A Mini Biography: Mixing Cultures Fatima Gonzalez

A Mini Biography: Mixing Cultures

By Fatima Gonzalez

Growing up, I always had relatives nearby — my cousins were right around the corner, so I never felt alone. The Latine community ensured everyone there felt at home even if we didn’t share the same background. This was true even when I was at school. However, at the age of 6 or 7, I was forced to move to a different school where I knew absolutely no one. And though I was told I would be one of the few children of color attending, . My classmates welcomed me with open arms; however,

. Many of my classmates were eager to know more about me, while others felt surprised by how different I was. I made a decent amount of new friends, but I became really close to two of my classmates. We were all different ethnicities, and as a child, I didn’t understand why that was so important. I discovered that we didn’t share many of the same customs or holidays; as a matter of fact, we were raised very differently. Despite these differences, it was an opportunity for us to bond and learn more about each other. I eventually was taught that people at school could be ostracized for being different, but thankfully my friends made me feel at home — they made me feel safe. This was my first experience being introduced to other cultures and when I learned that .

Middle school had a similar story as there were few students of color and I found myself hanging out with the Asian community. I learned a lot about Asian culture and noticed I shared many similarities with my Asian friends. Around this time, I also attended prep classes where I was one of the few Latine individuals in the room. I made many friends at prep; unfortunately, none shared the same culture I did. Although I loved them, and although they made me feel very comfortable, I realized that I felt a bit alone.

I was welcomed by so many other people, taking the time to get to know them and their cultures — so much so that I began to neglect my own. In order to connect with my own culture while continuing to learn more about others, I was determined to become more active in my own community first. I volunteered at a youth program that focused on helping minority teens from around the city. This program taught me much more about myself and the importance of acceptance.

I went to a small high school whose student body was 50% Asian, 4% Hispanic and 1-2% Black. My attempt to become more engaged in my own culture became more difficult. However, the new friends I made allowed me to express myself and share my culture. Indeed, my friends were quite amazing and supported me as I explored more of my culture. When my organization — the Hispanic club — struggled to find performers, my friends eagerly volunteered and helped me plan the performances. At that point in my academic life, I had not had many interactions with individuals who share my culture. Yet, my time in high school led me to be .

Upon entering college, I recognized that without these experiences, I would likely not be as invested in learning about others’ cultures and the struggles they face. As minorities, many of us may find ourselves so involved in our own communities that we forget to provide aid for others too. Ultimately, I learned that being different isn’t necessarily bad; being different allows people from varying cultures to come closer despite how separated our communities appear to be.

As the political world grows more hectic and divided, it’s important to remember that the first step in finding peace for issues is . Personally, if I had stayed in my own bubble of culture growing up, I wouldn’t be so aware of how important identity is to me or others.