Brittany Clinkscales, 1

My ethnic background is a blend with no distinct winner. My father’s side is a mix of Italian heritage and southern culture while I would define my mother’s background as “general American” with vague ties to Germany and England. I am Caucasian. The traditions of my family are not tied to any one set of cultural traditions. If asked, I would most likely answer that I’m Italian-American even though we don’t maintain our “Italianism.” The most accurate way to describe my background would be American with vague cultural ties. For instance, while few people in my extended family speak fluent Italian, we maintain a strong sense of family that I have come to associate with Italian culture. Our gatherings are centered on our extended families, and we always make way too much food (including a minimum of 5 pasta dishes)!

I was exposed to the issues of ethnicity and race at a young age. Before moving to the suburbs I lived and went to school in the city. I remember my classes as a hodge-podge of culture and ethnicity. The fact that we were different from each other was not a problem. I remember participating in various cultural events; we celebrated Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and other activities without tension. In class and in my home life I was taught that people were not all the same. Some children had two parents while others lived in a single parent household. While I hunted for Easter eggs and opened gifts from Santa, other children celebrated events and holidays that were different, and unique. I feel like I was lucky growing up; I was not harassed for my background and I was taught to accept others. In some ways this had made me sheltered to the harsher experiences of my peers. I have never been harassed because of my skin color, my religion, or any other characteristic of my ethnicity.

As I’ve grown up I’ve become more aware of the myriad of experiences people have had. My studies have allowed me to see the influence of racial identity on a person’s existence and the strength of the activist communities. I’ve witnessed firsthand the frustration of social stratification, and I can see all too well how racial prejudice could make success nearly impossible for some. The issues of race and ethnicity are still pressing in U.S. society but I’m hopeful our generation will make greater strides toward equality.