What's in a name? What's in a face?

Cotta is my maiden name and it is of Arab origin, my extended family is from Iraq. Wong is my husband's last name as he is of Jamaican-Chinese descent. I cannot count how many times he has been mistaken as Arab when we visit international markets and some of my favorite restaurants, probably due to his dark skin and black hair that favors his West Indian genetic traits. For the longest time I couldn't pinpoint how that made me feel. Am I accepted as an Arab in the place I live? Is it such a small part of me, only half of my genetic makeup, that I should just ignore it? In comparison to my sister, I don't look very Arab unless I accentuate some of my "darker" or "foreign" looking features. For example her when I wear darker eyeliner or wear my hair curly, I've been approached with questioning like "where are you from?" or "you're not just white...?" In my younger years, this was flattering because I have always been proud of my heritage, but as I've gotten older I've seen that that question bothers a lot of people who just want to be accepted in their American communities. My experienced has made me recognize that there is such a thing as white privilege and how the subject of race is not just a battle between two skin tones, but all ethnicites are involved. Perhaps the most prominent lesson I've learned from contemplating these inequalities and stereotypes is that outward appearance certainly matters in America.