My Racial Identity In The Life Span

687 Words2 Pages

In elementary school my decision to not speak Spanish, stemmed from my need to conform, but my racial identity was a mixed child still remain strong, I was not consciously making a decision to reject this particular part of my identity, because at this point I had not developed enough of a sense of self to recognize my deviation (Broderick & Blewitt, The Life Span p. 353). In middle and high school however, I did outwardly experience ambivalence in my racial identity. Although my schools were very accepting, and I did not experience racism at all, I did feel I was discriminated against based on my intellectual abilities for being in special education. This being said, despite many attempts to get myself out of these remedial classes, I soon realized that intellectual capability would remain a secure and stable part of my life, but being mixed, race I felt my racial identity was fluid. …show more content…

During this time, I washed and straightened my curly hair on a daily bases, and I tried wear clothes that everyone else bought (Juicy Couture), and I tried to speak more “white,” although my speech already reflected a more scholarly and proper prose, based on the environment I was placed. According to theorists, racial identity is something many adolescents, especially minority’s face, and in doing so many teen either immerse themselves in there racial group or reject it (Broderick & Blewitt, The Life Span p. 354). No doubt, I immersed myself into my white identity and rejected other parts such as my Black or Hispanic

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