Michael Oher, now a professional football player, was in high school when he wrote, “I look and I see white everywhere. White walls, white floors and a lot of white people.” While it’s steadily decreasing, the majority of the world’s population is white. Minorities consist of African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Latinos, and more. Where I come from, I’m a minority; Asian. INSERT RATIO HERE! As a non-racist individual, it is still very difficult to grow up with a different background than whites. For the most part, I’m singled out for how I look, but others also assume they know me just because they know of the stereotypical Asian background. I didn’t know I was considered different. Of course, I knew I was adopted and I knew what my race
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Not everyone matures at the same rate, both mentally and physically. Although, in the middle of my high school career, it was like a switch went off. Suddenly, I was considered unique because of my race. The jabs at my being Asian came to a screeching halt, not that the looks have reduced as well, because they haven’t. That’s understandable though. I don’t look like them; I don’t look white. Nonetheless, I had begun to find a new fulfilled happiness. I, of course, am not completely comfortable in my own skin yet. It will take time and patience to heal the emotional bruises, but what I have learned throughout my life is to never, ever judge another based on their looks or assume I know them because I know of their ethnical background. It has a lot to do with appearance versus reality. The realities being we, as people, are not defined by our cultures. In short, acceptance won’t find me. I have to be brave enough to find it. I have to find it within the people I surround myself with and myself alone. I’ve come to terms with the fact that even after I leave the town of Eldred and move on to bigger and better things, it doesn’t end there. Being Asian isn’t something I can change nor want to change; and if I were asked, I’d say I’m Asian American. I’m not one or the other for both cultures have shaped me equally. I am so much more than my race and I would not have learned the importance of looking
Not everyone matures at the same rate, both mentally and physically. Although, in the middle of my high school career, it was like a switch went off. Suddenly, I was considered unique because of my race. The jabs at my being Asian came to a screeching halt, not that the looks have reduced as well, because they haven’t. That’s understandable though. I don’t look like them; I don’t look white. Nonetheless, I had begun to find a new fulfilled happiness. I, of course, am not completely comfortable in my own skin yet. It will take time and patience to heal the emotional bruises, but what I have learned throughout my life is to never, ever judge another based on their looks or assume I know them because I know of their ethnical background. It has a lot to do with appearance versus reality. The realities being we, as people, are not defined by our cultures. In short, acceptance won’t find me. I have to be brave enough to find it. I have to find it within the people I surround myself with and myself alone. I’ve come to terms with the fact that even after I leave the town of Eldred and move on to bigger and better things, it doesn’t end there. Being Asian isn’t something I can change nor want to change; and if I were asked, I’d say I’m Asian American. I’m not one or the other for both cultures have shaped me equally. I am so much more than my race and I would not have learned the importance of looking