Difference Between Racism And Ageism

When we were growing up my mother made sure my siblings and I were always taken care of. She would sacrifice her own happiness for ours.

I remember being taken away from my mother at age seven. My brother was only a year old when we were separated. We were ripped away from her arms and placed in foster care. I can recall that day clear as a crystal. My throat felt constricted as I yelled out for my mother, my eyes were red and puffy from all the crying, my knees bruised because I refused to be taken away. From then out my life tumbled down. I could no longer protect my brother, I could not be there to wipe my mother’s tears away. I was alone and frightened. Now that I look back at my experiences in foster care it made me stronger. As of today I am more grounded, and able to go through life with a new lense. I got to experience foster care and am able to empathize with those who have gone through it as well.

My journey involved not only me but many others. My journey started when my father let our home country to come to the USA, my mom didn’t want to leave so she stayed. I was left with my mom and was lonely and a bit mad at my father. At age 3 my mother left to go to the US to be with my father, I was left with my grandparent. I guess that being without my parents for 5 years changed me a bit; I can recall sometimes feeling lonely seeing how others had their parents with them going to place and enjoying being with them. Most of the time I didn’t really mind being with my grandparents because after all I couldn’t cry about it and if did, I knew that it wasn’t going change anything. Then in 2008 I came to the US, I started going to school and later on noticed that being in a new country didn’t mean that things were going to be well, I realized that no matter where you are in the world you still have to work hard to get to places, I didn’t feel like that at the time. After many things happened, many happy and bad times the journey that I have has made me become aware that one must work hard so that one can become a somebody. I have also learned that most people take things for granted, even

According to the aurthors, what explains the perception gap that exists between whites and African Americans when it comes to matters of race and racism? The perception gap between whites and blacks are , in the system govnerment gives more privileges to whites then people of color.

My aunt encourages me in everything I do and wants to know about school and sports. If I ever need a ride to school, sports, and field trips, I can always count on her. She has helped to increase my confidence and to believe in myself. I have learned from my Aunt that being a well-rounded person is important. She works hard at her job, makes time for friends and family, and is active at our church.

I was born in Kerala, India and was raised in Chicago, IL. I came to America at the age of three hoping for a better future. My father came to America first, and he lived with my Aunt who had three sons. After two years my father saved enough money to bring my mom, sister, and I to the US. During this time he would work as a dishwasher at a nursing home to support my family. After a month of living with my Aunty and her kids my dad found an apartment to rent. Eventually, we moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment with my family. That was the hardest time period for me due to language barriers. My sister and I started to learn English. However, my parents were struggling to learn a new language so we would have to go everywhere with them to translate. Another, difficulty that we faced was financial issues. At that time we were making ends-meet and we were scraping every penny that we got. Afterwards, my mom got her CNA license she started working two jobs when I was only four years old. Even till this day she is still working two jobs to support the

This amounted into years of heart ache for my sisters and I. The aftermath of this lifestyle resulted in me being filled with resentment and trust issues, but was also the driving force in me wanting to help people. So, I chose to take my circumstances and use it as a platform to become someone who did not resemble my mother. In 2001, I left home to attend college, it would be a lie if I said I left for the sole purpose of obtaining an education. Going to college for me was an escape from my unhealthy surroundings.

When I was really young, I had to go to foster homes along with my sister who was a year older than me. We were together at foster homes but then we got separated because we had fought to much. When we got separated I realized that I should be kinder to my sister. I do not remember anything about my foster homes. Abigail, my sister, went to a foster home with a widow and her son. Her son was very cruel and got abigail in trouble for doing nothing. This also taught me that I should be honest so I do not hurt other people.

My aunt, who was the kindest person I have ever known, passed away when I was ten years old. Before she passed away, she was bedridden for long time. Because of the illness she had, she suffered severely for a couple of years. During that time, doctors told her that she had a breast cancer. She fought for two years till the time she gave up. While she dies, I was in a hospital at her bedside till she gasps her last breath. What a traumatic experience for a young boy to witness my aunties death. The firsthand experience I had, motivated me to train and be a health professional and help patients to recover.

     Due to the fact that my father was now on his own and trying to raise three children (my older brother from my father’s first marriage), he had to take a different position at his work. Although he was getting a raise it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He had to start working the night shift so he could get the raise. He didn’t really have a choice in the matter and because of this new change, I began to lose valuable time with him as well. It was now up to my brother to watch over us at night and make sure we got to bed on time. If there was any trouble or and problems in general, my brother would call my grandmother. For three years my dad worked that job and every night he would stay up after he got home to see us. He would make my sister and I breakfast and make we were off to school on time. This meant the world to me because no matter what he always made time for us.

Introduction: I have learned a multitude of concepts during this quarter that will linger with me for years to come, the two that resonate the most, for me, are classism and racism. Classism and Racism are the two most prominent “ISM’S” due to their relationship and how they intermingle disparities and biases of being poor and a minority. Although I knew of the issues taking place in my own community, I would not allow myself to absorb the magnitude of this travesty. After watching the American winter, the disparities became clearer than I had dreamt.

Watching my mother live from pay check to pay check when I was young was difficult. It was always hard for my mom to keep up with other parents but, she still somehow managed to get me everything I wanted, and more. Even though I was too young to understand, I could feel the stress, and the struggles my mom faced every day. She was only 20 years old when I was born and, because of that she had no choice but to grow up fast. At such a young age, I saw the effects of being a single parent, and the ways it changed my mom. She not only had to be a young mother but, she had to find a way to replace the void of a father, or a father figure in my life. My mom was strong, independent and courageous. Growing up watching her live her dreams under all the circumstances she faced, made me want to strive for a better life for myself. Seeing how hard is was to live and to have enough

I began to help my mom around the house. I had to learn how to cook a proper meal when I was seven years old, do laundry among other things to give my mom some relief. One day, when I was nine years old, my grandmother shared the news of my father’s departure to the U.S and that he did so to give me a better chance. It was heavy news for me, and as an emotional child I cried with my grandma and felt sad that from now on I was not going to get the occasional visit from him. As a teenager in the process of growing into a man, you think you need a father figure, a man perspective, advice on things that life throw at you, it was clear that I didn’t have that anymore. I was fortunate to have my mother and my grandmother to teach me right and wrong; the rest was pretty much up to me.

The most popular watched sport in America, NBA basketball, is played by over 87% of the African decent. Nevertheless, racism is still a issue that will never completely go away. Ageism is also a worrying problem in our society. Though many people think that this is not a serious problem, people are being harassed about their age everyday, whether they are "too young" or "too old". I have dealt with this problem myself, as many other teenagers have. When I walk into some stores, I am asked to leave my purse at the counter and I am often followed around by employees. They watch every move I make to make sure that I will not steal anything. I know that theft is a dilemma that many businesses have to deal with , but when it gets to the point of being untrusted due to your age, it is completely ridiculous and inappropriate. Men and women have never been equal in the world and that is what we call sexism. For example, if a man and a woman who have the same knowledge ask for the same job, the boss will probably pick the man. Even though they both get the job, the man will maybe have a better salary than the woman. People always believe that men work better than women but no one can give a satisfying explication to support that thought. Fortunately, sexism is decreasing constantly but it will never diminish to the point of complete equality. We can never judge someone by their

For example, my grandfather Jerry was a doctor and my Great Aunt Margaret and Pat were nurses. Anytime I was sick, my mom would always call her dad up and talk to him rather than rushing me to a doctor. When I was in the 7th grade, it was one of the hardest times of my life, Jerry was suffering from heart attacks and fluid in his lungs. I had never been exposed to the feeling of loss until he passed away. Losing one of my role models and someone that I cared deeply about made me a stronger person. Since his passing, I have seen more and more of my aunts and uncles than I had before, and growing strong relationships with all of them.