Diversity Statement Round 2 Critique!
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 6:10 pm
Thanks in advanced for all your help, guys/girls!
Outcast, immigrant, fob (i.e., fresh off the boat); these words cut me like a knife. The more I heard it, even just a single syllable, the more it hurt. Even those who were Filipino, but born in America uttered similar words of disdain in my direction. What I could not understand was why? I thought America was the land of the free, the land of opportunity. But what I felt was discrimination from my peers. Discrimination like I had never felt before. After countless failed attempts to “fit in”, my dad (stepfather) taught me a lesson that I will never forget; the lesson of ignorance.
He taught me that the reason why these individuals thought less of me was because they did not know me and, rather than get to know me, made presumptions about what an immigrant was. However, these words are not indicative of the person I am and that only I could control the person I become. Undoubtedly, my motivation as a youth was solely to prove these individuals wrong, but what I now understand is that proving this single group of individuals was not enough. No individual should have to experience discrimination because they are different.
Today, I am the first college graduate in my family and embody the dreams that my mother had hoped would come to fruition by moving to America. But what I want does not stop there. I want to be an example of the change I envision; an example that immigrants in this country can succeed. It may be foolish of me to think I can, but it would be more foolish of me for never trying.
I am proud to be an immigrant and I am proud to let others know that it is a part of my identity. Although my experiences during my youth were negative, it has bestowed upon me the determination to withstand adverse circumstances, and the ability to help others understand. I have overcome many challenges, and even though my lack of proficiency in speaking English may have hindered me from accomplishing tasks in the past, I consider this deficiency to be a part of me, a part of me that I never want to forget.
Outcast, immigrant, fob (i.e., fresh off the boat); these words cut me like a knife. The more I heard it, even just a single syllable, the more it hurt. Even those who were Filipino, but born in America uttered similar words of disdain in my direction. What I could not understand was why? I thought America was the land of the free, the land of opportunity. But what I felt was discrimination from my peers. Discrimination like I had never felt before. After countless failed attempts to “fit in”, my dad (stepfather) taught me a lesson that I will never forget; the lesson of ignorance.
He taught me that the reason why these individuals thought less of me was because they did not know me and, rather than get to know me, made presumptions about what an immigrant was. However, these words are not indicative of the person I am and that only I could control the person I become. Undoubtedly, my motivation as a youth was solely to prove these individuals wrong, but what I now understand is that proving this single group of individuals was not enough. No individual should have to experience discrimination because they are different.
Today, I am the first college graduate in my family and embody the dreams that my mother had hoped would come to fruition by moving to America. But what I want does not stop there. I want to be an example of the change I envision; an example that immigrants in this country can succeed. It may be foolish of me to think I can, but it would be more foolish of me for never trying.
I am proud to be an immigrant and I am proud to let others know that it is a part of my identity. Although my experiences during my youth were negative, it has bestowed upon me the determination to withstand adverse circumstances, and the ability to help others understand. I have overcome many challenges, and even though my lack of proficiency in speaking English may have hindered me from accomplishing tasks in the past, I consider this deficiency to be a part of me, a part of me that I never want to forget.