Race and Your Community
Race and Your Community
I feel that I have learned a lot over the years about culture and differences in people. My life was not always a bed of roses and sometimes it still isn’t. However I am the one who took a step to make a change and break m cultural stereotypes of others. After my experiences there was no way I could go back to the way of thinking I was once taught.
My life began being raised in a staunch Jewish household. I always felt a little different though because my eyes were blue. I have seen very few members of my community have blue eyes like me. The ones that I had seen with blue or even green eyes were like me, half Jewish. My father is part Irish, Italian with a small amount of Indian in him. I look very much like my father. My grandfather on my dad’s side was Italian and my grandmother on my dad’s side was mostly Irish but has about a quarter of Cherokee Indian in her. My mother however looks a lot like the people in the Jewish community. She has the dark hair with the hazel eyes. Both of my grandparents on my mother’s side are Jewish and carry the Jewish traits as well. Most people in my Jewish community have really light skin with dark hair and brown or hazel eyes. These people are descendants from Jews who came from European countries such as Germany. A few members of my community have darker skin with the dark hair and brown eyes. These people are either descendants of Israeli Jews or from Israel themselves. I do share the light skin of the Jewish half of my family however that could have also come from the Irish half of my family as well.
Growing up Jewish did not really teach me tolerance for other people and cultures. Even though I was raised Jewish I was always made to believe that there was something wrong with me growing up. I had blue eyes and no one else really did. I have to say it really was not so much the community that made me feel this way it was more my family. I am guessing because my mother got pregnant with
I feel that I have learned a lot over the years about culture and differences in people. My life was not always a bed of roses and sometimes it still isn’t. However I am the one who took a step to make a change and break m cultural stereotypes of others. After my experiences there was no way I could go back to the way of thinking I was once taught.
My life began being raised in a staunch Jewish household. I always felt a little different though because my eyes were blue. I have seen very few members of my community have blue eyes like me. The ones that I had seen with blue or even green eyes were like me, half Jewish. My father is part Irish, Italian with a small amount of Indian in him. I look very much like my father. My grandfather on my dad’s side was Italian and my grandmother on my dad’s side was mostly Irish but has about a quarter of Cherokee Indian in her. My mother however looks a lot like the people in the Jewish community. She has the dark hair with the hazel eyes. Both of my grandparents on my mother’s side are Jewish and carry the Jewish traits as well. Most people in my Jewish community have really light skin with dark hair and brown or hazel eyes. These people are descendants from Jews who came from European countries such as Germany. A few members of my community have darker skin with the dark hair and brown eyes. These people are either descendants of Israeli Jews or from Israel themselves. I do share the light skin of the Jewish half of my family however that could have also come from the Irish half of my family as well.
Growing up Jewish did not really teach me tolerance for other people and cultures. Even though I was raised Jewish I was always made to believe that there was something wrong with me growing up. I had blue eyes and no one else really did. I have to say it really was not so much the community that made me feel this way it was more my family. I am guessing because my mother got pregnant with
References: Jacobson, S. ( 1995, October, 29.) Klan Rally In Maitland Draws 1,200 Protesters. The Orlando Sentinel retrieved from http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-10-29/news/9510280976_1_klan-jewish-federation-maitland Associated Press (2006, May, 16.) Judge: Georgia Gay Marriage Ban Violates State Constitution Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195756,00.html Schaefer, R. T. (2006). Racial and ethnic groups (10th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.