Diversity In College

 I have always identified as an American. That is all I have ever known. I coloring a map of the United States in Kindergarden and carefully labeling each state name and capitol in cursive.  I was so proud to know every state and capital and my parents kept it taped on the kitchen door for as long as I can remember. I can remember how I excited I was to learn the pledge of allegiance and how silly I felt when I learned I was supposed to be saying "states" and not "steaks". I always remember having fun in kindergarden through middle school and never once realizing that I was the "only one".   When I was in New Jersey, I was always the only person of color out of all my friends in school. In church I had friends that were black, white, and asian, but I truly grew up not noticing the different races of my friends. I know that the United States was a diverse country and that all sorts ethnicities came to the United States for better opportunities.  "The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources-- because it nourished by so many cultures and traditions and people." (Johnson 442)

   

It was not until I moved to Texas for High School that I realized that I had been so clueless. The first few weeks people were confused by the fact that I so called "dressed white". Their fascination with my Jersey accent soon turned to more confusion on why I "talked white". My dad was always very strict on grammar when I was growing up. He always said that the way I talk is how people will judge me. Slang was never allowed and I was praised for annunciating. I was shocked to see that white students did not hang out with black students or mexican students unless they "acted white". The term "acting white" is something that baffles me and has followed me to college.

  

   

When reading Miguel's story and how he did not feel he fit in, I could relate. He said that "Many Latinos on campus think that they are not Latino enough, so they take steps to enhance their Latinoness. Unfortunately, they often confuse ghetto authenticity" (448) Somehow society has convinced minorities that being educated is something for white people and in order to act more of your culture you must dumb down. This is not true in most cases but yet, I see it happing all the time. "...my parents have always said my sister and I we were Mexican. We refer to Caucasians as 'Americans'" (444) Growing up Miguel only saw caucasians to be American and unlike me, I always believed being American to be a blend of all races who were born here or lived here. 

People need to be educated before they get to college to realize that the reason why America is great is because it is so culturally diverse. People need to stop confusing a country with an ethnicity. The clip below from Mean Girls is a perfect example of how most American students relate a country with an ethnicity or race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8wrqe72YG4

 I find it very disturbing that society associates beauty still as fair skinned. My whole life I have been told I was beautiful and I had great skin. I could only assume they are referring to the tone of my skin, tan not dark. I was hurt to hear Norma tell her story and when she said, "My family believed in the notion of adalantar la raza (improving the race) simply by looking white.I was always referred to as la morenita (brown-skinned girl) or la prieta (the blackish one) in a family where most are light skinned." (452), I could not help but be upset. Not only did her family single her out by the way she looked but they are part of the reason why society is so messed up today. Because they singled her out and made her feel less then by the color of her skin, she grew up thinking that she would never be goof enough because she was not "light" enough. People will go through all sorts of painful and harmful measures to get the lighter look. The video below shows that people live lives bleaching their skins every day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMVgsHazQ4