Send the light skinned cousin in.
Gym Rati,
Pasadena, CA.
We were on a road trip and in Colorado a restaurant displayed a sign that Mexicans were not allowed. We sent in our light skinned cousin for takeout. The hamburger felt like sand in my mouth. I was 10 years old.
I am not wrong, I’m different.
Back when I was a kid, I used to wonder why or how people are different, why do we all have different races? When I was in preschool, my mom would always tell me not to play with kids that were bad. Those kids were black. She said that they were troublemakers, misbehaved, and that they don’t have any manners. And of course, I believed her. Most of my life, I only cared about what somebody looked like on the outside. Now, I know how wrong of me it was to assume somebody’s personality. This project has changed me a lot in many ways. It has taught me how we all need to be fair to each other, it has taught me that nobody’s appearance screams out their identity, I have also learned that not everyone is a bad person and that people are different.
Race is not natural, it’s taught.
It all began in the 18th century. Scientists developed categorizing things in nature, including humans. According to the RACE website, “The 19th century also marked a period of widespread racialization—not just of African Americans—but of Native Americans, Mexican Americans and Chinese Americans as well. Much of the racializing of non-Europeans, and even the Irish, served an economic and political purpose.” This is not fair. People were categorized into groups. Blacks, Asians, Mexicans, Italians, separated from each other. Why were we categorized? As reported in “The Story of Race and the Classification of People”, “ In 1680 AD, the idea of classification by appearance slowly began to permeate society as lawmakers in the early colonies of North America began to use “white” as a classification of themselves rather than “Englishmen” or “Christians.” See how this is not fair? I’m pretty sure we all have questions about race such as, aren’t we all just one human race? Will racism ever go away? How do we become racists?, How did racism start?, and who started racism? Some of these answers can’t be found…but one thing I know is that race is not a natural thing, it is the others that taught us.
I AM MEXICAN, NOT AN IMMIGRANT.
R.E.A.L. Talk,
High Tech Middle Media Arts,
7th Grade Trailblazer
I have watched movies and shows where actors make fun of Mexicans. This really doesn’t bother me because I learned not to let it. Negative comments towards me used to bother me in the past where I would get to the point where I would want to hit people, but now I am chill. But still I feel like it’s not right, they need to stop because people who are watching this will get offended and get mad at this because like I said, it’s not right. When I hear the word immigrant I think of Mexicans because now that people see us like that, it make me think the same which makes me mad. I feel that when people hear the word immigrant they think of us, the Mexicans and now that Donald Trump is in they election it makes it worse because now people see us as drug dealers and criminals. I live near a lot of Mexicans and most of my friend are Mexicans also. I do say Mexican jokes too. In my old school I got in a roast session and the person I was roasting with said “Go back to cleaning something that’s what you’re good at.” So if he wants to be racist it makes me want to racist too. He was a Caucasian so I said a few things that I don’t want to say right now but let’s say it wasn’t nice. After the battle we were fine we started laughing but still we shouldn’t have done that. So the thing is about me is I really don’t care what people say about me. I think of it as a joke when people say bad things about me. So if you see me in a garden, I’m just trying to make money. If you won’t do it, I will. We’re not stealing your jobs, we are fixing and making jobs better so if you don’t like that then you go to Mexico and you go start a job there and see how it is.
Does Race Exist in This World? NO!
Race does not exist at all. If I were you I would agree because this going to get real right now. The reason this word exists is because in the 18th century when the Americans came to Africa to collect slaves, basically for slave labor, they needed to depict a way to separate White people from Black people. Ok imagine you doing what you do with your family and then these people come and take you from your family and then they make you as their slave. What would you do? Nothing! But now, we can do something about it and people can’t do anything about it. You know what I mean? If you hear a white man saying that black people suck, you can’t punch them. You can talk to them but not touch him or her. Donald Trump says mean comments about Blacks, Mexicans, and Muslims. But, we shouldn’t do anything to him. WE made race up basically just so that we can judge each other. One thing that I don’t understand is why we still depict people by the color of their skin. We don’t want this to keep going. We stopped slavery in America between blacks and whites so we can stop racism! So let’s do it!
Racism definitely exists for a reason
Johnson,
USA.
I am sick to death of people trying to pretend like there aren’t legitimate reasons for racism. Not always, but they are there. I was raised not to be racist and people say racism is a learned behavior…yeah…I learned it myself from being around blacks. Black people can’t see it like everyone else because they’ve been raised that way their entire life so it’s completely normal and acceptable behavior to them that they cannot see objectively. To them it’s normal to be loud, obnoxious, confrontational, and inconsiderate. I know this is not all blacks but through countless personal experiences in several different areas/states/locations/situations I would argue that it’s most of them….especially when they’re around other blacks.
I have seen, numerous times, black people act like normal everyday regular people until another black person walks up and they suddenly turn into something completely different, their mannerisms, speech, accent, body language….everything changes….they go from being a black person to a n***** in 2 seconds….wtf?!? This is a trait only significant to black americans. I’ve had every other race (including African) of friends and never witnessed this with them but have with every single African-American I know.
Which leads me to another point….Your parents were born here? You were born here? You’re American!! Just because youre black doesn’t always mean you came from Africa anyway. Black people do exist on other continents you know? Dave Matthews is African American and he’s white.
Anyway here’s an example: I was in a gas station a few weeks ago here in Columbus it was around lunch time so there was a long line at the counter comprised of whites, Mexicans, Asians, Indians, and Somalians. The place is pretty quiet as people are patiently waiting in line…..
In walks 3 black people. Immediately start being loud and obnoxious, drawing attention to themselves, yelling at each other and cackling at the top of their lungs. Two of them start cussing each other out over what kind of pop to get and making absolutely sure they’re doing it loud enough for everyone to hear. Then when they get in line they all immediately start yelling and complaining to the clerks to hurry up, and loudly talking about how they’re stupid and should hire people who know how to do their job and blah blah blah….Nobody else in line was complaining at all understanding that sometimes places get busy and things might take longer than usual…not these black guys though.
Want another?? My step-mother’s Daughter-in law was raised in farmland Ohio around nothing but white people her whole life. I grew up on the south side of Chicago before moving here around the age of 16. She would always argue with me that racism was BS and black people were just the same as white people…etc.
She moves to Charlotte NC, gets a job as a waitress. Within only one month she’s been spit on, cussed out several times, and almost physically assaulted (all separate incidents) by the black clientele. Treated with respect by every other race. So after like almost 40 years of preaching anti-racism–she became a full blown racist in a matter of weeks NOT because of white people she LEARENED to be racist from blacks.
My heart is blinded by experience
Ava Dupre
Ann Arbor, MI
Though I am real with everyone I meet regardless of appearance or origin, my experiences from growing up in a multiracial home often misguides my heart. I identify as a Mexican, White and Black Woman. When I see a white man, I see the absent father of my mother and the history of white people, when I see a Mexican man, I see my own absent father and the longing to know him as well as distrust. When I see a black man, I see my father, the man who beat my mother. When I see women of any color, my heart goes out to them…..I don’t know why and hope to explore these words in a safe setting someday.
