Running head: ETHNIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Ethnic Autobiography
Charlsity Lynn Smith
Human Diversity 2450
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
On my honor this paper represents my own words and thoughts and/or the words and thoughts of
others with proper citations. I have neither given nor received assistance on this assignment other
than as authorized by the instructor _Charlsity L.Smith
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My Name is Charlsity Lynn Smith. I am a twenty-nine year old, female who is Native
American. I am from the Pembroke, North Carolina area. I am recognized as Lumbee Indian,
although the Lumbee’s are not necessarily a tribe or don’t receive much recognition I am
proud. My father Burnice Smith Jr. is a Native American man, also from North Carolina. His
mother; Rony Esther Smith and father Burnice Smith, were also Native American Indians.
My mother Patricia Ann Smith is of mixed ethnicity; Native American Indian, also from the
Lumbee descent, and Irish.
My mother’s mother Ruby Mae Carter was from the Lumberton area; Barker Ten
Mile, she was Lumbee Indain and later married a Lumbee Indian man, Joseph Carter who
helped raise my mother. My mother’s biological father Patrick was from New York and of the
Irish descent. Since my mother rarely knew her biological father and had never been a part of
his life since she was eight months old, my mother adapted to the Lumbee ways and teachings
of her mother and stepfather’s culture. The ethnic identity for my mother, father, and
grandparents is very important; for one’s ethnicity is what makes a person become who they
are. Since there have been so much controversies among the Indian people; it is very
important in my culture to adapt and learn the ways of the Indians in order to have a better
understanding of who we are, and what we stand for. The Native American ways has been
lost and suppressed over the years, but one thing that has never been taken away from my
culture is the pride we have.
My grandparents on my mother’s side traveled due to his work, therefore my
mother and aunt had been around many different ethnic backgrounds. My mother and her
parents resided in Baltimore for a period of time until later resettling in Lumberton, North
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Carolina in the Robeson County area. Here in Robeson County their neighborhood consisted
of mainly blacks and Indians, very few Caucasians. My father’s parents resided in Pembroke,
North Carolina. There were no neighbors of different ethnicity due to the lands being
privately owned by only family members of past generations.
My parents have never showed any real racism to any group of people. Although my
mother’s biological father was Irish and she never really knew him, she has made comments
from time to time about the Caucasian population, such as their ways. My mother’s
perspective is that whites are ambiguous people. I don’t recall my father ever stereotyping any
other race other than perceiving Caucasians and African Americans seemingly more willing
to adhere to getting an education verses our people, the Native Americans. I have never been
against any race. I feel there is good and bad in all populations.
There are some populations that I may not completely understand their culture, but I
don’t feel I have ever discriminated against these groups. A time I remember is going to the
beach with my family and getting discriminated against. My family has a trait of being short
and having dark hair; somewhat the same as the Mexican population, except my brother and
oldest sister whom have always been mistaken for being Caucasian because they have a fair
complexion and light colored hair. My sister, who is often mistaken for this ethnic group has
children that also inherited the Caucasian population’s traits. Both of her children have sky
blue eyes and light blonde hair except for the oldest girl, who has brown eyes and brown hair.
While we were at the beach my mom, myself, and second oldest sister made a trip to
the grocery store; we had my sister’s kids alone with us, while she had stayed back at the
trailer. As we walked the aisles of the grocery store and passed a large amount of diverse
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populations; predominantly white, we stood looking for supplies and actually heard a group of
Caucasian women comment on what were we Mexicans doing with a white child as if we
didn’t speak English and could not understand them. My mom got furious and let them know
quickly she heard them and made a few obscene remarks that left them bedazzled. I would
have to say this was a negative experience for me and I have found this has not been the only
time whites have stereotyped me and my family by relating us to the Mexican population.
I have also experienced discrimination working at Cracker Barrel restaurant as a
waitress. I often get spoken Spanish to such as Gracias (thank you), but it is always in a
degrading manner. A positive experience I have had with a different population would have to
be with the African American population. I have always found it easy to be friends with the
African American population and feel very comfortable when around them. Coming from the
Lumbee Indian descent and often discriminated against because of many other different ethnic
groups lacking knowledge about this group of people, I can relate to another group of people
who were also discriminated against for decades.
While growing up here in North Carolina my family did often integrate with others
from different ethnic groups. My dad had a close friend who was a Caucasian man from
Fayetteville, North Carolina and was married to a Korean lady who was one of the kindest
women I had ever met. They often came over and ate with us and visited; we also visited with
them at their home. My aunt dates an African American man who stays close by us and he is
very welcomed and enjoyed by my family.
Although I don’t perceive myself as being a racist person against any group of people,
I do have a few different perceptions of other populations. I think all races of different groups
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at some point have different views of other groups. I feel every group has things within their
own culture that is only acceptable when coming from someone of the same ethnic group.
For example, African Americans often refer to each other as “Nigger” and it is accepted
between this groups. If another group of people make this affiliation toward this group of
people it would be totally unacceptable. Indians for instance, refer to other Indian people as
“wetbacks”. Among the Native American population, who are also often called prospectors;
meaning slow talking English using random words used such as “ma” “pa” or “over yonder”
is acceptable. For the Caucasian race, it may be “redneck,” you may often here in country
music. Caucasian’s may refer to themselves as rednecks, but if another group uses this term in
reference to this group of people it would most definitely be unacceptable.
As I was growing up I often heard comments about all black’s like eating chicken and
watermelon, while white people were often unclean for having cat’s live indoors and walk
among tables and chairs, along with them not having rhythm when it came to dancing or
ceremony’s. Chinese people in our area always owned wig shops and have a good concise
way of speaking English, but often portray knowing nothing when approached by the
American people.
There is not any group or organization I am a part of. I do attend Church with people
of other ethnic groups such as Caucasians, African Americans, and Koreans. I also attend a
school where diversity is prevalent, and is rapidly growing having many different ethnic
groups. At the University of North Carolina at Pembroke I interact with other students whom
are racially and culturally different than me, and I always respect others whom are culturally
different. Although I may not completely understand those that are culturally different than I
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am and they may not understand mine, but in a sense “we are all so different, but all so much
the same.”
Most of my friends are of the same race as I am. Often we tend to develop
relationships with people and things we are familiar with, therefore could be the reason why
we as humans find it hard to adapt to change. We are so familiar with people and things that
make us comfortable, so we often stick with it. I have associates, co-workers, and affiliations
with many different people, but my friends consist of having the same culture beliefs as I do
and usually are from the Lumbee descent. If we as Americans take time to educate ourselves
of what a culture may hold and value; we too can learn to appreciate others who we “feel” are
so different.