Being a second generation student and a Hmong minority, I have experienced many racial discrimination against me and the Hmong community. When I was younger I was afraid of being Hmong because we were “different,” we didn’t have white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, and we weren’t tall. English was their first language and Hmong was my first. In sixth grade I realized that I didn’t have English with my white friends. I was put into a classroom full of only Hmong students and I thought to myself, that the only reason why I was put into this classroom was because I wasn’t white, and that the only way to get out of the ELL class was to act white, dress white, and only surround myself with my white friends. Eventually I got out of the ELL class and finally had …show more content…
until freshman year. That was the year that I realized that all my Hmong friends that I had replaced always had my back, and had accepted me when I had no one. I remember my uncle said to me “The Hmong students will always have your back. No matter how much you try to get rid of them they will always be there for you. One day you will truly find out who your real friends are and to embrace your culture.” Even though I spoke English, acted white, dressed white, only had white friends, I acted like my Hmong culture didn’t exist, and replaced my Hmong friends with my white friends, yet I still felt out of place. I didn’t feel like I belonged. When I was with them I felt like a sore thumb. It was obvious that I didn’t belong because my facial appearance wasn’t white. Beginning of Freshman year my “so called white friends” left me because I didn’t meet their standard to be a part of the group, so I was alone. That was when I realized that I had abandoned my Hmong community and that they will never forgive me and will never accept me, but I was so