I'm Not Bi-Racial, I'm a Human BeingAt the end of my first semester in college, I got the experience filling out forms to rate the professor of every course I was enrolled in at the time. Every standard assessment given by the University was similar in almost every respect. I took standardized tests as early as second grade, and it felt pretty familiar to me to fill in the information circles with a number two pencil. Info circles were nothing new to me: full name, gender, social security number and race, but every time I reach the race section I am unable to find a good solution to a problem that exists . Biologically, I am half African American and half Caucasian. My appearance tells me I should choose one answer and my life experience tells me I should choose another answer to the race question. This usually puts me in the “other” category. I don’t want to be known as “other.” I don't want to be known as black, white, pink, blue or green, for that matter. I want to be known as Karin Brown, an unclassified human being. In her essay “Fifty Years in America: Through the Back Doors,” Elena Caceres uses the idea of ​​“Americanness” (90) as a philosophical aspect of life; one who will fulfill dreams and promises if perfected. It appears that the “Americanness” experienced by each person varies on several levels. In the case of Cáceres, it started as something to think about with the greatest respect, but the feelings people have regarding acceptance can extend to extreme positions. How can a country founded on the ideas of freedom and individuality promote acceptance of all degrees and at the same time make classification a normal part of daily life, like...... middle of paper ...... She looked over the information section and started laughing. I asked her what was funny and she read me the options available to check the breed. She laughed at the last option and said excitedly, “Other.” I wonder who should check this. This statement enlightened me on two very important aspects of my life. First, it allowed me to grasp the idea that standard classifications of “Americanness” are not always appropriate. Second, it made me happy to know and understand that people in my daily life look beyond the color of my skin and see Karin Brown, because in the midst of her laughter, my classmate had forgotten that I I was “the other”. , Helene. "Fifty Years in America: Through the Back Doors." MultiAmerica: Essays on the Culture Wars and Cultural Peace. Ed. Ishmael Reed. Penguin Books (US)), 1997.