got the chance to sit down and talk with Taylor Emi Shingyouchi Hall. She is truly beautiful inside and out and has brought so much character and heart to what she stands for and what she believes in. Taylor is one of the most mixed-raced students in our Chicano’s class. I am also of mixed race so I related well to Taylor’s experiences and background. Taylor is primarily Japanese and African-American, both considered a minority in America. She states how she identifies with both cultures and does not see one as more superior then the other. She talked to me about both the upsides and downsides of both of her cultures. She shared with me how she sees her Japanese culture as a very beautiful thing because it is a very kind and respectful culture.
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I am half Syrian-half Romanian. I have also dealt with stereotyping because of where I am from or the language I speak. I, too, am very proud of my mixed race and feel the same way Taylor does when she speaks about how she feels due to her mixed background she has grown to be more understanding and welcoming then most people. Coming from two completely different cultures, religions, and languages, and seeing two people love each other enough to start a family gives you a slightly different pair of lenses to look at the world with a more open love and understanding in people. Japanese culture sounds very familiar to how Syrian culture is. In Syria, you must always speak with respect when talking to someone who is older then you regardless if they are a relative or stranger, which is similar to keigo in Japan. Syrian culture is also well-known for their music like the African-American culture, they use music for celebration and to bring people together. Taylor talked about how she feels that she is stereotyped and judged before she gets the chance to show her character which I can also relate to. Occasionally when small-minded people hear that I am Muslim, their point of view of me changes negatively because they tend to put me in a box of what they believe Muslims are and what they believe in with little to no understanding what the religion truly stands for. My Romanian culture is also a very welcoming culture like how Taylor stated the African-American culture is. I also feel the way Taylor and I were raised with mixed cultures, that we have some of the same varying characteristics throughout our
I am half Syrian-half Romanian. I have also dealt with stereotyping because of where I am from or the language I speak. I, too, am very proud of my mixed race and feel the same way Taylor does when she speaks about how she feels due to her mixed background she has grown to be more understanding and welcoming then most people. Coming from two completely different cultures, religions, and languages, and seeing two people love each other enough to start a family gives you a slightly different pair of lenses to look at the world with a more open love and understanding in people. Japanese culture sounds very familiar to how Syrian culture is. In Syria, you must always speak with respect when talking to someone who is older then you regardless if they are a relative or stranger, which is similar to keigo in Japan. Syrian culture is also well-known for their music like the African-American culture, they use music for celebration and to bring people together. Taylor talked about how she feels that she is stereotyped and judged before she gets the chance to show her character which I can also relate to. Occasionally when small-minded people hear that I am Muslim, their point of view of me changes negatively because they tend to put me in a box of what they believe Muslims are and what they believe in with little to no understanding what the religion truly stands for. My Romanian culture is also a very welcoming culture like how Taylor stated the African-American culture is. I also feel the way Taylor and I were raised with mixed cultures, that we have some of the same varying characteristics throughout our