1. When did you first become aware that people were differently racially or ethnically?
I grew up in a predominantly white community. I honestly don’t remember being introduced to African Americans until my mother divorced my father and we moved to Ohio to stay with relatives. I was ten years old. While in Ohio, my mother enrolled me into a predominantly black grade school. I was clearly one of the only few white people in this school. I felt nervous and out of place. The kids did not want to talk to me, and I did not feel comfortable in my skin. I was subjected to bullying and intimidation. My grades suffered and my self-esteem lowered. We eventually moved to an area where I wasn’t the minority. My experiences in schools where the students …show more content…
I follow American traditions, beliefs, and customs.
2. How has your sense of race/ethnicity or culture changed over time?
I have learned so much about other cultures in some of my classes at M.T.S.U. Also, while working for my company, I have befriended co-workers of different cultures and they have taught me so much about their customs and beliefs. I went from a young child who did not understand cultural differences to an adult who embraces cultural differences.
8. How would you describe the extent of your contact with people who are racially/ethnically different from you?
I have weekly contact with people who are racially/ethnically different than myself. The company I work for hires people of different races and cultural backgrounds. I have befriended some of these people and have learned so much about their culture. My classes are online, but sometimes I visit the M.T.S.U campus to use the library or take proctored exams. During these times, I am in contact with students from different cultural backgrounds.
1. How has this changed over time?
It has changed drastically during my lifetime, from no interaction when I was younger to weekly interactions with people from different cultural