Although Tannen states that "[men] had the option of not being marked," he overlooks the fact that other factors such as race, speech, and manner where someone carries themselves can influence how they are marked by their peers (88). For example, in Junot Diaz's "How to Date a Brunette Girl," his character is immediately marked by his girlfriend when she says, "I like Spanish boys" (103). Even if he is not Spanish, he will always be marked this way when he is among racially diverse groups. This can apply to any race and there is no way anyone would choose not to send that message. Another area where people can be marked is speech. When a person is from a particular region of the United States, they will have a noticeable accent that connects to stereotypes of that region.