For you minorities out there, how do you show your pride? Options

[Tung]

Living in a predominantly Asian community, I find that it's easy for a lot of people to stay here and never have to assert their Asian-consciousness. However for most of us, colleges, careers, and etc. force us out into the predominantly white world outside of our neighborhood.

Often when a lot of young Asian-Americans leave, they get a culture shock. Hey, the world is racist? What there's discrimination? What do you mean there's a different between you and me cause your skin's different and you grew up differently than me?

So how do people assert themselves in these new situations and be proud of their heritage? They can't a lot of the time and don't know how, and let themselves get pushed around and end up in the background.

Or else they end up clumping together with other Asians in the area, but sometimes that isn't an option.

So what's there do to? How do you stand up to the environment around you?

[monster]

put this in academia, this is an essay question, not off-topic.

[dustbunny]

Admittedly, I clumped. That was back in middle school when everyone clumped..right? heh

I don't have an issue with my race or anything so it's not like I'm going to go around pretending I'm something I'm not. For the most part I also don't go around shoving my culture into people's faces; my goal isn't to flash/advertise my culture. Basically, I don't do anything, just continue to live my life.

/edit

put this in academia, this is an essay question, not off-topic.

where exactly would this go in academia? I think this could be a light hearted topic to discuss, it doesn't require a formal 5 paragraph answer. Just because it requires a tad bit more of intellect and thought than the average lounge topic doesn't mean we can't raise the bar a bit.

[DoubleJ]

To the contrary, I actually don't clump at all. I for one don't have many black friends irl. I can actually name all of them on one hand lol. With that being said, I constantly get labeled as the white black guy, because I act whiter than some white guys according to people.

When it comes to the situations that you mentioned, I always keep it in the back of my mind, that I am black, and it is twice as hard for me to achieve what I want to. I never forget where I come from, or where my ancestors came from for that matter. As a result of that, I always give a full effort to everything, and conduct myself in a proper manner.

[Reidar]

I don't take pride in arbitrary facets like ethnicity or race. I did nothing to earn how I was born.

[miyashu]

i actually used to be ashamed of my mixed heritage, because i used to get nothing but teasing and accusations of "OMGz THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT YOU'RE PART CHINESE/JAPANESE. YOU DON'T EVEN LOOK IT." the "purebred azn" kids would think i was lying, which really hurt me and so for a while i pretended that i was 100% peruvian and nothing else. yeah, really stupid i know.

it wasn't until i started college, where i met people of all different cultures, that i started to appreciate all parts of my heritage. i'm happy being an asian-hispanic. xD (couldn't imagine myself saying that years ago.)

[Gigi]

Lately, at our school, people have been wearing "I LOVE CHINA" T-shirts. I guess this is in response to people bashing on the Beijing Olympics and Tibet.

I don't have this shirt, but I suppose I show my Asian pride by...taking pride in my cultural up-bringing. I mean, I don't really have to make much of an effort, what with being around an overwhelmingly Asian population.

[queen]

opposite for me. i grew up in a predominantly black/spanish community. i went to a private school for elementary/middle/junior high, and i was the only asian in my class. all the other asians at school also knew each other 'cause there were only a handful of us, and all our parents formed our own little asian community lol. i guess, in this instance, that's how i kept my asian disposition/nature in that particular setting.

when i moved on to high school, it was very different for me. on one hand, i was glad there were more asians i could associate with. on the other, these other asians didn't have the same upbringing as i did. they all either grew up in queens or brooklyn in predominantly asian communities; therefore, it made me feel isolated from them sometimes. that's when i learned that i don't like or get along with certain groups/types of asian people, and that i felt way more special back when i was the only asian in class.

it all came together though. i garnered a good variety of friends, including many asians. i guess in order to survive in any environment, you just gotta know who you are. i'm not trying to be philosophical here. you can get a culture shock if you go anywhere that's different from where you're used to. it doesn't matter what ethnicity/race you are; what really affects you is where you are from and how you were brought up. if you've defined yourself as a person and have the pride and dignity to not "lose" yourself in other environments, you'll be fine.

[Joanne]

Lately, at our school, people have been wearing "I LOVE CHINA" T-shirts.

They are sooooooo cute! I want one. But $20? Uh.......