Learning To Accept Myself by Ever

Learning To Accept Myself by Ever - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

We sat in the back and I began to translate for my mother. As I spoke people turned their heads with their eyes pointing at us, they appeared to be irritated hearing my voice in the background, but I had to do it. This was a milestone for me; it was the first time my mom had taken a day off to come to parent’s night. In the back of my mind I knew my mother was being criticized, but I learned English so she wouldn’t fight ignorance and racism by herself. That night when we returned home I cried remembering those faces looking at her with disgust; it reminded me of when I was the one people looked at with piercing eyes.
At the age of fifteen I came to America, and soon after I noticed I was not like the rest. In school I had to explore the hallways alone, excluded from the world for not being “normal,” not knowing my skin color and accent categorized me as Hispanic. For many days I would come home from school seeking relief in my mother only to find myself crying alone because she would go to work before I came back from school and did not return until after I was in bed. I was pretty much on my own.

People expected Hispanics to do badly in school, and some lived up to that standard, but to me that was not an option. My mother couldn't help me with homework like the parents of other kids could and I couldn't afford to let her down so I would spend hours trying to understand the concepts we talked about in class and it was hard, but not impossible.

To society I was reason there was an increase in poverty and crime, I had to be the loud and uneducated kid, but I wasn't. Instead I was the kid who was brave enough to go to school every day ready to be made fun of for having an accent, but I would rather be that kid than the one who dropped out.

Every day stereotypes tried to dictate who I was, but I was ready to overcome anything others brought upon my ethnic group. Now I realize that people were right when they said I was not normal. I was the Hispanic kid whom was less likely to succeed, yet I was the one who proved that people cannot be judged based on how they look. I learned to accept myself regardless of what others might think, I am the only one capable of controlling my destiny.

Up to this day I still see piercing eyes ready to make a statement about who I am, those eyes are in front of a mirror waiting to prove that not being normal is nothing to be ashamed of.