UGS Essay #1
9/21/2015
“Whoever You Want to Be” “You are Asian, so go study,” “You are black, try that sport,” “Hey White, don’t be racist just go to parties,” “Hey Mexican, can you get some drugs for me?” This is the reality of society. We say racism is gone, but this is how we view each race and define each race. In fact, this is the reality of how each race of child is influenced and raised. Racism still exists not because we haven’t talked enough about it, but because we never try to change it. Likewise, born in a foreign country, I faced this unchangeable problem as an international student with different views. Also through these diverse experiences I came to frame my identity racially and personally throughout my life. “Hey, is racism harsh in America?” “How fast are black people? Do they actually carry guns?” These are questions that I was asked when I went back to Korea this summer. Unfortunately, Internet is a huge network nowadays and it affects everyone in the world. Those questions were not randomly asked, but because that is what people see in movies and news reports. Most racial stereotypes are framed according to what is in the media, the reason they are constructed. For example, recently there was a huge issue in Texas about a 14 year old Muslim genius boy who was arrested because his invention, a homemade clock, was assumed to be a bomb by the teacher. He was arrested and handcuffed because he was a Muslim. I doubt this would have happened if it were another race. Looking at this phenomenon, no one can deny that personal identity and race identity are both consciously and unconsciously created in this society. Likewise, I cannot deny the fact that I am viewed as a smart Asian who studies 24 hours and does not do anything else. However, unfortunately my personal life is not far away from the stereotypes that people have about Asian. Asian actually value education more than anything else. It is because education has been important for Asian for a long time. My life in Korea was just like the stereotype of Asians. I was forced to study most of my days and was told that best colleges are the first step to a successful life. In fact, most of Asians who study abroad are told that our goals in America is to get into a good college and in order to receive a better education for a better job. This is ironic because stereotypes are not always just made up. I was personally influenced and shaped through environmental pressure without having a chance to expand my dream. Still and in the future I will be told of this until I become the next Bill Gates. I was raised as a “typical” Asian family and most Asians are; therefore, unfortunately, I cannot deny the fact that many Asians are somewhat obsessed with grades and studying. However, when I came to college and saw many different races and collaborated with them, my racial identity and thoughts were changed. Also after reading about Obama’s life and how he overcame the racial identity, I saw a possibility of change in this world. I realized that challenging myself and trying new things despite my race, like Obama did in the book, is what changes the world. Now I try to face racism and show that I as an Asians can perhaps love sports more than black people (and also be better). I came to realize words and Stereotypes are just unconscious situations in which I framed myself that form people’s view of myself. Race, Color, identity are words that have definitive definitions in this world; however these words are similar in that they are defined by the views of humankind. Race, color, and identity are things created by people of this word. If a society defines one of these words differently, that becomes the definition of the word. An object contains all colors, and its apparent color is just what it reflects; therefore in reality every object contains all colors. Identity can always change according to one’s behavior. These words are just words describing how people view one; they are not who one is. Looking at people like Obama makes me think that maybe one day, the definition of identity will be defined “whoever you want to be.”