What Would Be Different If I Looked Different?

    Something that I have found interesting to think about the last couple weeks relates to my experience with whiteness and how my life has benefited from it and also ways it would maybe be different if I were raised with my mom's puerto rican culture at all. My mom was adopted at birth and has never been in contact with her biological parents, but her biological mom was full Puerto Rican and her biological dad was White. My mom was adopted to two white parents who are amazing people, but she has never discovered her biracial culture and that is something I have been thinking about since being in this class. I have thought about what my life life would look like and how different it would be if my puerto rican side was more evident, looks wise but also culture wise. My mom doesn't know anything about her puerto rican culture, although she looks the part. She has some of the curliest hair i've ever seen and I know that is something she would cry and cry and cry about growing up because she never knew how to do it, and it looked differently than all of her friends and family. That would be challenging especially at a young age. My mom straightened her hair every single day for 25+ years, although now she wears it curley a lot more often she still doesn't love it. I wonder what my life would be like if I had ringlet curls and darker skin and different family traditions than I do right now, Would I have the same friends? would I have the same outlook on life because of the different experiences I would maybe have? would I have the same privileges I do now? These are some of the things I have been thinking about since being in this class and it kinda makes me sad that I haven't ever thought of this before but that's why i'm here right! It makes me sad to know that just by looking a little bit different than I do now, I might be more familiar with knowing what it's like to face discrimination and prejudice from others. And again, it's even crazier to think about how different my mom's life could be too. I know I have benefited from whiteness my whole life and I am more aware of that now more than ever. I am very privileged in so many ways that I know now that many people are not. In class we talk a lot about how personal experiences are one of the major aspects of what shapes the way we see and interact with the world around us, but when those experiences are not positive it makes sense why individuals have a really hard time with everyday interactions and tasks no matter how big or small they might be. We as humans see the world through our own personal lens, and that can easily be a blessing or a curse depending on who's lens you're looking through. This is why it's so important to learn as much as we can about ourselves and others so we can best live our lives to the fullest with compassion towards others who are trying to do the same.

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