a conversation with a 6 year old while making art

I held art activities at the AIC for spring break, but I was also observing how the activities worked, the way the children engaged with them, if they were understandable and clear in their directions as this was all part of a project of activity sheets that will be sent to the new children's hospital upon completetion for the kids to use during their hospital visits and time waiting to see the doctor.
I wasn't preparing to document this observation here, but a conversation with a 6 year old became my catalyst to documenting this observation and conversation.
In our doing democracy class we discussed race one week, and discussed the issue within small groups. One of the readings discussed how minority groups identify as their racial background such as Hi I'm ________ and I'm Chinese American. This is something that we discussed in our group as most of us were white, and agreed that white individuals don't introduce themselves with race. our group discussed reasons why white bodied individuals don't think of race as an identifying trait and perhaps it is the "shame" that comes with our history, or that we are constantly reminded of our whiteness in society and the history that comes with that. We also discussed how for a "minority group' or nonwhite body race becomes a reason to be proud of your accomplishments and to introduce that. one group member remarked I'm mexican and look where I am now at this school, I am proud, but I don't know why I introduce myself as Mexican and not just as American as a white body may introduce themselves.
I was reminded of this discussion when i conversed with a 6 year old girl while making art. I engage with the children by making art side by side with them and discussing the art and their world with them to make them comfortable to discuss and share with me. I asked the girl if she was from chicago or if she was on vacation here and she replied I'm from chicago, but I'm half mexican and half american, my parents are from mexico and don't speak english. I found this so fascinating as even at 6 race is being identified as part of identity. She thought of herself as only half american even though she was just as "american" as the girl sitting next to her who was white. I was left with all sorts of questions about race and identity, at what age do children start to "see" race as their identity? Was it a sense of pride in her background and parents birth countries or did she see herself as "outside" of the "community" and as only half the american as the other kids who were white because of her "differences". Is this pride or problematic and feeling like an outsider?