Sam Coope, New Hyde Park, NY Growing up, I was always the tomboy type. I loved to play sports and be active. I am someone who loves to work out and go to the gym on a daily basis. I played on many different teams all throughout high school. Some of them were all women’s […]
Charken, Mimai, FL When I was younger, I had anger issues which one day burnt me out for a few years. It wasn’t until recently when I started being closer to those who made me happy that I realized that anger could take away the happiness and joy in your life.
Anonymous, Bethel, CT I’m Caucasian and raised as a Jew. She was Catholic and my daughter’s mother-in-law. I thought that was the only difference between us.
Parker Wood, Chicago, IL I grew up in the suburbs. Away from “hoods” and gang violence. I also did not grow up around my Black side of the family. My father married a white woman and her family is all I knew for a decade of my life. I was never out of touch with […]
A.R., FL
Jena Alagad, Long Beach, NY
Anonymous, Lubbock,TX Growing up with a full-blooded Hispanic heritage it was difficult to understand why people thought I wasn’t who I know I am.
Brendah Polanco, Philadelphia, PA
Raheem Cash, Alexandria, VA. As a kid I spent a lot of time being one of two or three black kids in honors classes. Spent a lot of time being only black kid that played tennis. Spent a lot of time not being considered “black enough”. Well I’m not a kid anymore and fortunately I […]
Macie Nicholson, Louisville, KY
Felipe F. Waco, TX People are racist without even knowing it. Most of the time it’s unintentional. The most common one I tend to see is when people don’t like to date outside of their race. Not that theirs anything wrong with that but when I ask the question, people usually say it’s because of […]
Anonymous, Dallas, TX
Erick, National City, CA
Katharine Corona, CA When I was young I grew up on a street with boys and ended up being a pretty big tomboy. I enjoyed sports, I was competitive and I liked playing with my friends. As I got older I began volunteering at the local hospital and became a fire explorer with my friends. […]
Ka’Lynn Nickerson, Lubbock, TX
Nelson Aponte, Bronx, NY. We can build skyscrapers, put a man on the moon, we consider ourselves so intelligent, but we can’t figure out how to get along. What a shame!
Massiel Ramos, Bronx, NY. Sometimes your race depends on the people and culture you associate yourself with. If that’s the case, I’ll never fit into one solid category.
Sarah Staples, Nashville, TN. I grew up in a predominantly white community in a city that was predominantly black and hispanic or latino. My best friends were always white, my parents made me study classical piano for 12 years, I played soccer, I read Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and I went to boarding school. No, […]
Luis Raul Montalvo Bronx, NY Il Let you Know!
Sherry Nassauer Merrimack, NH I remember the moment so clearly. I was excited to be outside to play with a “friend”. We were standing just outside the heavy glass and black metal door which was the entry to the apartment building where we both lived, and where I grew up, on a small, one block, […]
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo, Rockville, MD. A Cajun girl in her kilt, that’s me. My dad was born and raised in southeast Louisiana, as was I, but my mother was born to Scottish immigrants who came to the US for economic and religious freedom. Upon marrying my father, however, she abandoned her Scottish heritage and adopted […]
Anonymous, USA I grew up poor, not terribly poor – I was able to receive a number of things that many people much worse off than me would never be able to have. Based on where I lived, I was surrounded by many black families, I never had any reason to dislike black people. I […]
Alice Peach, Yuma, AZ I was working in a public library trying to help my last customer of the day. I’m whiter than mayonnaise because of my English and Slovak heritage (though my dad could look like any ethnicity he wanted). Did I mention that it was my birthday?! And my husband was out of […]
Liam Llerena, Los Angeles, CA Growing up, people used to ask me why my last name had two L’s. I myself never understood why nor did I like. I don’t know, I used to tell them. I was not proud of my heritage nor did I understand its rich history. After having traveled more, and […]
Katherine Hoyt, Chula Vista, CA In 1967, I, a tall woman of mainly German ancestry, married a shorter, darker Nicaraguan pediatrician. People who saw us together quickly recognized our children but when I brought the children to the States, people asked (or thought) that question.
Shanna Zak, Seattle, WA I know people are suffering and I just want to help without making the problem worse.
Emma Schechter, CA As a half asian, half white kid, I often felt like I didn’t really belong. I didn’t quite fit in with the white kids or the asian kids. However, as I have grown up, I have realized that my perspective can help me relate to many people.
Kinzie Gamaleldin, West Lafayette, IN Prejudice and Discrimination Course, Purdue University
Audrey Lee, Menlo Park, CA I’m fully Korean – both of my parents were born in South Korea to Korean parents. Yet I grew up in an English-speaking environment, and once I went to preschool, my mind switched from fluent Korean to English and American-accented Korean. I never returned to fluent Korean, and as I […]
Kristan Aiko, Aiea, HI.
Tiana Tran Kailua, HI I thought of this because even though I am Asian, it does not mean that I am going to be the best at everything. I am not a genius. Sometimes it’s hard to live up to this “bar” where you have to be perfect.
Abigail Jimenez, El Paso, TX
Marjan, Houston, TX I believe in interconnectedness of humanity, encouraging unity and compassion across racial divides. I study in LoneStar college-University Park.
Nicole, Frederick, MD
Gabriela Arce, El Paso, TX
Keila Ochoa, Houston, TX p>My name is Keila, and I am a 1st generation Mexican American. Growing up, I typically spoke Spanish fluently, but I spoke more English because of school. I was always embarrassed when surrounded by other Hispanic kids who spoke better Spanish because my Spanish was not as good. So people always […]
Jewels Solis, Magnolia, TX I am a Mexican American who gets commonly mistaken for speaking fluent Spanish due to the color of my skin, culture, and slight accent.
Isaiah Keo, Houston, TX My name is Isaiah, and I attend UT Austin. Growing up mixed in has led to many awkward moments of trying to decide who I am every single time someone asks what I am. I don’t fit your image of who I tell you I am, but I am still me.
Jordan Jones, Houston, TX
Renee Poselski, Riverside, CA. So Cal – Atlanta – Hawaii – Russia: No matter where I have lived, my heart yearns to connect and understand. Writing this, I am hesitating because I don’t want you to think that I can’t understand because I am white. My whiteness is a wall between you and me. I […]
Azucena Rosas, Mission Viejo, CA
Daniela Garibay, Houston, TX Hello, my name is Daniela and I am a College student attending Lone Star College. After having been assigned this as an assignment I began to look into this project and became intrigued. I read through a good amount and was appalled about all the post people had made. 🙂
Josh, USA
Joel DiMaggio Wein, Sunrise, FL As long as we allow compartmentalization and grading of physical differences within the human race, there will always remain a need for the self-appointed epidemic of bigotry starving minds and stunting humanity’s growth to greatness. We are humans who are descendants of humans. As the saying goes in American football, […]
Cassandra G. Orange, CA
Jasmine N. Allen, Atlanta, GA The first four words are a quote from something someone said to me on the first day of 7th grade. I had just asked the teacher a question when the girl sitting next to me turned and said this. I was confused by what she meant because I didn’t say […]
Cheyenne Cooper, Coatesville, PA Over the years there has been arguments about the fact that most african american men are dating outside of their race because some African American women are too outspoken, too independent and they need someone to need them. I can say that Black Healthy love still exists.
Shayal Devi, San Jose, CA
Jan Ligasan, Placentia, CA identity: Shaping self-perception and societal views. Systemic: Embedded racial biases in institutions. Privilege: Advantages based on race, causing disparities. Stereotypes: Harmful generalizations perpetuating biases. Intersectionality: Overlapping identities influencing experiences. Allyship: Active support for racial justice and equality. These words and concepts reflect the ongoing discussions surrounding race and racism in society. […]
Khanh Nguyen, San Jose, CA
Hamza Khan, Irvine, CA
Wai Phyo Paing, San Jose, CA I am an immigrant from Myanmar who has lived in the US for two years. To obtain the same opportunities that US citizens have, I have to work substantially harder.
Kelsi Webb, Malakoff, France I am a 30-year-old white woman wondering why racism even exists. I’ve never noticed a person by their skin color. Sure, I notice the color of their skin, but it doesn’t define who they are on the inside. We all bleed the same color. God created us all in His image […]
Maxwell, El Cerrito, CA
Constance Gibbs, St. Louis, MO
Noel Holton Brathwaite, Valley Stream, NY p>There is such a thing as a black tax. In addition to working hard and trying to accomplish our dreams, we must grapple with people’s low expectations and projected anxieties and continuous gaslighting. Being judged unfairly takes a huge emotional toll on us black folks. It is essentially a […]
Marco Orozco, Newman, CA
Nacira Estrada, San Jose, CA
Quetsy, Lebanon, PA
Paulina Abigail Contreras, Terrell, TX Ethnicity or cultural background does not determine the level of American identity where I belong. school Terrell high school
Stanley Filipowicz, Dana Point, CA p>Our oldest ancestors are from Africa, according to the out of Africa model. This is an environment where the sun is extremely prevalent and inescapable in everyday life activities. The color of our skin is dependent on how much sun exposure we receive. If we are exposed to more sun […]
Angie Trotter, Austin, TX
Megan Hutchinson, New Lenox, IL
A.L. Babb, Blairsville, GA
Ivy Tolbert, Commerce, GA I am a senior at Commerce High School in Commerce, Georgia. It is a very small town, but I am defying the typical path and moving to New York after graduating. I am grateful for the childhood my town has provided me with, but I am also excited to experience the […]
Zihao Huang, USA
Dalissia Ostorga, El paso, TX
Lorna Green, Altadenam, CA. I am an independent filmmaker, a writer-director, African American, and a woman. This combination confuses some people; it makes no sense to them because most directors are white guys. Granted, I selected a profession that relegates me to invisibility, but what’s interesting is the day-to-day reality of this. Working with new […]
Mary K Prizwan, CHICAGO, IL I’m not Hispanic, Greek. Italian, or Puerto Rican…I’m American, pretty much 3rd Generation Polish and according to DNA testing 20% Northern China. Go figure! Oh and it’s icky when you’re more concerned with my lineage than you are me! Stop giving my son Traffic Tickets because of the car he […]
Isaac Percastegui, TX
ERIC JAROCH, Canby, OR My wife is Puerto Rican and a former Director of Software Engineering. I’ve watched her struggle her whole career in a profession dominated by white men. I’m a recently retired government manager who tried to be involved in multiple diversity actions/events over the years. However, as a white male my opinion/voice […]
Morgan Fort Lauderdale, FL My now three and a half year old brother named Kendall was born to two crack addicted parents. My grandmother now has full custody of him and is his Mother figure. My grandma goes a few times a week to the Walmart across the street to do her grocery shopping. Benny […]
Charles William, Riverside, CA White Baby boomer who grew up in lower socio-economic minority neighborhoods east of Los Angeles, parents “quietly” racist but also very religious. Teenage years in early 70’s marked by race riots at junior and senior high schools, I was involved directly and indirectly in many race-related violent incidents. Higher education and […]
André Solomon, Pittsburgh, PA
Sedrick Ivey, USA It’s a harsh truth but we do live in a white man’s world. To thrive and succeed in life it often feels as though those who don’t fit that archetype have to sacrifice what makes them different to conform to the will of this majority. In my case being black means doing […]
Christi Perkinson, Red Wing, MN. My mom is full blooded German so I’ve always known that I was half German, but the other half was a mystery. My dad’s side is quite the mystery. His Father was born in the south while his Mother was born in Canada. Both sides came over to the U.S. […]
Mikaela Vera, Greensboro, NC I have always struggled with the color of my skin and the fact that I am a mixed child with an immigrant father who I am proud of however I have to limit my voice sometimes due to also being white and not wanting to offend anyone for being the voice […]
Bonnie Jerome-D’Emilia, Haddonfield, NJ. These are my three children. We had never discussed the derogatory use of the word yellow to connote Asian, until we were forced to. My daughter was shocked.
Brenda Enid Mejias, Honeybrook, PA. True Puerto Rican girl….. I am the one with all the family recipes… And I love being her. Wepa– According to Urban Dictionary A word of jubilation that is uttered by mainly Hispanics, especially within the Puerto Rican community. It normally is yelled at high volumes in a nasal manner, […]
Exodus Rex, Submitted via Twitter
Signe Wendt, Austin, TX. Jewish by heritage when I began to worship Jesus I was told I was no longer Jewish and I had to pick one.Now I try to connect Christians to their faith as a yoga teacher and I am not sure who is more uncomfortable with that. Yogis (at least in Austin) […]
Kaylin Nguyen, Williamsburg, VA My husband and I have been together for four years now. I am white, he is Vietnamese. I am originally from a small town in Virginia where there is not much diversity and let me tell you, people notice. In other areas as well we feel like there is still a […]
Justin Stewart, Pittsburgh, PA Growing up, I thought I had a pretty good upbringing. I lived in a decent house while receiving a decent education. Heck, the term racism really wasn’t a thing for me until middle school. I never really grasped the harsh conditions my ancestors most likely went through coming to America along […]
When I entered high school, I quickly learned terms like white privilege, white fragility, and microaggressions, which challenged my identity. While I understood I benefited from white privilege, I did not like the label. Still, the racism embedded in our institutions and the frustrated feelings of my friends motivates me to want to be part […]
Jane Orias, St. Louis, MO We moved to St. Louis, MO about 6 years ago after living in Hawaii and the west coast. The topic of race and prejudice came up in a dinner conversation with our children; at the time, they were in middle and elementary schools. We were discussing whether or not they […]
Khang P. Nguyen, San Jose, CA
Alex Concordia, San Jose, CA
Isabel Gutierrez, Merced, CA Being Mexican- American people want to treat me less than them but I was raised to not care what other people think.
Donato Rivera III, San Jose, CA I was born in raised in San Jose, Ca. My family is of Mexican descent. Although when people look at me they don’t see someone with that background. It doesn’t help that my family didn’t teach me or my siblings Spanish. People think I am Russian or German when […]
Traci Neal, Columbia, SC As long as I can remember, growing up in the South, I have had my experiences with racism. I think, in some ways, it became normal for me to encounter it occasionally. Still, nothing would prepare me for what I would face in April 2023. I am a professional poet. I […]
Medha Garapati, San Jose, CA
Mya Garcia, Lubbock, TX When I am asked if I am Mexican, I truly don’t know how to answer. No, none of my family is from Mexico, my great grandparents lived on Native American reservations. Yes, my family knows Spanish, but I was never taught. No, I have never been to Mexico, nor has any […]
Eve Chambers, New Orleans, LA I am a bartender in the New Orleans French Quarter, and I love to have conversation. To chit chat with my customers while doing other tasks, asking questions and learning about them in that moment. But what if something is offered unprovoked? Like a white female customer telling me in […]
Ronisha, Laugna Niguel, CA I am of mixed race. My mother is one hundred percent Filipino and my father is white. In the summer, my skin is dark due to extra sun exposure. In the winter, my skin is pale. In the summer, I get compliments such as, your skin is so beautiful and glowing, […]
Damone Wilson, Milwaukee, WI As a kid, I remember coming home from school & telling my grandmother about what I learned for black history month. That’s when she told me “boy you are not black you are Cherokee indian & creole”.. so I went to my mom and told her this new found info about […]
Adrienne Zimiga, Minneapolis, MN. I was born and raised on the Pine Ridge reservation my first 12 years. Upon moving from Batesland, SD to Castlewood, SD my caucasian grandmother was concerned that my brothers, sister, and I could face social problems being part Native American (iyeska: mixed blood/race) in an all white community. She told […]
Nicole Huber, Colorado Springs, CO. I am Asian American. Being an Asian American, no one clutches their purse tighter when I walk by, and no one finds it surprising that I teach at a university. But despite Asian Americans being perceived as the “model minority,” we are not seen as “real” Americans. I was adopted […]
Arthur Webster Carlsbad, CA Obviously, this shouldn’t be the case, but often I feel as though people think it is ok. I live North of the border, and while Canadians have a slight tendency to get…shall we say, a bit self-righteous over racism (underground railroad, anyone? Outlawing slavery? We’re the good one’s, right?). I don’t […]
Alexis Beauford Normal, IL 2 years ago I decided to go natural. A lot of non-ethnic people don’t know what that means. When an African American woman gets a perm, it’s to make her hair straight and more manageable which is the opposite of when some other ethnicities get a perm. When someone decides to […]
Alexander, Sandy Springs, GA. I grew up in a majority neighborhood during the eighties and nineties. There were only a few other minority families in the area at the time. It wasn’t until college after high school graduation I learn I was black and highly disliked based on the color of my skin and not […]
Janet Jimenez Washington, DC Puertorriqueño(a) is the “proper” term used to address a native islander from Puerto Rico. Do not confuse with Newyoricans, or anyone else born outside the island to Puertorriqueño parents. A real Puertorriqueño(a) knows the words to “La Borinqueña”, speaks Spanish (FLUENTLY), has lived on the island, and cries to the words […]
William Straub Morris, MN
Stephen Karst, Overland Park, KS What if we worked to recognize the dignity in one another? What would it look like to celebrate our different races, ethnicities, cultures and embrace the fullness of our humanity? What would happen if we treated each other like fellow image bearers of God & recognized that we were created […]
Penny Shaff Altman, Portland, ME. My father told me stories drawn from his childhood in the Ukraine. My mother told me stories about her life growing up as a Jewish immigrant. I told stories to my children. I tell them to my grandchildren. My youngest grandson’s great grandmother is famous for her stories of Gullah […]
Austin Beaton Eugene, OR
Beryle Fobes, Torrance, CA Born at end of WWII to res-born Native American hetero male who later remarried a Japanese war bride. White mother remarried racist. Children married Black and Native American; grandchildren more mixed than me. Always looked White though, as do progeny. International family at varying stages of race awareness.
Stephen Still, Birmingham, MI I’m from a small town in the state of Washington, didn’t see a black person until I was 10 years old, but parents laid down the law early, I had to love everyone! Be like Jesus…”Red and yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight”. My dad was transferred […]
Mariko Lockhart, Seattle, WA. Collected from The Race Card Project, On Location: Seattle Community Colleges My dad was black, born in Panama, as my grandfather from Monserrat went there to work on the Canal. My grandmother was from Jamaica. They moved to Chicago where my dad grew up on the South Side. My mom’s parents […]
Debbie Haughland Chan, Canada My heritage is Norwegian, British and German. Growing up, my church gradually became half (or more) Black Caribbean. I married a Chinese man. My daughters-in-law are Chinese from China, Chinese from Malaysia and Sri Lankan. The church I’ve attended for the last 13 1/2 years is in one of the poorest […]
Elizabeth McGhee, Tuscaloosa, AL. A couple years ago I got to be a part of one of the best experiences of my life. I was part of the 2013 Tribal Princess Competition. Every Thanksgiving in Poarch, AL three girls are chosen to represent their tribe throughout the next year at different events. When I made […]
Emma Alvarez Gibson, San Pedro, CA. My husband’s heritage is Japanese/Portuguese/French. Mine is Mexican/Irish/Scottish. Neither of us fit in anywhere while growing up; both sides of each of our families considered us oddities at best. People never knew what to make of us. I was too white for the Mexican kids and too uptight about […]
Joyce Fountain Elgin, IL
Brenda Ward, Schaumburg, IL. The color of our skin has nothing to do with who we are. It is where we live, who raises us, our family traditions, our geography. We try to peg the differences on color because it is easier to see and understand and our lack of interest in exploring and appreciating […]
Ellen McDaniel-Weissler LaVale, MD When my sister, a Peace Corps volunteer, went to serve her two years with the Corps in Chad, Africa, my parents realized that she was at an age when she might meet and fall in love with someone and want to get married. My father was a Lutheran minister and a […]
Reion’ne Stewart, New Orleans, LA I am a Biology Pre-Med student at Dillard University. I am also a dark-skin woman with locs. I also just happen to be masc presenting. Whenever I go out in public I get the stares and microaggressions. I go to the grocery store and get watched, I either deal with […]
Marlene Krantz, Miami, FL. I’m lily white with blonde hair. I have black children and black grandchildren. In 1980 I married an African American man and we had 2 daughters. I lost custody of my 10 year old son because of discrimination. I really feel sad about all this discrimination around the world.
Nona Lynn Simons Orangevale, CA My Six Words: Have you ever felt different from everybody else? I have and sometimes I still do! In the fifth grade, I was different because I was part Jewish and my classmates weren’t. They went to church and I didn’t. During the last week of school, one of my […]
Abbey Gammill, Lawton, Ok. Im am from the south, and I have grown up listening to elders make racist comments. My mom and dad raised my brother and I to believe that everyone is equal. I never really had a personal encounter with a race issue until I moved into college. My roommates name is […]
Rebecca York, Takoma Park, MD Fighting for visibility and validity, in white and of-color spaces is perpetually exhausting. Transnational adoptees are at the heart of America’s racial, cultural, and nationalistic legislation and cultural beliefs. Stop gate-keeping, and let us join the conversation.
Amy Bramlett, Tuscaloosa, AL. My name is Amy. My fiance Keith and I have the most perfect baby girl together. She’s 8-months old and she is a mixture of her African American daddy and Caucasian mommy. Her name is Layla. When I first told my family that I was dating a black man (long before […]
Jared Baumer, Laguna Hills, CA. It can be hard to stand out and pursue a path of something different then what society and the world want you to do. People categorize you as weird or a loser if you aren’t doing what everyone else is doing. If anyone struggled with this all I can say […]
Emily Bertot, Clarksville, MD. I grew up in Florida in an extremely non-diverse, middle-class area. Moving up North was a big culture shock, but it forced me to realize how many different types of people there are. I was also made aware of my privilege.
Jefferson Valle, Uniondale, NY Being fully Salvadorian and having a white skin complexion, and having a nontraditional Hispanic name has not always been easy. Still, I’ve learned to love my heritage over the years and accept that I don’t look like your normal Latino.
Joseph A Flores, Roswell, NM The scion of pre-Chicano era parents who believed assimilation into the American culture was the key to success. My English only, college graduate led American lifestyle has been rejected by both the White ‘race’ I was raised to engage with AND the Hispanic ethnic group I ‘should’ belong to… in […]
Miriam Bull, Siloam Springs, AR
Toby Britton, Siloam Springs, AR I grew up in Uganda, East Africa where I stood out like a sore thumb since I was white. The common misconception among Ugandans, and many East Africans, is that if you are white, you are rich. When we would go to the market to buy our food, or try […]
Ayush Patel, San Jose, CA
Alexandria Le, Hillsboro, OR Sitting at home alone I watch as hate crimes against the Asian community spread like wildfire. It was about 4:00 PM on March 19 2021 when I received a text from a friend about the shooting in Atlanta. I read the text but had a hard time processing it…. I just […]
Jonathan, Redwood City, CA
Anthony Nix, Federal Way, WA
Dillon Harris, Dallas, TX
Tanisha Pruitt, Virginia Beach, VA Cherish the moments that you have because you can lose everything in the blink of an eye.
Jimena, USA Hispanics have certain foods and customs that we are supposed to like and do. If someone doesn’t like a certain type of food, people won’t consider you as a “true” Hispanic. -Birmingham High School
Lena, Seattle, WA
Gavin Vogel, Los Angeles, CA I chose these six words because of my Grandfather, a person who does not go to Temple very much but keeps Judaism close to his heart. As a young skinny boy in Manhattan, he was walking home from school one day as a few bullies walked by and they called […]
Anonymous, Birmingham, AL Charter High School
Suzie Husami, San Diego, CA. My mother and father met in college in upstate New York – he, a Lebanese -Muslim-Republican named Muhammad and she, an American non-practicing Methodist-Democrat named Maureen. They fell in love and had three daughters – Najla, our olive-skinned sister, and my twin sister and me – pale and freckled. My […]
Dillon Harris, Fort Lauderdale, FL People assume I am Hispanic and I am often treated with the same discrimination that actual Hispanics are. Nobody should have to go through discrimination or racism. It is uncalled for and rude. We need to all work together to put an end to discrimination.
Nina, Taiwan This is one of the stereotypes I heard the most that people have for Asians. Lots of people have the stereotype that Asians must good at math, studying, know kungfu, etc, unfortunately, I’m not good at any of them. It’s really funny when it comes to these questions every time, I’ll be like […]
Anonymous, Houston, TX I’m Palestinian and Muslim, but I was born and raised in the United States. I’ve bumped into a few people who’d make terrorist jokes towards me but I learned to laugh at the hate.
Kamesha Coleman, Dallas, TX
Joseph Chapman, Forney, TX
Elizabeth Carter Pratt, Westborough, MA
Lori Gray, San Francisco, CA
Daniel Atoui, Mission Viejo, CA a lot of the times I mention anything to do with privilege or my upbringing people always just tell me it’s because i’m white but just because i am white-passing doesn’t make me white. when they learn about my actual background, everyone suddenly has a bone to pick with me.
Candice, Birmingham, AL Interestingly I only know 1/2 my heritage. as life has changed I find myself wishing I had more culture or flavor, that there was a dash of something in me that made me special, unique or exotic. We all bleed the same and I hate all the lines that divide.
Pcyeta Stroud, Oakland Adjacent, CA The black experience is so complicated and storied, it’s tough to capture a snapshot in just a few words.
Chantrice Thomas, Gretna, LA Being an American woman with brown skin, I have had my ups and downs with people their opinions about the texture and length of my hair. They have made very intimidating remarks about my hair. I can recall people saying, “Why is your hair so short. Does it not grow?” I […]
Alanna Rodriguez, Harrisonburg, VA Puerto Rico is a place where corruption has been very marked, as in other countries of the world, and its people have had to struggle a lot to be able to be well in these times. But really taking aside what would be the government of Puerto Rico. The people, the […]
Yasmine Derbal, Athens, TX One of my teammates last year told me that I was not French because I have curly hair and and I am tan. People believe that being French means that you are white with long straight hair. However, I have the French nationality even if it doesn’t seem like I have […]
Hunter Hua, Buena Park, CA
Leah Wilson, Moreno Valley, CA I’ve lived too long to have personal issues with another person’s race. Went thru trying to identify my mixed racial ancestry. I just look at the person that presents their identity to me in their word and actions.
Amanda, Virginia Beach, VA I was never one to think of myself as racist. Over the last several years I have watched the black community take over the media with their violent riots they call protests. I have heard their complaints about being shot by white officers just for being black…not for pulling a weapon […]
Andrea Butts, Tustin, CA Apparently I was going to be like the rest of the family and be a teen mom.
Anonymous, NV As someone who is Mexican, I often get told that I’m not actually Mexican because of the color of my skin. I’m often told that I’m not REALLY Mexican because my skin is so pale. Why does my skin have to be Darker for you to believe me? And why do you have […]
Nathan Buneta, Mission Viejo, CA
Nicholas Hendrick, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Ava Zahm, Irvine, CA White privilege is something I’m embarrassed to have learned about so late in my life. As a young white woman, I live a completely different life with so many fewer hardships, threats, and dangers than the life of someone identical to me but with more melanin in their skin. White privilege […]
Alejandra Boscan, Trabuco Canyon, CA I’ve always been seen as fully white when my culture and heritage is more than that. Coming from a mixed heritage of Italian, German, and Venezuelan, I want to keep all of these identities alive within me. However, I present fairly white, meaning that my Venezuelan culture is often lost. […]
Amanda, MA As a white, middle class person I worry I’m not aware of how my privilege impacts me and others; I want to be anti-racist but don’t always know how I can best do so.
Indy, Melrose, MA The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Michelle M Heatley, Boxborough, MA The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Tristin Rutherford, Worcester, MA
Natasja Hirabayashi, Worcester, MA It’s always interesting experiencing how others react to me. I’m ambiguous and that has confused, intrigued, or even enraged people that I have come across. You never really know how someone is going to respond to you.
Elijah Hungerford, Elmira, NY While some have control over their acne, mine can be totally out of hand whether I like it or not, no matter how much I try to take care of it.
Jill Terrien, Worcester, MA
Faride Yamin, Houston, TX A single race, the human race. Jacqueline Novogratz writes in her book The Blue Sweater:”John W Gardner believed humans thrive in relationship to each other, and that communities to which each individual feels a sense of belonging.” I’ve always been different. I sometimes upset people (because they think I’m ) trying […]
Payton Collier, Woodbridge, VA “Can you please calm down” is an unwanted sentiment that has been offered to me many times. The most hurtful of these was probably when a friend of mine asked me if I could just “calm down”; I’d gotten “worked up” about a racist comment a classmate had made. As an […]
Felix Muhlebach, Chapel Hill, NC. I was at the Head of the Hooch, 2nd biggest rowing event in the US. More than 1600 crews. More than 5000 athletes. I saw only one Afro American crew. No mixed race boats. Check on attached event picture file. Statistically, one out of 5 athletes should be Afro American. […]
Andrea Donnor, Williamsburg, VA, . I grew up upper-middle class in leafy New Rochelle, New York outside of the New York City, in a historical Black neighborhood. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee lived 3 houses down. My Dad was an ophthalmologist in Harlem. He made enough money so that my mom could stay at home […]
Lauren Machado, Lakewood, CA
Natalee, Richmond, VA I have experienced that over the phone on paper, people will perceive what they think I look like, I hear you sound white when they find out my race. Why is speaking intelligently, announcing words only associated with being Caucasian? As if to say African Americans, or a black person is unable […]
Juliet Kim, Irvine, CA In Korean culture, mental health and awareness is not something that is openly talked about. Being a first-generation citizen of the United States, I grew up with both American and Korean cultures that have shaped me into who I am today. I feel that mental health and awareness is extremely important […]
Anonymous, USA
Jamie Jaimes, Tustin, CA
Jason Snyder, Staten Island, NY As a middle aged white man, if I’m wearing the right costume and assume the right attitude, I can go just about anywhere and do just about anything without question. I get the benefit of the doubt by default, and most of the time I’m totally unconscious of it. I […]
Colin Morrill, Cypress, TX I’m Mexican, but nobody believes me. I grew up in a Mexican culture, and my mom is Mexican. I eat Mexican food, listen to Mexican music, and have Mexican family.
Jack Walper, Acworth, GA
Nick Rabkin Chicago, IL So much of who I am is comes from my sense that the fight for civil rights is really the fight for the real American dream. I was active in the campaign to elect Harold Washington mayor of Chicago, and I worked in his administration. Harold!
Amberly S, Bronx, NY
Paige, MI Growing up, this is something I have heard countless times. Microaggressions like this are not only offensive, but further divide us as a society. My looks do not define me as being black or in this case, being any less black.
Shawna, CA I am White. Every white person in my life has always been so hateful and this has shown me what not to be like, instead of what to copy. I am enrolled at Cypress College.
Karen Yanes, Garden Grove, CA Not that many people know that I’m Italian but I am. Even though I don’t live with any of my Italian family members. I try to learn the basics of Italian and teach my mom Italian at the same time.
Kishna Vaghasia, Grand Blanc, MI Both of my parents are Indian and basically so is my entire family. This made growing up in America decently hard because, well it’s different hanging out with Indians because not much is known about them. Throughout my entire life, the number of Indian jokes I’ve heard have been plentiful, […]
Coby Guzon, La Palma, CA I’m born a Filipino, I speak English, Tagalog, Visaya, Cebuano, and a bit of Spanish. I live in America and I look Chinese. Being Filipino is not just an Asian culture it’s a mix of many cultures. I’m also a current student at Cypress College.
Shubham Bhardwaj, Cypress, CA I am Indian. I am not Sikh or Muslim. I am Hindu. Having beard does not mean I am Sikh or Muslim. I study at Cypress College. I also speak Spanish but I am not Mexican. I want to become a registered nurse. My major is Cypress College is Nursing.
Jocelyn Hidalgo, Anaheim, CA Im Latina, I was practically raised in Central America… Guatemala if you couldn’t have guessed. I do have a warm skin tone and have a typical “Mexican” appearance… whatever that may mean to you. But when you hear me speak Spanish I tend to have people second guessing if I’m actually […]
James Rojas, Buena Park, CA Hello, I am a Mexican who was born here in the United States. I moved to Mexico at a young age and that’s where I grew up with Mexican culture. When moving back to the United States, my mom kept repeating that I received a chance that she couldn’t have, […]
Unknown, USA
Riann, Grand Blanc, MI
Julie, Chevy Chase, MD
Meghan Holloran, TX
Joshua Dillon, Cypress, TX We are all the same. I have eyes. You have eyes. I have hair. You have hair. I breathe. You breathe. We should be helping each other Not hurting each other because we have more in common than the naked eye can see. We are all the same.
Patrick Tan, Houston, TX Although I wouldn’t argue that the stereotypes associated with being Asian are as bad/worse than stereotypes associated with other races, I feel that positive stereotypes can also become extremely harmful. Positive stereotypes, like Asians being intelligent or hardworking, can place unneeded pressure and expectations on ones who are on the receiving […]
Cristina Garcia, Cypress, TX People never guess that I’m Mexican, they say I look white a.k.a American. It’s shocking whenever I speak Spanish fluently as they had no idea I could speak it.
Anonymous, Novel Ideas Book Club Baton Rouge, LA. / Washington DC More on Yoshi Hattori
Katie Fatianov, Great Falls, VA
Grace Shiffrin, CA
Clen Prime, New Zealand
Omar Eaton-Martinez, Oxon Hill, MD Afro Diaspora communities should have more dialogue and interactive engagement about blackness.
