Elizabeth Marte Reyes, Hempstead, NY I’m tired of being looked down just because of the color of my skin and accent! Minorities in the USA are often discriminated against in every setting for no good reason other than the color of their skin or the language that they speak.
Deidre Hill Butler, Schenectady, NY Thank you!
Katherine Cassel, Mishawaka, IN
Mark Albin, South Bend, IN I love the person I am, but I also sometimes fear that other people, that strangers, will hurt me. My sexual orientation has nothing to do with anyone else, but I know there are people in the world who make my identity their mission to resolve. People enjoy being oppressive […]
Armando Diaz, Plymouth, IN
Maria Mares, Goshen, IN I was 16. I was in a McDonald’s. I saw a Hispanic family in line. Their youngest was maybe 6 years old. It was their turn to order. The 6-year-old boy was not paying attention. His father yanked him by his arm and said “ordena” (order in Spanish.) The boy was […]
Xenia Hamlin, Virginia Beach, VA
Ramanpreet Singh, San Jose, CA I am Ramanpreet Singh was living in Punjab, India. From 1947 partition we Sikhs sacrifice for the country to save its pride and nation. More than 75% of sikhs serving in military. We Sikhs are Brave Soldiers and in our religion by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, He Made Khalsa Panth […]
Erika lama, Mountain View, CA I think we should know that we all breath the same air and we are all human beings, hence “Race” should not come between us.
Trude Diamond, Lutz, FL UU congregation’s “Pledge to End Racism” workshop.
Taylor Browning, Lehigh Acres, Fl Justice and Journalism class I grew up in a conservative “redneck” town and many people assume because I am white and from that town that I am racist. And it’s the complete opposite.
Chloe Troutman, Northumberland, PA
Kestans, NJ Post-racial America is a theoretical environment where our nation is void of racial preference, discrimination, and prejudice. Are we there? Why?
Speaks Beliefs, USA
Noah Myers, Greensburg, PA
Justin Flagel, Niles, MI Yes, I’ve faced plenty of challenges throughout my life. Yes, I’ve worked hard to earn things I’ve gained in life. Yes, my life hasn’t always been easy. Acknowledging my white privilege does not mean those things are untrue or that I’ve never had problems. It just means that whatever my challenges […]
Casandra Mosley, Mishawaka, IN
Dustin Marek, San Jose, CA. I was always afraid of never being accepted, since most of my very Caucasian family is scattered throughout the U.S. and when I met them for the first time they accepted me with open arms.
Christian J. Collier, Chattanooga, TN.
Michael Kelley Los Angeles, CA I am a White man and when I am out running errands, some Black or Hispanic person will invariably ask if I am the Police. It’s funny that they still think it even though I grew my hair out because I got tired of being asked this question.
Anita Gardner Farrell Huntington, WV
Nicole, Lansing, MI.
John Everett, Miami, FL. same difference~ it should be more about who i am than what i am, agree? see, i could survive being you but could you exist being me? i’m hated and shunned just for my skins’ hue no matter what i say it doesn’t matter what i do but you lie in […]
Paul Becstead, Salt Lake City, UT.
Antoinette G Murray, Norfolk, VA.
Richard Young, Dallas, TX.
Nicole, New Orleans, LA. Black women are so obsessed with their hair that it can totally consume their life… “I can’t get in the pool ‘cuz I can’t get my hair wet”. “Girl, I can’t work out and sweat and mess up my hair”. “I can’t buy that. I gotta pay to get my hair […]
Tony Harris, San Diego, CA.
Andrew McReynolds, Mountain View, CA How did we learn to not touch a hot stove? We experienced the pain. How did we learn to not be manipulated in a relationship? We experienced heartache. We are beings that are only created from experiences, be them good or bad. I may be a mid-twenties male, but I […]
Ali Uluyol, Fridley, MN.
Bankole, West Chester, PA. Why? Why do you hate me? Why is my existence considered a pestilence in your eyes? Why do you kill me? Why do you murder my sons and tarnish my reputation? Why do you rape my wives and daughters? Why do you take from me and call it emancipation? “You hate […]
Jayden Berrios, Boston, MA.
Chris E, Decorah, IA.
Roger Tuomisto, Minneapolis, MN. Time line – 1969. Location – Natchez Ms. Purpose – aid in educating Black Americans of their voting rights and shuttling them to the city/county voting registrars. I was part of a mixed group of white/black U of M students, whose purpose was to educate students on campus about their voting […]
Lisa Hill, Perth, Western Australia …poison and waiting for the other person to die Name me a person who doesn’t fit into some discriminated against group – I for one am white female and middle-class – very privileged you might think. Scratch beneath the surface and you find that my father beat up my mother, […]
Phoebe Varney, Albion, MI Based on the way things are now, everyone assumes that I grew up in a perfect life full of white privilege and smooth sailing. I go to a private college, I am a cheerleader who is in a sorority who enjoys name brand clothes and has an expensive taste. I am […]
Diane Suzuki, Chico, CA My family moved from family and diversity of E. L.A to the suburbs and I became the first Japanese-American student at my elementary school post World War II. I cried for years but assimilated and became resilient.
Joalfr Bjorn Estes, Olympia, WA White pride is not inherently racist. There are many people who profess pride for being white who do not believe they are a superior race. If danes or poles express Danish or Polish pride are they racist because their populations are majority white? Most would say no because Danes would […]
Dominic Hafis Cox, Dania, FL My thoughts on racial prejudice are that this state of mind present in humans must change someday, as all things do inevitably and human consciousness will evolve or else we will destroy ourselves. Common interests ultimately form bonds between people, not race. That is what I’ve learned through the years […]
Anonymous, Madison, WI. To Fred down the street I’m half-Asian; to Nick the bus driver I’m from southern France; Veronica thinks I’m obviously Native; McKayla says I’m White; to Esme I look like one of those pochos who thinks he’s too good to be associated with “them.” Sometimes it’s okay for me to talk about […]
Brianna Nikole Palenzuela, Sebring, FL Race is a social construct created by society. Genetically there is only one human race. But you know what is real? That wasn’t just created to point out differences? Culture – The traditions and values that you grew up with and that grows with you as you age and have […]
Anahi Miranda, escondido, california, . This is my exact face when people tell me this. Every where I go there’s always one person who asks ” If you’re Mexican then why are you white?” Especially at my job many hispanic workers won’t approach me because they think I don’t speak Spanish, and once they hear […]
Erika Grisselle Morales Montalvo, Newark, NJ I was born in Puerto Rico. I grew up learning that a Puerto Rican is blend of three: white European (Spaniard), Native American (Taino) and African (Black slaves). We don’t to measure ourselves through color but the heritage and knowledge acquired from these three great races. In Puerto Rico […]
Chelsea, Burlington, NC I am constantly referred to as white, and I do not speak Spanish. I am mostly Puerto Rican and Italian and have the least amount caucasian in me in comparison to my other heritages.
Emily Quinones, Brighton, MA I am, a long with my sisters, are the first of our family to not live on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. As a result of this, my mother and father white washed us so that we would fit into a world where Puerto Ricans were a minority. They would […]
Moon, Houston, TX That’s what I want to tell Donald Trump and any other racist that has a problem with Mexicans. My maternal family has been in Texas since before it was a part of America. My paternal side came from Spain and Central America since before it was America. So, technically this isn’t YOUR […]
Cesar Bazo, Auburn, AL. I know deep inside myself that I belong to a minority group here in the United States. I am a Peruvian living in Alabama. However, the fact that I belong to a minority group does not make me feel inferior or less likely to succeed. On the contrary, I believe this […]
Felix Zuniga, San Bernardino, CA During a recent work meeting, the boss asks what could we do do to contribute to “Hispanic Heritage Month” I was excited, but intentionally stayed quiet to see what my colleagues came up with. The first out of one managers mouth was, “We can do tacos, I LOVE tacos”. I […]
Alyssa Velasco, Pomona, CA My Spanish isn’t as fluent compared to the rest of my predominantly latino community. It’s always made me feel below or less than them, and even ashamed to call myself a Chicana because I feel that I have not earned that title.
Alison, somewhere in Ohio, OH My best friend (I’m not saying names for privacy reasons) Is in a house where her primary language is Spanish. But she’s Columbian, and not even that because her roots are from England! Her mom is American, and if people know she speaks Spanish, they assume she’s Mexican, or Latino. […]
Anne, New York, NY. Minorities in America are often discriminated against for no good reason other than the color of their skin or the language that they speak. Asians, African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Mexicans are never given a fair chance. All of these people are just as equal and should be able to […]
Cammi C., CO Don’t teach kids labels too early. The time will come because they will inevitably hear labels at school, but while they are under four, don’t do it unless they bring it up. Only give brief explanations. Kids do not categorize based on race unless we teach them to. I almost started teaching […]
Christian Diego Cintron, El Paso, TX. Culture and race should be celebrated. Growing up in a border town taught me people are different and we should all be understanding. I am Hispanic and I love my culture and the way it blends with all the other cultures.
Luis Toro, Denver, CO. They try to tell us Hispanics are either white or black but my family’s ancestry is definitely Native American, we even know what tribes.
Payton Galaviz, Mesa, AZ I grew up around my great-grandma who is Mexican and participated in quite a few of those cultural customs. I made tamales at Christmas, I was always listening to her speaking Spanish, trying to learn, and many other things. As I grew up I got involved in quite a few more, […]
Amanda Bajema, Riverside, CA. When my great grandparents immigrated to America from the Netherlands after World War II they put in their best effort to become a part of American culture, which in turn meant loosing their own. Growing up my mother and her siblings were growing up they were not to learn Dutch, to […]
Jackie Spencer, New York, NY. The generalization we attach to people based on race is appalling. As an example when you speak of “immigrants” you do not think of this white blond person! I hope that raising this point makes people think before they generalize. We are all individuals with different beliefs and personalities and […]
Taylor Smith, Grand Rapids, MI.
Mohammad Salem Shirzad, Sacramento, CA. As an afghan immigrant, I have witnessed the roots of race in different geographical and social contexts, from Afghanistan to the United States. It is sad to say that race do matter in today’s societies all over the world. But this is the truth in today’s world. Cosumnes River College
Xuebin Gu, China NPR’s Gene Demby report is telling of what racism has become to Millenials and now Generation Z (born the mid 90s to early 2000s) Pop culture, influences, social media, etc. are all major factors of the influences of the youth of the 21st century, and there has never been more of a […]
Samantha Salas, Mission, TX.
Jim Schultheiss, St. Johns, MI. I have always felt that I needed to be very careful and thoughtful on issues related to prejudice. Growing up in as a white, heterosexual male in a community largely lacking diversity, I learned I needed to listen very carefully to the thoughts and experiences of others and not impose […]
Annie Rosen Portland, OR Manager for Women’s Winter Shelter (Transition Project)
Ricardo Chavira, San Antonio, TX. Actor who splits time between SA and LA. Alumnus of TV series Desperate Housewives. Id say I was shocked that industry can’t tap into Latino market, but I’m not. I also realize that we as Latinos have a tendency to get in our own way.
Brian Roberts, Gaithersburg, MD. I am a middle-aged American black man. I thought that if I lived my life as a solid citizen, went to the right schools, secured a good career, raised a family, I would not only provide for my family, I would set an example that would make white people less frightened […]
Claire Wallick Moy, Maplewood, NJ. This is what I was asked in 1998 when I moved to NJ. Our 3 children look much more like their father than me. so many girls have been adopted from China in this generation, but not boys. A white Jewish woman with an Asian looking boy is outside of […]
Don Cheadle, Submitted via Twitter: @IamDonCheadle.
Paul Rojas, Tulsa, OK. I’m going to come out and say it…the same thing thousands, probably millions of people in this country are feeling, at this point. I don’t care about black people’s problems anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I care very much for the black people I known personally. I care about them as […]
Natalia de Cuba Romero. Massapequa Park, NY. IN my heart and in my head I have always thought of myself as Puerto Rican, Born in Queens, NY to a Puerto Rican mom and a dad from Aruba and a bilingual home, lived in Puerto Rico for a number of years…but I’ve always looked like a […]
Shelley Ferrand, USA. After the initial shock of their coming out, I realized that THEY are the long search for fruits of my 1960’s labor and radicalism. So, when I see the economic travesties in our community, after I pledged on campus 40 years ago to give it my all to help end my people’s […]
Darrick Gilmore, Washington, DC.
Michael Bolton , Scottsdale, AZ. Understanding Race Project- University of Michigan Dad Caucasian. lived life in black neighborhood mostly. studied black history–college+leisure. love black culture esp music, classic jazz. slave narratives. am black myself but cannot pass as such. other dad, my partner, black, died. am now single dad, not planned. bringing up son in […]
Carrie Hunsinger, Wilmington, DE. I am a 1/2 first generation American. My Mother is American (Detroit) and my father is Dutch (Holland). He’s been here almost 60 years and he still speaks with a heavy Dutch accent and therefore I speak English with a bit of a Dutch accent. When 9/11 happened I was in […]
Nayeli G. Velez Los Angeles, CA I didn’t understand how to take this comment growing up. Now, I cringe when people say it. I see now it’s a comment on my race and culture. A racist comment disguised as a complement.
Lisa Gardner, Portland, OR.
Daniel Robbins, Seattle, WA. No matter how liberal and progressive I might claim to be, no matter how many workshops I’ve been to or essays I’ve read about privilege, I still hear my inner voice express pleasant surprise when I see a minority doing well at something. Whether I see a minority excelling in business, […]
Leah Lee (now Leah Durst-Lee), Chicago, IL. Keeping cultural heritage is very important to me, so when I married my husband, Sihyun Lee, I wanted our kids to have a Korean surname. Our first year and a half of marriage, I took my husband’s name and became ‘Leah Lee.’ It was awful! Almost everyone I […]
Lawrence Dortch, Vienna, VA. I’m tired of smiling all the time to alleviate other people’s fears of me. I am not a monster and I shouldn’t have to dress a certain way or smile when I don’t feel like it to make white people feel comfortable.
Guy Godefroy , Seattle, WA. Submitted via Twitter: @mrfatlace Additional information for the 6-WORD ESSAY: http://southseattle.komonews.com/ news/arts-culture/ 445093-census-bureau-98118-most-diverse-zip-code-us
Elizabeth Clair Winslow, Denver, CO. No one from my immediate family showed up when George and I were married. But when Olivia was born, all that changed. George was from Jamaica… a brown man. I was from Maryland; Mom said black Irish. Olivia teaches us about Intersectionality and Bias, twenty years later.
Shantelle Willock, Miami, FL
Victoria, Fort Myers, FL I’m half Cuban and half hillbilly American. I think the six words I chose to encapsulate my cultural identity well.
Daniel Earl, Australia. Raised in a diverse suburb and school, as a kid I was just another “Aussie” with no real racial consciousnesses. Sure, my father’s family were free settlers who arrived from Northern Ireland in the mid-1800s and my mother was born in England, but in my mind, I was just another Aussie, no […]
Jared Taylor, , , .
Yulian Chulovskiy, Tucson, AZ Many people cannot see past the stereotypes of many Slavic cultures. They believe only that if a Ukrainian or other Slavic person is drunk they are comfortable and happy only while intoxicated. This is not the case with most of society in Eastern Europe. Yes there are people who are alcoholics […]
Reina Kelley, Tucson, AZ, .
Ryu Funakoshiya, Tucson, Arizona, . Hi! I’m Ryu Funakoshiya. My favorite subjects are math and science. My friends always ask for help and think that I am a calculator to them. However, everyone is different in their level of intelligence, especially Asians
Michael Lemoine, Scottsdale, AZ
Z Carrillo, Tucson, AZ, .
MICHAEL CHIBUNDU NDULUE, Tuscon, Arizona, . That’s literally all it is though
Nancy Deschu, Anchorage, AK. My Dutch ancestors arrived in New Amsterdam in 1624. Now, four hundred years later, I live in Alaska but my roots in New Jersey are strong and deep. While traveling in Sulawesi, Indonesia 15 years ago, locals would ask me, “Blanda?”, or what I learned was a slang term for “Dutch”. […]
Karalyne Thomas, Honolulu, Hawaii, .
Sandra Alexander, Glen Ellyn, IL, . The curriculum covered in many schools across the US is ‘white-washed’ and not only were there things I was never taught, but some things I were taught were one-sided and/or wholly inaccurate. It is only through intentional exploration of issues of race as an adult that I have come […]
Submitted via Twitter: @dampajoo. #TheRaceCardProject You are offering your children up for sacrifice on the diversity altar. Whites must protect their children from black.
Kit Tennis, Boulder, Colorado, .
Haylee Bryan, San Francisco, CA. I’m Irish and Puerto Rican. I have dirty blond hair and blue eyes; however, the texture of my hair doesn’t “fit the rest of my features.” Naturally my hair is coily and “nappy”. When I wear it natural people refer to me as black and my Puerto Rican side comes […]
Angelyce Serrano, Coram, NY. My whole life people has seen me as “that black girl”. That is not the case. I am Puerto Rican, Black-American, Taino, and Spaniard. Yet, for whatever reason my whole cultural background is ignored and I am just labeled as black. Going to Catholic School from 4years old to 18years old […]
Kwende Idrissa Madu, Russellville, AL, . Will never forgive or forget!
Avanti Iyer, Chevy Chase, MD. I’m tired of not been seen as having the same rights as white people (especially after 9/11). I had to pay hundreds of dollars in fees and take a test to become a citizen of the US. I am curious how many native-born white people have the equivalent civics, history […]
Jennie Clement Riverview, FL Thank you for doing this project. I noticed how my university applications changed in the wake of 9/11; how there was all of a sudden a magical radio button for being Arab. I had previously been invisible; moderately enjoying white privilege until 9/11. I was no longer “white”; which was a […]
