Response Paper 7

Chelsea Billek

November 3, 2011

SOC 1000-15

Response Paper 7

My first recollection of race was probably around the age of three or four when my grandmother would baby-sit me.  I would go over her house and while doing so, met a young boy who lived next door that was African American.  I remember one day after playing with him, I asked my grandmother how come the boy next door had darker skin then I did.  She explained to me that he was from a different race, but the same inside and ultimately no different from me.  I do not remember thinking much of it and as I grew up in a mostly white dominate community; I did not have much interaction with other races.  Around 5^th grade was when I started noticing other ethnicities: Hispanic, African American and Asian.  Although the large number of new people moving to my town had a lot to do with this, that alone was not the only factor. This was also around the same time I started watching television that often times showcased different stereotypes of different races.  One show I remember seeing as a child flipping through channels was “The Dave Chapelle Show.” The sitcom had several characters that would often times exaggerate different stereotypes for different races.  This along with other social media outlets was where I started to learn and develop my own opinions about race and ethnicity. 

            Society today seems to use race and or ethnicity in almost every facet that is possible.  Unfortunately race is often times used as a crutch to explain how someone is treated unfairly.  Although this may or may not be true, many people are often too quick to pull the race card as a reason they did not get something they thought they deserved. These vary among things such as a raise, a job opportunity, or a certain way they are treated. Whether society wants to acknowledge race or not, it is still a huge issue in modern America.  I feel this is often times based off of perception, which is something we cannot help.  As a whole, the country has made great strides in becoming a nation of equality.  However, the ignorance of a few can spoil it for all.  To this day, college applications and job applications still ask for your race.  There are special grants and funding for certain races and most colleges are still trying to keep the ethnic playing field even when they admit students. 

            My perception of race has changed a great deal since my first recollection, or better yet in my early childhood.  As a child I did not have or understand prejudice, I only noticed that the boy I was playing with was darker then me. It was not until I entered elementary school that I began to view people by their race. Again this was based on perception, something that is hard to change.  After the weeks I have spent in this class and the new friendships I have made here at Kean I have changed my views of race and ethnicity.  I realize that although some of the stereotypes may be true it does not define the person nor does their gender, race, or religion.  The person and the values they have been raised on and how they treat people are the only attributes that should matter.   So in a sense, I have become more understanding and welcoming of friendships with people of other races. Not that I was against them prior to this experience, I just had very limited exposure growing up in a predominantly Caucasian town.  Now I am proud to say that the darker-skinned boy who led me to my first question of race, has been one of my best friends up until this day. I believe people’s opinions on different races and ethnicities is largely based on the perceptions instilled in them at an early age. Although some people come to develop their own understanding through time, some cannot get past these prior notions. Everyone should be able to see past someone’s ethnic background, and appreciate individuals for who they really are.