It was the beginning of 8th grade for me in the 2018-19 school year. My social studies teacher then taught me about racism in America and Colin Kaepernick kneeling in response to police brutality. As months go by, I start to experience the racism about my skin color and the horrible stereotypes people have said about me. The next day, my teacher taught me about the first amendment rights and how the kneeling was a good thing. As time progressed, I learned what it was like to be a person of color in America where I am not getting equal treatment as the White students were. The teacher made me learn more about race and prejudice and bias in school and in America. It made me a more of a strong person and more understanding than my White friends do. I learned something that no one told me which was something what they had called “White Privilege”. I learned that from one of my friends of color as they learn about racism too.  

I then experience more racism from my white friends and the gaslighting I get from them. I realise that I had to stand up for myself or else I will live like this forever. I then tried talking to an administrator all he did was give him a reprimand. I would then learn that if I had white skin, I would have it easier with the administrator and I would not have been bullied. I would imagine how worse it would be for other students of color considering all of the administrators and the office people in my school were white. I had some Black friends who did not feel comfortable or safe around our school resource officers back then because of fears of police brutality and racial profiling. The idea of racism and prejudice was rampant in my school considering the high distrust in authority and the known police brutality at this time. The one thing I was disappointed about during my time in school was the school didn’t see racism as an issue and didn’t really care because they always say “We are all equal”.  

All of this made me an independent, and a strong person today who can stand up against racism and prejudice that still exists in our town and society today. If this never happened, I would be ‘colorblind’ (not aware of racism and prejudice in races) and still see America as some perfect country. It was still prevalent in my freshman year of high school when a person of my race said I should “Paint myself White” in order to talk to white girls in our school. As time progressed, this made me a stronger and independent person and never stopped fighting for what’s right and always stand up for what I believe in. Without these, I would just be conforming and a follower.  

I am now an independent strong Asian boy who overcame his struggles and an independent leader against all struggles. Racism has conditioned my brain to be used to this and the struggles I go through make me a mentally and physically stronger person to rise above and to be a leader. Racism is like an obstacle course which tries to stop you from being a proud  person of color.  Racism is also like a person who discourages you from standing up. Racism is a horrible thing that changes the way you see about yourself and lowers your self esteem. It is something that you hate to see everyday. I hate to see racism among my own friends who are bullying me. I can see their laugh, their bigotry, and the prejudice in their eyes.

 I can hear the worst things they can say, even the most insensitive racist jokes and the constant stereotypes and racial slurs that go through their mouth. I can feel the tension and anger building up in  my body as I am getting really upset about it but I know if I were to respond and stand up I would get in trouble before they do. So in summary, the struggles of racism in school, the bigotry, and the colorblindness of the administrators hardened me in a way and made me a stronger and more of an independent person who learns to stand up for himself against the injustices that happen to him.