My Experience of Ethnic Difference

As humans beings we are all the same and even our DNA is similar, but some of the human beings do not want to be considered part of the same or one large group of people.  In actuality, most of the humans do share some form of similarities, but end up leading to social issues based on race, color, class, gender, sexuality and colonial history that clashes with various groups of people for being different. However, I was not exposed to the social issues brought on by just being different until I moved to United States from Pakistan at the age of seven.  At first I felt out of place and tried to fit in by not losing my true identity and traditions.  The main reason for us moving to the U.S. was for my parents to raise their children in a better environment, receive good educations and to have a brighter future; however, I was shocked to see social issues caused by people judging each other for being different. 

Every human being is a human being—who is unique and different form everyone around them (also including myself).  I was not born in the U.S. but was born in Pakistan and moved to the U.S. when I was about seven years old. Most of the people in are not originally from here, but have been living here since their ancestors came across the ocean on crowded boats or the recent ones who came on an airplane. As a newcomer in a strange landscape, I felt like I did not belong here and people would judge me for being different. I did not let my difference bother me when I came to live in an area that does not welcome newcomers.

I had lived in Pennsylvania for two years, in a small town, an hour drive away from Philadelphia.  The community and school district were not diverse at all. The majority of the people were Caucasian; it was an eyeopening experience. Conversely, Jersey City is a multicultural community, and cannot go anywhere without seeing or meeting people of different backgrounds.  Whenever you go for a walk or run an errand you might end up meeting people from Ghana, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Greece and Haiti, among others. 

Most the people might think racial or social issues to be old news, but the problem still exists today, and thrives in parts of the world.  One of the places around the world where racial and ethnic differences still exist is the Dominican Republic. GO Team: Dominican Republic will visit small towns or villages where people from Haiti have settled and mixed themselves with the Dominicans, thereby adopting two identities. I hope to get to know their views in order to understand the causes of the racial and ethnic issues with which they are dealing.

Shahroze Ahmad, G.O. Team: Dominican Republic