--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic…" description: "\"Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking, you know, I come to New York and I can be anything. People generally think I'm half of whatever they are.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png" --- # Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking, you know, I… ![“Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking, you know, I come to New York and I can be anything. People generally think I'm half of whatever they are.” quote by Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png) > “Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking, you know, I come to New York and I can be anything. People generally think I'm half of whatever they are.” [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambiguous ethnicity allows fluid identity in New York, leading others to project their own identities onto you. **In simple terms:** People project their own identities onto those with ambiguous backgrounds. Key Takeaway Embrace fluid identity, resist imposed labels. Themes identity culture perception Mood thoughtful curious Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - social interactions - travel - workplace dynamics - media representation Key Concepts sociology self‑concept diversity Questions to Reflect On - How does fluid identity affect your sense of self? - When have you resisted others' projections? A Different Perspective Assuming identity can erase personal agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [In the middle of the night, when you're ambiguously ethnic, like me, when you're brown, beige, mauve, siena, one of those lighter browns in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-the-middle-of-the-night-when-you-re-ambiguously-ethnic-like-me/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I'm still ambiguously ethnic. I could be Persian - I could be anything. But I'm Italian and Jewish, so I'm a citizen of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-baldoni/i-m-still-ambiguously-ethnic-i-could-be-persian-i-could-be-anything/) [Justin Baldoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-baldoni/) > [“I am really not tired, which I almost wonder at; for we must have walked at least a mile in this wood. Do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-am-really-not-tired-which-i-almost-wonder-at-for-we-must-have/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [I wonder if you think of me half as much as I think about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamuna-yg/i-wonder-if-you-think-of-me-half-as-much-as-i-think-about-you/) Jamuna Yg > [“You can spend a lot of time trying to figure out how men think, and you'll always be wrong. That's because they're so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gatlin/you-can-spend-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-figure-out-how-men-think-and/) Kim Gatlin > [I think for my part one half of the nation is mad - and the other not very sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-smollett/i-think-for-my-part-one-half-of-the-nation-is-mad-and-the-other-not/) [Tobias Smollett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-smollett/) > [I wonder if you think of me half as much as I think of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-wonder-if-you-think-of-me-half-as-much-as-i-think-of-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Think of it, half the race is over, and I still stand here at the starting line—me, the first one out of his swaddling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/think-of-it-half-the-race-is-over-and-i-still-stand-here-at-the/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [If people take an interest in you and they think there's half a chance, they might hang on. It's dreadful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/if-people-take-an-interest-in-you-and-they-think-there-s-half-a/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [If you think you can, then you’re half way there. If you say, ‘I can’t,’ then you’re defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbi-fields/if-you-think-you-can-then-you-re-half-way-there-if-you-say-i-can-t/) [Debbi Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbi-fields/) > [“I'll be back at sea by then," Bradshaw put in, "so I'll comfort myself with the knowledge that you'll name the infant after me."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-enoch/i-ll-be-back-at-sea-by-then-bradshaw-put-in-so-i-ll-comfort-myself/) [Suzanne Enoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-enoch/) > [If I studied all my life, I couldn't think up half the number of funny things passed in one session of congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/if-i-studied-all-my-life-i-couldn-t-think-up-half-the-number-of-funny/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [To this day it is all but impossible for me to actually stop and think of my parents as white and black or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/to-this-day-it-is-all-but-impossible-for-me-to-actually-stop-and/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... Take the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-half-of-america-votes-badly-because-they-are-stupid-or/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If I think of something, half-way into it, I can throw it in there and it won't be so far down the line that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/if-i-think-of-something-half-way-into-it-i-can-throw-it-in-there-and/) T.I ## More by Sherman Alexie > [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/since-jesus-was-human-then-he-most-assuredly-farted-and-burped-and-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“A century ago she might have been beautiful, her face reflected in the river instead of a mirror. But all the years have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-century-ago-she-might-have-been-beautiful-her-face-reflected-in-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“In all those stories, I could fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-all-those-stories-i-could-fly/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-whole-lot-of-class-literature-at-all-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [She wanted to be buried in a coffin filled with used paperbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/she-wanted-to-be-buried-in-a-coffin-filled-with-used-paperbacks/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Is there really a difference between that killing and this killing? Does God approve of some killing and not other killing? If I kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/is-there-really-a-difference-between-that-killing-and-this-killing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Son, things have never been like how you think they used to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/son-things-have-never-been-like-how-you-think-they-used-to-be/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Or maybe I could have anesthetized myself with homework and extra credit and binge-reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/or-maybe-i-could-have-anesthetized-myself-with-homework-and-extra/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Dear wife, I'm sorry that I am mysteriously incapable of folding clean laundry, but I iron, oh, I iron. Sweetheart, I'll make your white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/dear-wife-i-m-sorry-that-i-am-mysteriously-incapable-of-folding-clean/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Gordy,” I said. “I need to talk to you." "I don't have time," he said. "Mr. Orcutt and I have to debug some PCs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/gordy-i-said-i-need-to-talk-to-you-i-don-t-have-time-he-said-mr/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“The United States wants all of us to forget the crimes it committed against the indigenous. The United States wants us to forget. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-united-states-wants-all-of-us-to-forget-the-crimes-it-committed/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I think that white women are more apt to read laterally. So I think there's some strong identification for women, and their political and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-that-white-women-are-more-apt-to-read-laterally-so-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) [Explore all 546 Sherman Alexie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## More Ethnic quotes > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [“David had said something about her 'distinctive features'. Was he going to make her look ethnic? Jade worried. She was trying so hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/david-had-said-something-about-her-distinctive-features-was-he-going/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [Every ethnic group thinks they are the chosen ones. …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/every-ethnic-group-thinks-they-are-the-chosen-ones/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. We can now have action movies with two stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-think-we-have-to-get-beyond-the-idea-that-we-have-to-categorize/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Human Rights Watch wants Rwandans to be able to speak freely about their ethnic hatreds, and to allow political parties connected with the defeated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/human-rights-watch-wants-rwandans-to-be-able-to-speak-freely-about/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Living in Constanta under communism, we did not have the ethnic diversity that I then encountered in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anastasia-soare/living-in-constanta-under-communism-we-did-not-have-the-ethnic/) [Anastasia Soare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anastasia-soare/) > [Parochial schools in the United States are also responsible for educating students from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, including many who are non-Catholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foley/parochial-schools-in-the-united-states-are-also-responsible-for/) [Mark Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foley/) > [I usually go for the ethnic ladies. That's kinda my preference, but I don't discriminate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-salling/i-usually-go-for-the-ethnic-ladies-that-s-kinda-my-preference-but-i/) [Mark Salling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-salling/) > [Every ethnic group has this where people within it will try and tell each other how they should be. So what I would say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha-tyler/every-ethnic-group-has-this-where-people-within-it-will-try-and-tell/) [Aisha Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha-tyler/) > [Our leaders increasingly see fit to lecture the ethnic minorities on the need to integrate, including of course the need to speak English. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/our-leaders-increasingly-see-fit-to-lecture-the-ethnic-minorities-on/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Even as a kid, I ventured out to ethnic restaurants all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/even-as-a-kid-i-ventured-out-to-ethnic-restaurants-all-the-time/) [Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/) > [I like shopping for ethnic wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himani-shivpuri/i-like-shopping-for-ethnic-wear/) [Himani Shivpuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himani-shivpuri/) > [I mean, ethnic is a meaningless term because everybody thinks it means brown or something, but actually, we're all ethnic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-mean-ethnic-is-a-meaningless-term-because-everybody-thinks-it-means/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [“By attempting to surgically erase or "correct" visual traits that connect women of colour to their ancestry, these shows perpetrate a symbolic form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-pozner/by-attempting-to-surgically-erase-or-correct-visual-traits-that/) [Jennifer L. Pozner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-pozner/) > [It's no stretch to picture me standing next to Al Pacino or Robert De Niro. Those are ethnic New York men. I'm an ethnic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/it-s-no-stretch-to-picture-me-standing-next-to-al-pacino-or-robert-de/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) Browse all 207 Ethnic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking, you know, I come to New York and I can be anything. People generally think I'm half of whatever they are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sherman Alexie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-looking-you-know-i-come-to-new/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ethnic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-looking-you-know-i-come-to-new/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/sherman-alexie-444_ethnic_also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-look_1094396.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking, you know, I come to New York and I can be anything. People…” — Sherman Alexie", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sherman Alexie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Also because I'm ambiguously ethnic looking,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-looking-you-know-i-come-to-new/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/also-because-i-m-ambiguously-ethnic-looking-you-know-i-come-to-new/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```