Group Diversity Research Paper

Often times as a society, we tend to think in terms of groups. Which group does one belong to is often decided by where and to whom we are born to. In the same respect, we must also as a society, ask what is it like to be raised in between group’s? This is the blurred line in which I grew up. For me being of mixed race, half of my family is White, Conservatives; while at the same time, the other half are Black, Democrats. Growing up with two groups that are completely opposite to one another was an eye opening experience. But as I got older, the realization that I really don’t fit in with either group only grew.
Philosophically, groups are only as real as we allow them to be, groups such as, the LGBT community, African American communities,
In school, I was never treated the same, maybe it was because I was half white in a predominately black school, or maybe it was because I was a little quirky and weird as a kid; in effect, early on I was casted out due to “differences”.
As a result, I have memories, of being called “light-bright” due to the tone of my skin, “white-boy”, and “nerd” for making an effort to educate myself. Comparatively, in my teenage years, I surrounded myself with drug dealers and miscreants of all types in an effort to fit in. I knew as well as them, that I was different from them, but I was, in part, accepted nonetheless. And yet, I felt left out by these “friends” of mine. In my adulthood, I joined the military a group on it’s own, and into a field that I had no experience in. Once I had completed my training and arrived at my base, I was immediately exiled as unreliable. This was due to the lack of knowledge I had in my job compared to someone who had the experience prior to service. Under those circumstances, I learned to work my butt off in order to stand out. During my stretch in the military, I periodically visited my hometown, and with each visit, started to feel more like a castaway to the place I grew