Who I Am Essay - 1144 Words

When I look in the mirror I know whom I am, but society makes it difficult to understand who I am, because I was born to immigrants of Nigerian descent, and I am a first generation American, that term is sometimes used so loosely. By looking at my name they assume that I am from some island, but I am so quick to tell them that â€Å"I am Nigerian†, there is another statement that normally follows this. â€Å"You do not have an accent†. I wonder if I had an accent would I be considered Nigerian and not American; then I say that â€Å"My parents are Nigerian† and then that changes, so to them I am just associated with the Nigerian culture it does not make me Nigerian, there has been many discussion between my friends who are the same like me confused to†¦show more content†¦I currently enjoy shocking people with my heritage because there is still a stigma about what a Haitian should look like, sound like, etc. Id say that because I was such a scared little kid who didnt talk much, my family could do little to support me because they didnt know I was having issues (A. Benjamin, personal communication, Dec 1, 2009). This is saying that if you do not walk, talk, or think like them; then you are not considered to be of that ethnicity. Everyday I am on a constant race to discover who I am as an individual. I am fighting this battle whether I choose to acknowledge it or not. Donald Hernandez has written in his book Children of Immigrants: Health, Adjustment, and Public Assistance; he talks about major key points, but the most important one state â€Å"Third, because life chances differ greatly according to race and ethnicity in the United States, and because of the race and ethnic composition of immigrants to this country has shifted markedly during recent decades,† (3). That is true trying to be one thing is very hard in USA society has an effect of how you may become as the individual. If I were in another country they would just see as an American and nothing else, but the place that I was born and raised they see me as what my parents are Nigerians. I am not American because my parents are from Nigeria; this has been a very constant thing, because of several definitions of what itShow MoreRelatedWho Am Who I Am792 Words   |  4 Pagesidentity? I have an identity and I know when I got it too, because I will never forget these moments in my life. I live in a world where people don’t see me for me, only what they want to see or what they hear. A black man always put down by the white race, and told to shoot for the stars by the black race. I found no comfort in either race and I was put down by both races. I was the one who told myself to rise, I learned that the only person who wants you to succeed is yourself. I am nothing likeRead MoreWho I Am I? Essay1710 Words   |  7 Pages Who am I? It is funny you should ask because I was just asking myself the same question. How would I define myself In a culture that seems to so easily attach a label to someone or quickly place people into a category? How would I be able to make you understand my place in the world, or my relationship to the world that surrounds me? If I want you to understand and see the â€Å"real me† and how I fit into the big picture, I would have to do an immense amount of soul searching. I would have to chooseRead MoreWho I Am A? 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But before we begin to define who I am letsRead MoreI Am Who They Are880 Words   |  4 PagesTo Be Who They Are â€Å"Oh! You wrote your name!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Did Ms. Michelle teach you to do that?† â€Å"No,† my oldest daughter replied, â€Å"Julie and Eden know how to do it, so I wanted to do it too.† At four years old, she had taught herself to write her name on her very first day of preschool. Her father had been right; she was just as precocious as the amazing little kid he had seen on TV. But I was right too: she would do these things when she was good and ready, and not a moment sooner.