David Kleis (1)

I am a Caucasian with ties to Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Ireland. I would identify myself as just another "American" living inside a country that lacks an authentic cultural heritage. I tend to celebrate life rather than trying to celebrate any ethnic holidays, like St. Patricks day and what not. I feel that it's disrespectful considering these holidays have all been "Americanized" with parades, beer tents, and Hallmark cards. My first encounter with the issues of ethnicity and race came about when learning about American history. The slaughter of Natives, the enslavement of blacks, and the containment of Japanese during WWII caught my attention. Growing up, I wasn't really concerned with ethnicity and race. My school had a very low number of minorities and there wasn't a lot discussion about the topic. I have come to accept people and embrace their intricacies. I'm very interested in Jazz, Indo Jazz, and Bossa Nova. This has led me to explore early African American, Indian, and Brazilian culture in order to understand their music. In my own experiences, I have not encountered any notable instances of racism.