Wednesday, May 11, 2011

What's Your Heritage?

"What's your heritage?"

This is the question I get asked about three or four times a week, no joke. It has become one of my FAQs about myself whenever I go on interviews, meet with executives, or walk customers to their tables at BJs.

I am not to sure why it really matters, but I can't help but wonder why it is so important out here? It is not that random of a question, but it is how frequent I get asked that makes it an interesting topic.

I am very aware of how I look. Tall, natural blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes, blonde eyelashes and eyebrows, etc. I know that being natural blonde is part of a minority in this country, but I figured in California of all places, I would fit right in. If anything, I have always thought I looked the part of a California girl. Guess not.

"Are you Scandinavian?" "Are you Norwegian?" "You look like a Viking." These are just some of the weekly comments I get. Even when I was interning this winter, I was given the name, "Viking Girl" because I stood out from all the others with my "fairness". What I find funny is that I am not even connected to those cultures as my am ancestry. I German and English with a tiny bit of Scottish. I have the typical Western European features - small and round -as opposed to the fierce, stronger Eastern European features.

Now don't get me wrong; I am not complaining. I just find it interesting that my heritage matters a lot to people out here. The only way I can justify it is that LA is a city that basis a lot on looks. It is how you look that people remember you, talk to you, or in some cases, even hire you.

I love how I look, and I am proud of my heritage. I just thought this was an interesting topic to bring up since it it frequently comes up during my week out here. Thought I would share it.

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