--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was just thinking about how my…" description: "\"I was just thinking about how my grandparents, who raised me, would be considered \"white trash,\" whatever that means - mostly for being racists, I'd sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/shane-mccrae-22873_children_i-was-just-thinking-about-how-my-grandpa_1616927.jpg" --- # I was just thinking about how my grandparents, who raised… ![“I was just thinking about how my grandparents, who raised me, would be considered "white trash," whatever that means - mostly for being racists, I'd say. And how, as a child, I wanted to be like them, and identified with them culturally.” quote by Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/shane-mccrae-22873_children_i-was-just-thinking-about-how-my-grandpa_1616927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/shane-mccrae-22873_children_i-was-just-thinking-about-how-my-grandpa_1616927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/shane-mccrae-22873_children_i-was-just-thinking-about-how-my-grandpa_1616927.jpg) > “I was just thinking about how my grandparents, who raised me, would be considered "white trash," whatever that means - mostly for being racists, I'd say. And how, as a child, I wanted to be like them, and identified with them culturally.” [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on complex identity, acknowledging family’s racist background while feeling cultural affinity and admiration for grandparents despite societal stigma. **In simple terms:** Family identity can be conflicted when loved ones hold harmful beliefs. Key Takeaway Recognize and critically assess inherited values. Themes identity family racism culture inheritance Mood conflicted reflective Type personal social commentary When to use this quote - personal reflection - family gatherings - community discussions Key Concepts intergenerational trauma cognitive dissonance social stigma Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile love for family with their harmful actions? - What steps can you take to break cycles of prejudice? A Different Perspective Balancing love for family with moral condemnation is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Grandparent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandparent/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [White trash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-trash/) ## Related quotes > [When you hear about people in the '50s getting married at 20, you're like, What were they thinking? My grandparents were together for over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-theroux/when-you-hear-about-people-in-the-50s-getting-married-at-20-you-re/) [Justin Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-theroux/) > [My childhood was limited to mostly gospel music. We didn't have, like, a lot of records in our house, you know. It was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/my-childhood-was-limited-to-mostly-gospel-music-we-didn-t-have-like-a/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [It was about the preciousness of that, and how they viewed those birds as art, as something valuable. I didn't care one way or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/it-was-about-the-preciousness-of-that-and-how-they-viewed-those-birds/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [It's impossible for me to hear the words quadruple murder suicide without thinking of my grandparents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/it-s-impossible-for-me-to-hear-the-words-quadruple-murder-suicide/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [ \[My grandparents\] were from Texas. El Paso. White trash. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/my-grandparents-were-from-texas-el-paso-white-trash/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [“Thanks to a three-million-dollar inheritance from the grandparents who raised him, he was financially set for life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-heldt/thanks-to-a-three-million-dollar-inheritance-from-the-grandparents/) John A. Heldt > [In places like Germany or France the idea of black-white is not so much black-white but "our people and them," and "them" can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-irvin-painter/in-places-like-germany-or-france-the-idea-of-black-white-is-not-so/) [Nell Irvin Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-irvin-painter/) > [The privileged position of whiteness doesn't allow for someone with one drop of Negro blood to be considered white, which allows whiteness to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/the-privileged-position-of-whiteness-doesn-t-allow-for-someone-with/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [I grew up with very strong family support. My grandparents raised me, and my uncle sort of played that father-figure role in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-yedlin/i-grew-up-with-very-strong-family-support-my-grandparents-raised-me/) [DeAndre Yedlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-yedlin/) > [I was born in Abbott, Texas, a little small town in central Texas, and I was raised by my grandparents. And my parents divorced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-was-born-in-abbott-texas-a-little-small-town-in-central-texas-and-i/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [A lot of people of color in the music industry are still more interested in embracing things that are considered white canon, and looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelela/a-lot-of-people-of-color-in-the-music-industry-are-still-more/) [Kelela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelela/) > [The idea of 'talking white,' a lot of people grew up around that, just the idea that if you speak with proper diction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-the-rapper/the-idea-of-talking-white-a-lot-of-people-grew-up-around-that-just/) [Chance the Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-the-rapper/) > [“This was especially true of the Irish in Ireland in relation to the British, who for centuries treated them as an inferior race. Note,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/this-was-especially-true-of-the-irish-in-ireland-in-relation-to-the/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) > [People my age, we would hear from our parents and grandparents who were raised in Detroit about how great this city was from 1900…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gilbert/people-my-age-we-would-hear-from-our-parents-and-grandparents-who/) [Dan Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gilbert/) > [I'll tell you that the dog whistle politics is badly missing the mark. Because, you know, as I've been speaking about it, sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naheed-nenshi/i-ll-tell-you-that-the-dog-whistle-politics-is-badly-missing-the-mark/) [Naheed Nenshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naheed-nenshi/) ## More by Shane McCrae > [I like having a phrase lying around to get poems started. It's like having a key.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-like-having-a-phrase-lying-around-to-get-poems-started-it-s-like/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I think that the moment we're living in offers the best opportunity we've had in a long time in that a lot of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-think-that-the-moment-we-re-living-in-offers-the-best-opportunity/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I believe rhythmic sensibility is always a product and extension of language, defined broadly, among other things. But it is an immediate product and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-believe-rhythmic-sensibility-is-always-a-product-and-extension-of/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I love to read long books. I enjoy experiencing that extension. But it's not something I feel comfortable with and not something I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-love-to-read-long-books-i-enjoy-experiencing-that-extension-but-it/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I actually can't listen to music and write poetry at the same time, but I do kind of think about the music I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-actually-can-t-listen-to-music-and-write-poetry-at-the-same-time/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [There's no such thing as an animal too big too kill, AND we're cornered by such animals every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/there-s-no-such-thing-as-an-animal-too-big-too-kill-and-we-re/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I don't know that I find either aspect of Jesus more interesting than the other, although maybe I think about the God one more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-don-t-know-that-i-find-either-aspect-of-jesus-more-interesting-than/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I definitely notice the absence of character in most poetry, which is not so say that I'm an innovator in that regard. Character-based poems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-definitely-notice-the-absence-of-character-in-most-poetry-which-is/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I think I cause a lot of headaches for editors - it's impossible to keep up with the ridiculous amount of changes I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-think-i-cause-a-lot-of-headaches-for-editors-it-s-impossible-to/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I just can't write and listen to music at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-just-can-t-write-and-listen-to-music-at-the-same-time/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I do believe in Jesus as wholly God and wholly human, and I believe the human part was human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-do-believe-in-jesus-as-wholly-god-and-wholly-human-and-i-believe/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I'm always glad that other people are way smarter about my poems than I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-m-always-glad-that-other-people-are-way-smarter-about-my-poems-than/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I think that the casual reader and the lyric and confession are trickily tied up together. 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