The Importance of Equity by Yasmin

Yasminof Auburn's entry into Varsity Tutor's March 2017 scholarship contest

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Yasmin of Auburn, ME
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The Importance of Equity by Yasmin - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

As many of you know, this has been a rough year for our nation. It seems like we are falling apart instead of coming together. Our nation, built on freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is starting to show signs of no longer standing by any of those.
My culture, something that defines who I am and not what I am, almost feels like its being “robbed” from me by our government. I don’t feel safe. I want to escape it but I feel like I’m screaming from 10 feet under and no one can hear my voice. I feel invisible. We live in a country that preaches about freedom but is afraid of letting others showcase it. We live in a society that rushes to labels and stereotypes before understanding and learning more about the person. We live in a world built around the media’s portrayal of those who are different from the majority.
Too often, when someone sees me they see my Hijab and they automatically think ISIS. They see my name and they automatically see a terrorist. My whole life I have been under these cruel labels that have been pushed to define who I am; but in all honesty, they don’t. I am me because of my culture not by what the media shows about it. I live in a household that preaches peace and not violence. However, this doesn’t stop people from labeling me. Everyone is so quick to judge instead of taking the time to educate themselves. Our number one source of news is CNN instead of a textbook. We live in a millennium that enforces everyone to be treated the same and to have equal rights, but I feel like their definition of “equal” is different from mine. If everyone was treated the same, there would not be a need of a wall on the border, or people being excluded from entering our country. It’s our interpretation of equity that changes the meaning of it. And it is our job as the next generation to stop these labels and to join together as one.
This past January, my group, The Muslim Student Association/Cultural Alliance, came up with the idea of educating our teachers on the importance of culture and diversity. At first, our principal was hesitant in letting us do so and had many questions to ask us about our motives. But, after some dialogue and communication, we were all set to hold this presentation. The presentation addressed many problems and conflicts minorities are facing within our school walls. Students spoke on issues such as language barriers, the hijab and other cultural head coverings, and quotes students have said about minorities. I took the responsibility to plan this meeting with the teachers so they could have a different perception on others.
After the presentation, teachers began to better understand the different cultures and identities existing in this building. Typically, students of color and those that come from a different background may not have the resources or tools needed to stand up or conquer the stereotypes happening around them, but the teachers do. With out presentation, we helped some teachers realize their role in being advocates for us when we may need it. I am glad to have had this platform to battle the many obstacles and problems we face everyday to raise awareness about them. Many teachers, in fact, encouraged our group to give this same presentation to the student body because of the message. Although, teachers are more apt to understand and emphasize with their students about where they come from, many students could have a different approach about their fellow classmates than they did before through this presentation.
The only thing we can do to burn these stereotypes and labels is to defend them and to testify against them. Everyone only thinks Muslims are terrorists because they are told so by the media. So, it is our job to reach out and make sure people begin to understand that the actions of a few don’t dictate an entire population. We can start by doing presentations like the one I was involved in to help educate those around us to drive for equality.

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