Veronica Ferreira
HSC 102
Diversity
Section 1
Well I first found about where I am originated from was a
couple of years ago when my father was trying to find out where our last
name came from. But people usually do not know that I am Dominican let
alone they don’t even think I am Hispanic. So when I tell anyone that I am
Hispanic they think I am lying. Like just the other day I was at work when a
customer came up to me talking some weird language. I believe it was French
or Creole I wasn’t sure what it was. But they kept talking like I understood
what they were saying to me, until I’ve finally told them I did not
understand. So they just stared at me like I was kidding or something and
spoke broken English. You know when their first language is not English and
they try to speak to you the best they can.
With all the words mixed up, they were trying to ask me if I knew
another language because they could talk more than one language but it did
not include English. Then I answered saying “I speak Spanish”. They got
happy and confused that I actually spoke that language; it is because I do
not look Spanish at all. That is when they started to speak with me of how I
look Italian and Jewish. Then I explained to them that my family originally
came from Italy and then Spain, after which my family ended up in the
Dominican Republic. That is where my last name came from and my father
discovered that as a gift to my grandfather. That time when I talked to
anyone about where I am from it makes me realize that there are so many
different people in this world. I am part of the Hispanics which is something
I am very proud of saying.
Section 2
Well when I was in high school I went to one that is very diverse
because practically every race in the world attended that school. That
school was unique because everyone got along. Most of my friends were
Guyanese and Hispanic. I learned a lot from each group of friends I had, like
some of my friends that were Guyanese talked about how their religion had
restrictions on life and cultural. Like they have arranged marriages and you
are supposed to be pure of heart and soul, like you were not even supposed
kiss anyone at all and god forbid they even try to go out with someone out of
their race. There is one apart of their religions which they supposed to go
without eating food during the day and they can only eat at a certain time
before sunrise I believe if I am correct. I think now on how different we are
and how religions are so different. I believe I am freer then I ever thought
because I get to choose my life, unlike them. Most of them usually got
married right out of high school. While I went to college they are having
children. They just remind me how people used to be back then and all those
stories I have heard that are similar to their religion.