Discrimination

In many cultures finding your identity is hard. It is even harder to not be labeled for what you look like in society. Currently, people have changed the way that they judge each other and are judging everyone based on the idea of their ethnicity. As I grew up, who I was as a person did not matter because everyone did not bully me based on the color of my skin. I assumed I was just like everyone else. Although when I became a teen things changed. After 9/11, my race and ethnicity mattered more and people treated me differently because I was labeled as a Muslim.

When I grew up my parents did not talk to me about race because it was never an issue. I learned only about my culture but never once did they talk to me about other people race and ethnicity. I think they figured my school would take the responsibility to teach me about those kinds of things. I could relate to the article, “Race Talk” when I heard a quote from one of the participants, “Beth: There was never a major conversation on race, but it was very much a part of who you were, how you grew up.” It was not anything my parents figure held importance.

Later on I moved in 2003 and attended a new middle school people were curious about my culture because I was the only Arabs attending my school. For instance, they wanted to know why I fasted because all the students in my class were Hispanics and were clueless about Ramadan. This made me seem like I was an alien and that I was the only Arab around. When I discussed it with my sister she told me it is better that they ask question instead of being bullies. This made realized I knew less about my ethnicity and I began to ask my parents questions.

As I started attending high school more people noticed my ethnicity and ...

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...pened made me realize I still hold onto Islamic values. Nevertheless sometimes people will make a disconnection between Muslim and Terrorist and get the truth mixed up. It made me see that people can form prejudice by judging what they do not know, and that I have a privilege that my race and ethnicity is hidden through out my life. I was representing symbolic ethnicity where I was able to hide that I was Muslim when I was not celebrating Ramadan until than it was something very hard to conceal. All this has led me to identifying myself as Arab American.

References

Ferris, Kerry and Jill Stein. 2012. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology [3rd ed.]. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Steele, Richard, "Race Talk". Retrieved February, 2013 Available: Steele, Richard Steele. "WBEZ 91.5 Chicago." The Race Talk. Richard Steele, 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. .