Experiences of Diversity

I know about three African-Americans, and I’ve had different experiences with all of them. One of them I meet when I started to go play football at the park with my friends. I thought that was going to be a jerk because most guys’ that are in the football team are. I was wrong, he was cool to take to and he wasn’t a jerk. We don’t go play football anymore but I still see him around at school. I don’t talk to him that much but when I see him I do tell him, hi or what’s going on.

The other African-American that I know is a close friend to the family. His mane is Orlando, and I meet him when he came to my grandmothers’ house. Is daughter was taken away from him and brought to my grandmothers’ house, because my grandmother used to take care of foster children. One day he came to visit his daughter, and I was practicing on my bass. He went into my room and said, “You play pretty good.” I told him thanks and then he told me that he plays bass in a jazz band. I then asked him if he can give me some tips on how to improve my playing. I thank him because if it wasn’t for him, I think that I would never be able to play the way I do. He still comes over because he brings his daughter and she stays for the weekend. He also owns his own limo business and he told me that if I every need a limo to give him a call, so I did and he is going to proved a Hummer limo for my prom.

The other African-American that I know is like my sister. She was brought into my grandmothers’ house when she was about two years old. She now lives with my brother and sister. She is part of the family, and I respect her as much as I respect my sister. She also sees me as her brother, and she said if I ever need anything, to tell her. She came over the other day and told me that as soon as I find out how much the prom pictures cost to let her know because she was going to buy them for me.

I respect each and every one of them, all in different ways, but I respect them. I don’t know how other people can treat African-Americans different and not know who they really are. I say don’t judge someone just by how they dress, talk, or even act. First you need to get to know them before you can start go judge them, and even so, you shouldn’t judge anyone.

PER.6 EXPERIENCES OF DIVERSITY

There have been many times in my life, when I've experinced moments of diversity. From walking in to a class room to being the one everyone has their eyes on. But since I live in East La , its kind of hard to experince diversity. Because of how the majority of the people are from latino decent. Some incidents I can sort of say are experiences of racism too. But the one incident that stands out most in my life is one day when I was in Azuza, CA, It was what seemed to be normal day. I had done all of the usual, the daily morning routine. It must have been aroud 2:00 in the after noon when I was walking around the shopping center. I began to notice people began to stare at me like as if I was some kind of alien. I was dressed what seemed to me to be normal, but I guess for otheres' a bit out of place. which was completely what I felt like, out of place. The way people were speaking to each othere was different, it was still english but the way they spoke it was different. Most of these people were caucasion. Next thing you know a car pulls up next to me and four guys all step out and begin telling me all sorts of things. Cussing at me and telling a bunch of hatefull things, racism first hand. I didnt know what to do, when they left I begun to just try and peice together what had just happened. What was their reasons for doing that. I began to think of what they believed in, what might have made them that way. The only excuse i could come up with was their culture and beliefs, that they were completely different to mine. Other times I experienced diversity is when i go to resturants that are of completely different cultures. Also when visiting the Grand Canyon. This was the first time I ever left california. It was the first time I would get to see how other people from another region lived. Right there the Majority of the people were white, thought of not being around a bunch of mexicans and not being able to speak in spanish, just made everything feel weird.