admit that I'm most likely overly sensitive!  My husband would probably agree.  I think we all come at situations from our own experiences and are sensitive based on those experiences.  *I* probably assume that people make assumptions about my kids based on their last name/skin color/hair/etc.  And, to be honest, sometimes stereotypes do have a little truth to them - my kids do love soccer!

I do see your point about not worrying about what people think and that is valid.

I think you're right that maybe I take issue with groups that are focused on race/ethnicity in general.  They seem (to me) to try to leave people out or differentiate amongst people.  I am not a particularly religious person either.  Mostly because I think religion tends to separate people, rather than bring people together.  (That is a whole other topic!)

We're all parents at the same school - White/AA/Asian/Hispanic.  We all mostly want the same things for our kids.  We can and do work well together, without dividing parents up into groups based on something arbitrary (IMO) such as race.  I also come to this as someone who is mixed race which definitely skews my perspective.  I do find race to be somewhat arbitrary.  Just as there is so much diversity within the black community, that is the case for all groups.  My Pakistani friend will swear up and down that she has nothing, NOTHING in common with an Indian person - different religion, different language, and yet they are all grouped together as 'South Asian'.  It seems almost disrespectful to ignore their differences.

Thank you for the respectful discussion!  I do talk about race often with my family/friends and I think it would be beneficial if more people could talk honestly/respectfully about how they feel.

[/quote]
I am the pp with whom u are talking. For 2 days I have been trying to say I DONT think u are over sensitive.
As a Black woman I would be hard pressed to say that!! 
I hate typing on this phone. Thanks for the talk, best I have ever had on DCUM!
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