Kendall Eaton

Mrs. Fielding

WRTC 103 This is Nadya and I 2

months ago at a basketball
9/13/17 game.

How I Became Who I Am Today

A racial group is a socially defined group distinguished by selected inherited physical

characteristics. There were many incidents in the past that has changed a lot of views on race.

For example: The American Civil War was a major incident that changed everything and made

the world like it is today. The Civil War started in 1861 and ended in 1865. This was one of the

most destructive wars in the western world. The Civil War was where the Northern and

Southern states fought against each other to abolish slavery in the south. This war is a prime

example because it helps to prove that views and people change. The most important thing

about my experience is is that I appreciate what I have in front of me and the opportunities that

we all have now, rather than in the past. I want to share this experience so that my readers can

learn and keep an open mind/heart about who people are, as well as where they come from.

Your identity has a lot to do with your childhood as you grow up. When I was a young

girl my parents had always told me to Treat others the way you want to be treated. This has

been one of the mottos I live by day to day. Therefore, I have always tried my best to be the

nicest and giving person to everyone. For example, when I was in the tenth grade, this girl

named Nadya got hit in face with a Frisbee in gym class. She was new to Prince George and only

had a few friends, but for some reason she did not have any white girl friends. My friend Grace

and I saw her get hit, so we went to go make sure she was okay and took her to the nurse. This
helped shape my identity because it shows that I did not care what race she race. All I cared

about was helping her and making sure she was okay. Nadya explained to us that she was new

and that she did not have any white friends, but she seemed to really like me and Grace. After

that crazy day, Nadya found me on Instagram and we started becoming super close friends.

That summer, her and I were best friends at this point and we hung out every single day. Nadya

and her family came from Maryland and they introduced me to food that I had never heard of

before, but I really enjoyed it. I had never really had a best friend of a different race before, but

it was one of the best days of my life. Meeting her and helping her in gym that day gave me the

opportunities to learn about where she came from, taste new food, and even learn her

different beliefs. Having a friend out of your racial group is so amazing, not only to learn about

cultural differences, but to be able to appreciate that we have the opportunity to be friends

with people from different races. The genetic difference between any two humans is less than

one percent. This means that everyone is human and we all have physical differences, but

internally we are almost all the same. Race does and should not matter when it comes to being

friends with someone or going into the work force. We are all humans and we all deserve equal

rights.

I value race very strongly because I would not be who I am without the experiences that

I have had and learned from. Being able to experience and go to school with other racial groups

is one thing I truly value and will appreciate forever. Without the Civil War and abolishing

slavery, I would have never been able to meet my best friend Jorge (pronounced Hor-Hey) in

middle school. I met Jorge in my computer class in sixth grade and we became so close. He is

Peruvian, so his values and culture is completely different from mine. It was amazing learning
how different things are in Peru than they are in America. The summer of seventh grade, Jorge

moved back to Peru for family reasons and that broke my heart because we were best friends. I

also really value the internet because without it, I would never be able to talk to Jorge.

However, we still communicate very often and catch up on our lives. Without school and

integration, I wouldve never had the opportunity to meet someone from Peru or even out of

my racial group. My values were set as a young girl and I always had the mindset of, Everyone

is the same inside, no matter the color of their skin or the way they talk. Therefore, today my

values are still the same way as they were when I was a young girl and I will teach my kids the

same thing one day at a young age.

Understanding race and differences is a big thing about growing up in life. Without

understanding where everyones point of view comes from, there would never be any peace on

this earth. Everything that I have ever understood, valued, and even how my identity was

shaped, happened all from my parents when I was a kid. My parents have a lot to do with who I

am and how I look at things today. I thank them so much for shaping me how I am because I am

a very understanding and kind-hearted person. I do not judge people for what color they are,

how they talk, look, what they believe/ dont believe in, or even who they like. I believe that

everyone deserves to experience and find out who they are. Whether they are gay or

transgender and come out at forty-five years old, just like Judith Lorber did. I understand that

she felt more feminine than masculine and fit better as a girl. Thats her choice, so if it makes

her happy then I understand. As a part of the stratification system, gender ranks men above

women of the same race and class (Lorber 28). This is exactly what society does with race.

They dont understand that no matter the color of your skin, anyone can become successful in
the work force. Nobody has to be a specific color or gender to be successful or higher in rank

than one another. This is just something that todays society does not take into consideration or

understand.

Having have had these experiences in my life about race has definitely had a major

impact on who I am today. I love everyone for who they are, not what they look like and

nobodys opinion will ever change who I am or what I believe in. As stated previously, my

parents were the ones who told me to always treat other how I wanted to be treated and thats

one motto I live by every day. My values are very easy to understand. I believe everyone

deserves a fair chance to be who they want, no matter the color of their skin. I also believe that

we need to value and cherish our cultural differences, so that we can learn and grow from our

past mistakes in life. Understanding people can be hard because it may not be what someone is

used to hearing or doing. However, this doesnt need to be a reason why someone doesnt like

somebody else. As I get older, I learn how to use cultural differences to my own benefit. This is

what everyone of every racial group needs to do, so that we can all become one and live life as

a community instead of individuals. Think of everyday as a chance to learn, grow, accept, and

understand.

This picture was taken last year at

4H camp where everyone in the
county gets together for the week.
These are a few of my friends
from this past year.
 Works Cited

Lorber, Judith. Night To His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. Composing

Gender, edited by Rachael Groner, John F. OHara, Bedford, 2014, pp. 19-34.

The Many Meanings of Race. Britannica Academic, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016.