“Pthoukhla eynoukh”: Open your eyes

One of my favorite classes I have taken at my college was called Encounter with Cultures. This class was divided into 3 sections that covered Native American, African American, and Mexican culture and stereotypes.

Over the course of the semester I learned so much about these three cultures and I was beyond fascinated. During one of the sections, my professor had an activity planned that I will never forget.

In the beginning of class he made us move all of the desks and chairs aside and had the whole class stand in a line, shoulder to shoulder, while he read off statements. If you felt like you were comfortable with the statement, he had you take a step forward. If you disagreed with the statement, you would just stand where you were.

The statements would sound like this: “I do not feel held back by the color of my skin” or “I am comfortable at the college I am at” or “When I am being loud or obnoxious, I know people will not associate it to my racial background”.

I began stepping forward with most of the other students in my class for quite a while. However, half way through I realized that I could not step any further, while the majority of the group was still stepping forward without hesitation. I looked behind me and there were only two other classmates that were left behind with me.

Sadness overcame my emotions.

When my professor was finished reading the 20 or so questions, he had everyone take a seat where they were standing.  Mostly every student, who was Caucasian, was on the other side of the classroom. For me and two other students it was a different story.

You see I like to think that my culture does not affect me in a negative way but only positive things happen to me because of my racial background. However, this isn’t true most of the time. I am effect by these stereotypes and preconceived notices. It’s probably the worst feeling you can ever have; the feeling that someone doesn’t like you because of your skin color or because of your racial background.

I learned that there isn’t much you can do about it but fully love and embrace who you are.

My professor asked us why we were sitting where we were. At this point, I had traveled to the middle of the classroom with another student of Hispanic descent.  What hurt me the most was to see my other classmate who couldn’t have taken more than one step during this whole activity. She was African American and she was at a loss for words as well as mostly everyone in the classroom.

Since my college is predominately white, like I mentioned before, it’s hard to find where you belong if you are a minority. I had to explain to her and the rest of the class that it’s hard to be the minority constantly. You always wish for that moment to be with people that are like you, that share your same race and background to just relax and breathe a sigh of relief knowing in their eyes no matter what you do, you will not be judged.  

Open your eyes.

Stereotypes can have such a vast impact on people.  I just hope that the results of this activity will forever be imbedded into the heads of these students and that these students will learn to love people for who they are on the inside not the outside.