I Wasn 't Properly Taught Much About Race

In everyday life, everyone experiences racism. Whether it is a humorous racial stereotype joke or to something offensive like asking how Asians can see or asking an Asian person if he or she is Chinese. What we need to remember is that no one is born racist. Racism is either taught or learned. The definition of the term race that was created socially which signifies and symbolizes social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies. The definition of race is how we use it. For example the label “white” instead of using Caucasian. Racism still exists today because is how we distinguish people by their pigment of the skin.

Have you ever been in a situation where your race impacts on the way how people treat you? If so can you give an example?

Race is a social structure created by dominant groups that minoritize individuals. Race is not genetically or biologically defined. With race we also have racialization which is a concept that we imply on a person based on their race without being sure of the concept. Due to racialization and races came the idea of racism. Racism was conceived by the white supremacists that believed to be superior to the minoritized groups that they oppressed. It made the minoritized groups rivals against each other due to the class differences that they were divided by. After racism occurred, people were set into different classes that defined their social status. The social status defined who the person was, how they were treated, and what their everyday life was like for them living in their own community. Due to the whites being at the top of the social hierarchy, they become ignorant about

As in the Spanish Colonial period, the Spanish classified the mestizos, Spanish mixed with indigenous, as different. Since the start of the new era, humans classified whiter skin to a high social status and darker skin as slaves or lower social status. While moving at the age of nine to the United States I was profiled based on my appearance, race, the difference in culture, language and social differences. While growing up, I had to learn that not everyone was willing to accept foreigners and respect people who are different. Because of the stereotypes that people believed in Mexicans: as being illegal immigrants, unable to speak the English language, or being a gang member. Currently, I have experienced many of

Personal Anecdote: Before coming to school here in UCM, my dad would often talk to me in many different occasions throughout my life about the concept of race and what it represents:

I believe the 1st time I became aware of my White identity was when I grew up in a small town in North Dakota consisting of people who were mostly White. Growing up in my hometown was an interesting experience because I felt isolated from Diversity. To this day, I don 't know the answer to why I felt comfortable in my

While growing up around children and adults of all races, I was raised to believe that all races are to be treated equally. This has molded me to become an understanding and friendly person to be around all races. As I grew and learned more about race, I realized that my family did a great job adapting me to the world concerning race as race became irrelevant to me. Race was not, and is not, a divisive factor for me so much as privilege was, however.

I was recently talking to a friend of mine about the political issues that are currently unfolding and discussing the best strategies to move forward. As we began to talk about each other ideas and begun to get a bit more personal about our stories/issues she asked me about the first time I thought about race and immigration issues. At first I was a little taken back and was not sure how to answer the question. She mention that she only just started to think about this issues when she began her undergrad studies, my friend being a white person. At first I could not quite remember the first time I actually thought about race and immigration issues and then it hit me, I’ve had to deal with this issues since I was in my mother’s belly. The norms

The concept of race keeps me up all night, bothers me all day. The fact that something can be so important but at the same time so unimportant boggles me. Something that makes people unique binds them together. After nights being awake pondering this idea, and days researching its consequences, I have realized that race is something that does not fit into neat little boxes. It is not something we as a society can file under a certain category. With this realization, the events on the news that tell of racial tensions all over the world, and the resulting prejudice and terror that surround them stay active in my mind. Now, when I close my eyes and try to go to asleep, when I once again visualize the horrific reports of hate attacks and loss that covered the media is clusters, I visualize myself too- getting an education and using it to be part of a change. Then I wake up in the morning and put my plans to action to help resolve these issues that plague the world each and every

I was not always so racially aware. Why should anybody be treated differently in response to the color of his or her skin? As a child I never perceived, let alone understood, race under America’s social construct or societal expectations for certain races, and certainly never saw my racial background as an issue. It wasn’t until the fourth grade when it finally hit me- I’m different.

Race is everywhere, you cannot escape it. We deal with it everyday, and it’s normally the main feature we notice in one another. Nonetheless, each one of us was brought up differently, and we each have our own perspective on race. I have been raised into a family that has not had any specific preference or biased opinion towards any race. My parents’ views have had a large impact on my life, as should any child’s viewpoints be influenced by their parents. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I did not have any interest in racial issues before high school started, but my eyes have been opened more than ever before.

The first time I was exposed to racial diversity awareness, I was seven years old. The earliest years of my life were spent growing up in Philadelphia, a city well known for its diversity. All of that changed though, when my family moved to a much smaller city, and lived in a much smaller town. For the first time in my young life, I realized that there were places that lacked diversity, particularly racial diversity. And with that lack of ethnic diversity, prejudice and negative stereotypes were an everyday occurrence. It was quite different from the brotherly love mentality of Philadelphia. From third grade and through middle school, I struggled to fit into an exclusive environment.

I've always been aware of the concept of race. It could be because from first grade until high school I was always one of maybe three or four black kids in the school at any given time. There were the occasions that, if I had forgotten, reminded me that I did look different: regularly having my name "ghettofied" into Mo-nique-a, being told I looked like a teacher who just happened to be the only black female teacher at the school, the stares, questions and the hands reaching up to touch my hair when my mom braided it, my peers comparing their skin color to mine when they had their summer tans. Going to the park one day and getting a feeling I can at best, describe as realization when one the girls told the other kids that

My stomach cringed as I stepped out of the car and into the cold winter air. My chest was pounding as my heart started to race. I could feel the perspiration trickle down my spine. As I walked towards the boathouse I could see the familiar sight of the coach boats working hard on the water, setting up the racecourse. Coaches, parents, rivals and a small crowd of onlookers gathered on the hill, close to the finish line. Every emotion runs through my mind: the feeling of sadness, the feeling of happiness, the feeling of regret. It feels as if I have raced more than a thousand times, however I can never shake the nervousness away. In every regatta I have attended, I have raced in doubles, quads and eights. However, this will be the first time I compete in a single. My teammates and my coaches are depending on me to bring home a win.

I first learned about race and ethnicity when I was ten years old. I was playing with a bunch of kids, whereas there were three Caucasian and two African Americans boys including myself. One of the Caucasian boys came and pushed me and pointed his finger at me and said, “Heeey! You can’t play with us”. I asked, “Why”? Then he replied back, “Because you are too dark”. Then that is where I started to do my research. Race is a stereotype being judged when someone looks at you and say, “You are dark skin or you are white”. Ethnicity is your background, as in whether you are an African American or Indian. Yes, this early socialization did include the perpetuation of stereotypes because people were always judged by their first glanced. Racial attitudes today among people under the age of 30 does not differs significantly from those held by older people because age is nothing but a number. They are an abundance of people out there who are still being judged by the color of their skin despite their age. They are also people being killed because of the color of their skin. For an example, the police situation that includes Sandra Bland and Trayvon Martin were based on their