Experiences of my “different” classmate

As a Christian girl, I grew up in surroundings that were respectful to all kinds and types of religions, people, races, and ethnicities. However, I also grew up surrounded by the sometimes extremely exaggerated and unreal media on certain people who are targeted like the Muslims and Islam in general. I was raised believing that every religion has its own followers and that it is of personal choice as to what you take to believe in and follow, whether it was Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, or even atheism. As I grew up, I realized that there were a lot of groups around me emerging to fight the actual definition of what Islam is, which is literally the word “peace”. Furthermore, I am going to take you on a journey in which I had the opportunity to interview a Muslim girl who has had both negative and positive experiences in response to what she believed in or what she had worn on her head. Also, it was interesting to me seeing what different people believed in and why. It was really interesting especially because I grew up being an atheist.

As soon as I knew we had to interview someone of opposite or, to be more clear, someone with a different set of characteristics, I knew what I was looking for immediately. I spotted someone that I came across in the hallway yesterday who happened to greet me very nicely and cheerfully. This someone happens to be in my class, and as far as I knew, she was a Muslim immigrant. I walked up to her and she immediately remembered me from our last time meeting each other. I wasn’t surprised when she greeted me in the same sweet way, so I proceeded with my question. “Would you mind if we became partners for the interview?” I asked. She happily agreed, so we went on talking about when was best for us to meet and interview one another. A week passed and it was finally time for me to ask all the questions I had running through my mind. I had a lot of questions that I wanted to be answered just out of curiosity and I didn’t want any of them to sound like I was trying to be rude or way too nosy. My best solution was to write them down in a decently professional manner so that both parties would be able to ask and answer with no tension or embarrassment in the atmosphere.

Of course, I went ahead and did a little bit of research a couple of days ahead from this meeting. According to Michael Lipka, an editorial manager of religion research at Pew Research Center, half of Muslim Americans say it has become harder to be Muslim in the U.S. in recent years. And 48% say they have experienced at least one incident of discrimination in the past 12 months. But alongside these reports of discrimination, a similar – and growing – share (49%) of Muslim Americans say someone has expressed support for them because of their religion in the past year. And 55% think Americans, in general, are friendly toward U.S. Muslims, compared with just 14% who say they are unfriendly. As a start, my first set of questions were about the place she was raised in and the kind of people she was around. My second set of questions included things like the choices she made growing up and whether any of them forced. I also told her to explain how girls or women are precisely treated since the media always portrays them as victims of male and societal oppression. Lastly, I wanted her to give me a brief explanation of why she migrated to the U.S.

She started off by telling me that she came to Kansas City to pursue an education; she was returning to Saudi Arabia after she gets her degree. Then she giggled as if she has already heard the rest of those questions and has seen them all before whether it was on social media, a newspaper, or has heard them on CNN. She started off by telling me that it is really unfortunate that the majority of people choose to overlook the actual meaning of Islam which is actually in the word “Islam” itself. Moreover, as I previously stated after I had done some research, it means peace, and that is what Huda told me. She continued explaining that back home in the middle east, she grew up in an extremely safe environment where they would hear of crime maybe once a year if any. She explained this is because what’s thought to be the actual reason behind all the prohibited things a Muslim shouldn’t come near. She stated, “In my country, you can’t find one store or restaurant that sells alcohol the same goes to weed and things of that sort.” She continued explaining how this is the main reason behind the extremely low crime rates, car accidents, and just unnecessary fights or arguments. She also told me about her childhood saying, “As a kid, I went to a school where we had clubs and I was able to join ballet class and a karate class which I attended with my two younger brothers.” Outsiders always have this idea that Muslim girls are only found in the kitchen but no, this is completely incorrect, as I grew up playing several sports and volunteering in multiple places like animal shelters and other organizations. When I grew up and felt like I was actually aware of everything around me in a sense that I am a fully-grown woman, I chose to wear the hijab, which is the cover worn or wrapped around a girl’s head. She explained why that is by saying, “I believe that a girl is like a diamond, she should keep herself safe and sound from all the eyes and desires out there for she is not a piece of meat (cheap). She continued telling me how because of that all my girlfriends always felt comfortable with the men around us in the malls or in public for no one ever tried sexually assaulting anyone. We are able to practice whatever thing we want to do such as driving or participating in whatever occupation we want as long as it serves the country, my family, and it doesn’t go against Allah’s teachings; the same is applied to the men as well,” she stated.

To conclude, this changed my perspective of how I used to see the women being treated in Eastern societies and it opened my eyes more to what was happening around us from injustice. All the groups emerging like ISIS, trying to ruin the reputation of Islam and the beautiful and pure teachings it has. The Islamic world wishes to live at peace with the West as well as the East. It wishes to devote its resources and energy to building a better life for its people based on the teachings of Islam and not to waste its resources in either internal or external conflicts. Finally, it seeks to create a better understanding of the West and to be better understood by the West. The destinies of the Islamic world and the West cannot be totally separated and therefore it is only with better and more respectful behavior that will help have them serve their own people more successfully and contribute to a better life for humanity.

Different Beans, Same Pot

They speak in tongues

Who’s to refuse them a taste of the basin we’re drinking from?

A flock of birds who know the worth of unbound beaks

and the soft soil that grows when the sun kisses its cheek

American dream

So close so far

yet those with the greatest reach can’t get no sleep, worlds apart

We flee the phoenixes when they’re just trying to reach the stars

Someday we’ll fly together

But tonight we’ll have to brave this weather

But it won’t last forever

So let us pray for the better

Maybe it’s the beat of unfamiliar drums

You can’t find something to eat

we don’t have enough

we profess answers to questions yet we never turn our heads when our cheek is struck

They are just as much as we

Seeking asylum from the violence

The plight of flying kites to counter pilots, nevermind it

We all bleed as one, tomorrow we may see the sun

We all different beans in the same pot

Blowing steam and licking fingers clean

Different seams in the same tapestry

Extended family

It’s time to forget the language of anguish

Tomorrow’s a new canvas it’s time to paint it

Tomorrow’s a new canvas let’s paint it

Oh, the morrow’s a new canvas let’s paint it

I believe some of the most effective of music and poetry are the simplest yet the most emotionally charged. I aimed to embody a certain feeling of uncertainty, confusion, and hope without the use of convoluted music or literary devices. A 2 5 1 chord progression paired with a soft rhyme is what I thought would work the best for what I aimed to achieve.

This is a poem representing the relationship between immigrants and those who are afraid of them and/or are apprehensive to the idea of people different to them. The poem focuses on the the misunderstandings and fears that xenophobes hold in their heart, the fear that keeps them blinded from the fact that immigrants are struggling to survive in this world, just like them. The perspective isn’t concrete because I want to emphasize that there is no “we and them”, we are all in the same. The lines surrounding perspective become blurred until there is no distinction between immigrant and non-immigrant.

The first part of the poem compares immigrants to flocking birds, all who appreciate the soil, water and the freedom of unbound beaks in the new land they’re in. I was inspired by my interview partner because her family came to the United States to escape the authoritarian government of China. The poem then focuses more on the natives, Americans in this case. The American dream is best reached by those who are already citizens of the United States, yet they’re constantly bothered, irritated and even angered by immigrants.They might even feel threatened, as though the immigrants could diminish their quality of life and keeping them from living the true American dream of prosperity and harmony. These groups of people “flee the phoenixes” out of fear, unaware that the immigrants are the phoenixes, which are harbingers of happiness and symbols of unity in Chinese folklore. The perspective changes to the xenophobes and the hypocrisy of their actions, especially since the United States is predominantly Christian yet the ideals of Christianity are often twisted to suit personal vendettas as opposed to loving thy neighbor and treating others with compassion. The last part of the poem connects the idea of unity. Unity was unattainable in the first stanza of the poem because the fearful natives “flee the phoenixes”. However, by comparing everyone in the world as different beans in the same pot, an attempt of unity is made. We’re all so varied in our outward appearance and in the texture on the inside, which makes each one of our souls, if you will, unique. We all have our low moments of anger and greed because we’re all human. But it’s time to put all the misery and hate behind us and start a new canvas. A new canvas that waits for the first brush of tomorrow. That is what the stanza hopes for. It no longer embodies any one group of people, but rather the emotion of hope.

Originally I had written the music to accompany this poem with a lot of Chinese influence, which would be carried out by the cello. However, I couldn’t properly record the cello with the appropriate microphone so the sound would end up being very harsh. So I instead opted for a much more repetitive and simple tune using just my voice and the guitar. I first felt as though I had done my interview partner a great injustice. Where would she and her story be in this poem? Besides the reference to the Chinese phoenix, was she forgotten? Of course not. Instead of putting her in the music, I put her in the poem itself. She wears a very young and jubilant demeanor, one that dazzles with optimism and hope. So I wrote the second stanza with her in mind. In that stanza I married the idea for a better future regarding immigrants and nonimmigrants with her sense of optimism. That’s what she gave this poem.

Who is My Friend?

At twelve, my world was dark and gray.

It seemed that I was led astray.

My skin cringed at the night

of blood shed from the fight.

Who is my friend? Family.

My brother writhed in pain.

Why do they persecute again and again?

Is this a dream that will never end?

Will there be a chance for absolution?

Who is my friend? Indemnity.

I walked home from school full of fear

Because I know the reprise is near

Dare I shed my clothes to expose my skin!

It is a calamity that I cannot win.

Who is my friend? Security.

Their piercing eyes are a deafening sound.

My hope and refuge are all but found.

Can reproach and hate ever subside?

Why do colors always collide?

Who is my friend? Diversity.

Artist’s Statement

I chose to write a poem to express the wide range of emotions that my mother felt while growing up during the 1970’s. As an Indonesian, her dark complexion often provoked intolerant people and caused her to live in fear. She watched people attack her family members and pets. She woke up to her house being egged and her garden being destroyed by her neighbors. She walked down the street with derogatory names screamed at her. All these experiences transformed her into the women she is today: strong, independent, and forgiving. Although she is treated fairly in today’s society, she observes undeserving hatred still occurs towards others. She is uncertain whether it will ever end. Nevertheless, she forgives everyone who was ever ignorant towards her.

*Rachel Nieters, Portrait of Jeanette Nieters, Saint Louis, 1976. All rights reserved.*

Rachel Nieters, Portrait of Jeanette Nieters and her husband, Place Unknown, 1985. All rights reserved.

I wrote this in the first-person point of view so the reader could witness what life was like in her shoes. Some of the literary devices that I chose to display her feelings were metaphors, hyperboles, rhyming patterns, and repetition. A metaphor is used in the first line: “My world was dark and gray.” By comparing the world to something dark, it elucidates that there is much evil in the world. During the night, especially when you’re restless, it seems like time is eternal and the light will never come, which compares to how she felt during her childhood. The use of the word “gray” refers to the dullness and formality of her society. People in the community, especially children, were accustomed to how their parents acted towards people of a different ethnicity. Because this was the custom, the community didn’t blink an eye at the mistreatment of ethnically dissimilar people. This concept is comparable to the play Rhinoceros, written by Eugène Ionesco in the 1960’s. In this play, people in society are urged to transform into a rhinoceros because everyone else is becoming one. The rhinoceroses represent the pressure to be part of a group, even if their views differ from yours, just for the sake of formality and sameness. The people in the town that my mom grew up in were, metaphorically, rhinoceroses because they conformed to what everyone else believed in without question. They believed that skin color determined how you should be treated, and there was no attempt to altercate that view at the time. All in all, in the poem, the use of the metaphor is effective because it creates an image in the reader’s mind and uses conceptual objects to convey a certain emotion. In this case, it’s a feeling of lifelessness.

*Rachel Nieters, Portrait of Jeanette Nieters and her siblings, Saint Louis, 1981. All rights reserved.*

Secondly, I used a hyperbole to emphasize the divergence between different races. In the fourth line of the fourth stanza, I ask why “colors always collide?”. Of course, this isn’t meant to be taken literally; people of different races don’t actually bump into each other. This line highlights the confusion of why one’s outward identity affects the way society treats them. We are the same species, we share the same blood, so why would it make a difference? In addition, the utilization of rhyme creates a rhythm and flow throughout the piece, which demonstrates the natural journey through life. There are highs and lows, but you eventually make it through. Lastly, I added the reiteration of the question, “Who is my friend?”, which is my mother questioning who is on her side and who she can depend on. At this point in her life, she realizes that diversity has helped her become a stronger person. She is proud of her nationality and considers it to be an advantage now.

*Rachel Nieters, Portrait of Jeanette Nieters, Saint Louis, 1973. All rights reserved.*

As her daughter, I have not experienced anything compared to what she has been through. Throughout middle school and high school, I used to get teased about my size since I was little for my age. However, I was never ridiculed for my Indonesian heritage. Society has profoundly improved in terms of the lack of prejudice, and it can easily be seen through the views of each generation that is born. I’m thankful that my mother’s experiences helped me to accept diversity in today’s world.

Rachel Nieters, Portrait of Rachel Nieters and Jeanette Nieters, Saint Louis, 2018. All rights reserved.

My Friend, My Enemy

How many years have we waited?

How many days and nights have come and gone?

How many have we sacrificed?

For the ones that stood on our soil, in the name of righteousness.

How would you answer my question?

My friend, my enemy.

Driven by ignorance, they speak lies of us.

Driven by fantasies, they speak ill of us.

What else would be there to offer them?

Bitter truth? Virtuous suffering?

What say you,

My friend, my enemy.

I showed them my home, yet they won’t accept it.

I showed them my photographs, yet they deny them.

I showed them who I am, yet they do not see me.

I am nothing more than what they think.

How many years must we wait?

How many days and nights must come and go?

How many must we sacrifice?

Ah, my friend, my enemy. Must you look at me that way?

Please, smile.

Is it not something heroes do?

The interview with Khanh Bui sparked the fire for the creation of this poem. Khanh is a 24-year-old Vietnamese UMKC graduate who has lived in Kansas City, MO for the past 5 years. He has faced many challenges, from personal to legal. One of them is the generalization labeled on him based on his race and ethnicity. Something that he must face daily. The poem expresses the frustration, and anxiety he feels when those who do not know him label him in any way they want, but at the same time, the peace that he was able to develop throughout the years. “… I have learned to adapt to it. I have developed thick skin against those comments.” (18:35).

Street scene Hanoi.
Image: © kk nationsonline.org
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/vietnam.htm

‘My Friend, My Enemy’ is a title I found fitting to represent Khanh’s relationship and feelings with those that surround him. The people live and coexist peacefully with Khanh, but deep inside, there is still the lingering thought of the Vietnam War, like a scar that has fully healed but will never leave. “Whenever I meet new people in the U.S, and I say where I’m from. I get polarizing reactions. It’s either fascination, or it is negative…” (1:27).

The Hien Nhon gate, one of the four gates of the Forbidden City in Hue.
Image: © kk nationsonline.org
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/vietnam.htm

The misconception of Vietnam being a war-zone up to this day is not the only example of improper historical education in the United States. To this day, there are still many that believe that the United States had taken the lead on World War II against the Axis Powers. It was the Soviet Union, with the aid of its allies, including the United States, that led the final push against Germany, thus ending the conflict.

As someone who is also from a different country, I can relate to Khanh’s frustration due to the stereotypes labeled on him based on his race and ethnicity. But just like him, I have been able to develop a thick skin against such labels.

A World Not Meant For Me

We all know the golden rule, to treat people how you would want to be treated. Unfortunately, we all know a time where the golden rule was not taken into consideration. Some more than others. Le Nguyen, a Vietnamese young adult living in Kansas City has experienced many not so golden moments.

A young child entering school for the first time is scary. It is also the start of one of the most important things in life. It is the start of relationships, education, and learning the unwritten rules of life. As these things begin, judgments do as well. Children learn what they like and what they do not like. They learn that not everyone is as nice to them as mommy and daddy have been. As Le entered school for the first time as a young child he did not realize he was any different than anyone else until the judgements from others started to kick in. Growing up, Le has learned two languages, English and Vietnamese. As anyone can imagine learning two languages at the same time can be confusing for a young child. Le explained to me the start of learning he was not like everyone else. He expressed his biggest reality shock was him knowing two languages while everyone else just knew one.

“The main problem was me knowing two languages. There were times where people would ask me something in English and I would somehow respond in Vietnamese, my language. My friends at the time would be like ‘What?’ ‘What did he say?’ I thought that was embarrassing because I didn’t want them to not understand me” (02:49).

Jaden Diggs, Picture of Le Nguyen, Kansas City, 1998,
All rights reserved.

As time went on Le learned the hard way of how cruel some people can really be. In an ideal world, everyone would not look at race and look at a person’s personality instead. I met Le this spring semester at the University of Missouri- Kansas City in a marketing class. The short time I have known Le, I learned right away how much of a nice person he is and how genuine he is. It has been refreshing talking to Le every day, it is always a break from drama and stress. Hearing how other people treated him growing up made my heart hurt. It is really sad to live in a world where some people have no problem being so cruel to others for something they cannot change. When so many people start to treat you differently, it leads to thousands of insecurities to creep their way into your mind. Growing up full of insecurity is something no one should have to live with. Unfortunately, the world we live in is full of stereotypes. It is easy to feel like one has to live up to a certain standard. Being an Asian American in school has made those stereotypical comments and actions rise immensely for Le.

“So, that built up over time, it really made me super, super insecure about myself” (04:21).

For Le, it has always been a challenge to accept who he is. He shares how his insecurities really impact his daily life.

“I can barely get anything done because I am always so down on myself because I underestimate myself all the time. Just because of those insecurities of my traits and characteristics” (05:09).

A lesson we all have learned is that words hurt. We are always told “Well, that’s life!” It saddens me to think that we are taught at a young age that life is going to be hard and not fair at times and that is just how it is going to be, forever. No matter the situation, everyone knows the struggle of not being accepted and just wishing they were like someone else. It was not until around high school age Le found something positive out of being a an Asian American.

“My tolerance for people has changed. Now at this point I understand other people’s challenges more. I used just assume everyone is ignorant. But, as I see others struggling like I have, a small part of me I tends to be happy knowing I am not alone in my struggles” (11:55).

Even if the positive moments in life are not outstanding. It is important to acknowledge them and understand that you are not alone. Growing up so different than everyone else is hard enough as it is. In times of doubt, having someone who truly loves you and believes in you if essential. When insecurities and life’s battles take place, mental health is something that can easily get knocked down. Le shared how he has struggled with mental health. As he was seeking help, he has developed a bond with a teacher from high school and grown with his help.

“He has been with me through thick and thin. He has been with me through really, really, really tough times. When I felt super depressed. When I thought about suicide. Because my high school was super diverse, I saw that there was a bunch of other people like me who understood me, so I felt more accepted then. It felt good to be not alone” (13:04).

Even in life’s hardest time, it is important to remember that life gets better. From talking to Le, it has opened my eyes and made me realize that you never know what anyone else is going through. The people you would least expect to be insecure or have gone through struggles could be going through hell and just be good at hiding it. The world we live in is cruel and selfish. However, the way a person chooses to spend could change their perspective of the world to be beautiful. Struggles a person goes through in life does not define who that person is. But we could always use a reminder to follow the golden rule.

The American Dream

Moving here at the age of five, I was very frightened.
My parents seem to be very thrilled, but I was not as excited.
When we first started living here we were very enlightened, 
But everything still seemed so farsighted.

Going to school, I began to practice the English language,
I got really good, actually really quick.
My mother wasn’t as good which put her at a big disadvantage,
Plus her it didn’t help that her accent was so thick. 

A few years later, when I was about nine,
We were headed back to Vietnam but couldn’t find out gate.
We had a very bad experience with the airline.
When I asked a man for help he was very full of hate.

“If you are going to live in this country, your mother is going to need
to learn English or otherwise it is just unacceptable,”(03:12) he told
us, which I think about daily.
After we walked away, I felt like I needed a tissue,
I hid it from my mother, because I knew it would affect her greatly,
so I tried to make it seem like not too big of an issue.

I had experienced similar situations before, 
But this one really seemed to have stuck with me.
But to this day, America I still adore,
And I am happy to live in the home of the brave and land of the free.

Duy and her mother shopping while in Vietnam

This poem is centered around the story of a dear friend, Duy Nguyen. In this short poem, I used a very traumatic experience that Duy went through to inspire the poem. Being Asian has had its setbacks for her and she has handled them all in stride. She has had people give her dirty looks when she was doing nothing, instant judgment because of her race, and has dealt with a lot of stereotypes that surround being Asian. She claims to “have developed a kind of protective barrier against”(03:50) things that would be racist or stereotypical, which no one should have to do.

One incident Duy faced since coming to America was when a TSA worker was rude and hateful towards her and her mother. As they were traveling back to Vietnam, Duy asked a TSA worker which gate was theirs and how to get there since her mother didn’t speak English well enough to ask. When he tried to answer, he spoke to Duy’s mother. When he figured out she didn’t understand and couldn’t reply, he got very upset and told her that if she was going to live in America that she had to learn English otherwise it’s not acceptable. Duy understood what he said but didn’t want to tell her mother, so she hid it from her. She never told either of her parents what he said and doesn’t plan to. Though this isn’t the first of an experience like this, Duy still believes that America has hope of becoming fully accepting of people of different races, religions, and sexuality.

Walking Up the Stairs of Racism

“So, you think it is ok for your daughter to play with my daughter?” to which Ada’s mother responded “yes, why not?” (31:23)

Denise Oliver Velez,
Working while black: Racism at John Deere and other stories ,
Wednesday July 27, 2011, https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2011/7/27/999355/-, March 11, 2019, All Rights reserved.

This is a story about the reality of the world we live in today. It is a story about the power of a difference in a person’s life. It is the story of a young woman’s racial struggles from childhood; a young woman by the name Adanna Okorocha.

“Mum! I am going to be late for school!” the little Ada shouted. Ada – the name everyone called her – was a young girl of 11 years. She attended Maple Grove Middle School, which was one of the best private schools in Maple Grove, Alabama- the little town she lived in with her family. Born into a Nigerian family, in the United States, Ada had been different all her life. Not only is she a minority in the US, there has always been a disparity between her and other people of color, solely because of her ethnicity.

“Do you have your lunch money with you?”, asked her mother, frantically moving about, making sure her daughter was perfect for school. It was her second week of school, and she didn’t want her daughter looking like she wasn’t well taken care of. She had come to understand that being black in this country came with a lot of stereotypes, even if they did not necessarily apply to you. “Yes mum. And I have my right pair of socks and already combed my hair”. Ada answered knowing fully well what her mum was going to ask next. “Good. Be safe in school baby girl, and make sure you don’t let anyone pick on you for no reason whatsoever. You have your teachers in school to always turn to if you need any help. Ok?” she asked as she straightened out Ada’s collar. “Yes mummy! Love you! Bye!” Ada shouted as she ran towards the school bus waiting outside her house. The driver was cheerful today. He had just received his paycheck and his wife had made his favorite meal for breakfast. He didn’t mind waiting a little for this little black kid…he didn’t mind at all. There was something different about her. She wasn’t like the other African American kids he had come across in all his years of bus driving. “Good morning, Mr. Michaels!” They did not greet him the way she did. “Good morning! How are you?” he said giving her a warm smile. “I am good! How are you?” “I am good as well” he said smiling as she found her way to the back of the bus looking for a space to sit. She had to go through the usual routine of looking for space in the bus. She would find a seat, but no one wanted her to sit next to them, and that’s how her ride to school was, sitting at the back of the bus, alone every day.

Maple Grove Middle School was a predominantly white school. The top-level classes where normally filled with only Caucasians. This was a normal trend in Maple Grove. The few African Americans at this school were stuck together, not interacting with the rest of the school. At least that’s how it was supposed to be. Ada was an exception in this school. She had just come into the school and, in less than two weeks, was already in the advanced classes. The teachers were amazed at how a black girl could keep up in a class like that. “Good morning, Ada, how are you doing today?” said Ada’s English teacher. “I am doing good, Miss Ann” said Ada as she continued to her class. “How are your parents?” asked Miss Ann. Ada had gotten used to this routine of greeting. She had always sensed that her teachers thought that, because she was black, she would have issues in her family. This was a stereotype to the black people. Her family was doing fine. Her parents had been married for ten years now and had never had a significant fight. “They are doing well, Miss Ann” Ada responded as she always did. She finally got to her class and as usual moved to her seat on the right side of the class, alone, and isolated from the rest of the class. It wasn’t a new thing to her. In fact, she has been used to this treatment right from elementary school. It wasn’t the same in her other classes. The other classes she took – which had more black people in them – treated her like any other student. Why was this an exception? She had taken some math placement tests and was placed in eight grade math class while she was in the sixth grade.

“Did you understand that Ada?” asked her math teacher. “Yes, Miss Jane” Ada couldn’t understand why the teachers acted this way to her. On one hand, it was like they cared; on the other, they were just waiting for her downfall. She couldn’t tell which was happening at any moment in time. There were times when she would walk down the hallway, on her way to the cafeteria, and just as she would pass by her teachers, she would overhear them say things like “I can’t believe she is keeping up in this class” or “She is actually quite smart for a black girl”. What they did not understand was that, being smart is not a function of your skin color. Yes, she was smart, there was no doubting that. However, so were the other kids in her class, but no one made a big deal about it. Why did they think she was different? That was when it struck her. She had been in a similar situation before. She had not given it much thought until now. Her first encounter with racism happened when she was much younger.

Ada had just returned from school and as it was her routine, she dropped her bag, finished her homework and got ready to go to the playground in front of her apartment complex. Her mum, who already knew this routine, came out from her room and walked behind her little girl. The playground was not far at all. In fact, it was in their compound. But still, she was not going to take her chances with this neighborhood. No, not where black people are discriminated against. Her husband was a doctor and she had her degree in Computer science. They had just started this family and had managed to provide for their two children on a daily basis. Their first born, Ada, was a smart child and could take care of herself. But with their new born , Nonso, they had to work extra hard. Ada’s father was the only good physicians in this little town they lived in, but because he was black, everyone would rather drive for miles to the nearest health center. There had been instances when their family would go shopping at their neighborhood store and end up buying nothing because of irrational racist actions from the employees and other customers. No, there was no way she was letting her baby girl go out on her own. They had just reached the playground when they saw this little girl sitting by herself on the swing. She was white. She looked sad and six-year old Ada asked her mum if she could go play with her. “Sure, you can. Just don’t hurt yourself”. Ada joyfully ran up to the girl and asked her name. Cindy and Ada played and played until the sun went down. Her mum was so proud. She had raised a good child. They played that way every day after school, on the weekends, in the evenings just when the sun was about leaving the sky. Every time Ada crossed the gate to the playground, her friend would come right behind her. They lived in the same apartment complex but why had she never seen her friends’ parents come with her to the playground? Not even her mother. At least her own mother came and watched over the two children. She believed that was ok. This daily affair went on between these two friends until one day that Ada’s friend came down to the playground with her mother. Ada was excited because she loved meeting people, but her mum was uneasy even though she had been taking care of this person’s daughter for some time now. Cindy’s mother looked into the playground and asked her daughter who these people were. “Oh, that is my friend Ada and her mum. We play here everyday” said the innocent girl. Cindy’s mother let go of her child’s hand, walked up to Ada’s mother and asked, “So you think it is ok for your daughter to play with my daughter?” Ada’s mother responded “yes, why not?”, “Well I just thought maybe you would want to meet her parents first, you know? We are trying to raise her well and we don’t want anything to, you know, influence that in a negative way”, “What do you mean?!” Ada’s mother would not have it. This white lady had just called her daughter a bad influence. All Ada could hear from the other end of the playground was shouting and disagreement. She did not understand what was going on. She just wanted to play with her friend. The argument went on until Cindy’s mum grabbed her daughter by the hand and stormed off the playground. And so, the two little friends did not play that day.

The next day, Ada went to the playground in the evening as usual but as she neared the gate, her friend, Cindy, was stepping out of the playground. “Hey! Are you leaving?” Ada asked innocently. “Yeah. My mum said I shouldn’t play with you anymore. She said you people had no respect,”. What Cindy had just said would infuriate someone else in a similar situation, but not Ada. She did not feel bad at all. In fact, she thought it was a normal thing. “Oh ok, makes sense. Bye Cindy!” she said as she waved cheerfully to Cindy heading back to her apartment. They were not meant to be friends anyway. She was black and her friend was white. Her parents had already told her all these stereotypes about how white people treated black people. This was the same situation with Cindy and her mother. Both sides had told bad things to their children about the other. Little did they know that they were sowing disparity into the lives of these young ones. Now they would grow and pass this same seed to their children, and on and on till we finally break this chain.

This was many years ago. It all made sense to her now. What had been done to her back when she was little was still going on in her middle school. She started thinking of ways to reduce this racial treatment. She noticed that the white kids dressed in a certain way. They wore the latest shoes, clothes which she thought were “white brands,”(26:57). Whatever it took she had to change herself to fit in. She bugged her parents, saying she needed new clothes and shoes. Her request was met, but what she got were off brands. Nonetheless, she would finally fit in. But to her dismay, the very same people she tried so hard to become, laughed at her. This had happened before in history when the Nazi’s occupied Europe. The Nazis murdered the Jews simply because they hated them for their difference. Even when they seemed to give the Jews options they went back on their word and killed them anyway. Although this scenario is not as extreme, Ada never again was going to try and fit in.

Ollyy,
African young woman taking off a mask of a caucasian woman- Image,
Royalty-free stock photo ID: 102504455 , https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-young-woman-taking-off-mask-102504455?src=w-bhd7g14pFly3J0o0DJ5A-1-0, March 3, 2019. All rights reserved.

This one experience of her being ridiculed for trying to change, changed her mind set, and how she lives her life today. Yes, she had a lot to prove to others to break the stereotype used against her, she wasn’t going to let anyone bring her so low as to change who she was. . Although, Ada and I share the same ethnicity, we differ in terms of citizenship status, and hence our experiences with racism are completely different. Nonetheless, just as Ada had found this new hope in herself, so must we all in our struggle for acceptance. For we are who we are for us, not for “them”.

The Things They’ll Remember

I pulled up to Tay’s Donut Joint. My car dash clock read 6:23 a.m. I slumped out of my car and headed towards the door of the doughnut joint. It was my daily routine of stopping at the joint before my day started. The room was quiet as I walked in. There was a white woman sitting in the far booth, and two black men sitting in a far table on the other side of the joint. There was a server behind the counter. I shuffled towards the counter. Without looking up, I grunted…

“The usual, Dave.”

I picked up a nearby newspaper and scanned the headlines.

“Dave’s not in today, but I’ll get you whatever you need pal!”

Surprised by the voice, I looked up. Instead of a hairy middle aged bald man, whom I was expecting, there was a clean shaven boy in front of me.

“Sorry. I was expecting Dave. I’ll take a coffee.”

The bright eyed young server grabbed a mug from underneath the counter and started to fill it with coffee.

“Say, aren’t you Parker Jones?”

“Yea, what’s it to you?”

“You’ve been my idol since the first grade!”

“Hmph”

“I haven’t seen you in the media in a while! Where have you been?”

“I’ve been laying low, kid, for a reason. Now if you would please hand me my coffee and leave me alone, I would really appreciate it”

I see server’s face fall and his eyes dull. He picked up the coffee mug and slid it over to me.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

The server turned and started towards the back kitchen. I felt guilty. I know I can be hard sometimes, but that’s what war does to you! I decided to give him a chance.

“Wait, kid.”

I see him stop and turn.

“What’s your name?”

“My name’s Tom. Tom Cook.”

“Tom Cook. What can I do for you?”

Tom, the server, shuffled back towards the counter.

“I’ve always heard about you, Mr. Jones. You’re very well known around here. My parents used to tell stories of you all the time! Can you tell me about the war? What happened to you after the war? Where did you go?”

“All the stories? Ha. Yeah, they were the gold old times. The war was very glorifying. I’ve met a lot of my lifelong buddies there.”

“That’s interesting, how was the actual country and environment over there?”

“War was different. War changes people. When you’re over there, the men in your platoon are your brothers. They’re family. You fight for each other, to keep each other alive, and you die for each other. It was you and your brothers versus the world over there.”

I shifted in my stool. I missed my brothers in arms. I even almost miss Vietnam. Even though everything over there, every little animal, person, or even object, tried to kill you in some horrible way, I missed it. I missed feeling like I belonged in a group. The men and women of the military, in Vietnam, were basically a separate society from the society back at home. The army society in Vietnam accepted everyone. No matter your race, gender, or ethnicity, as long as you were wearing the same uniform, they treated you like family.

“Did you keep in touch with any of your platoon mates?”

“No. After the war ended, we all went back to our own separate ways, back to our homes. I went back to my hometown of Macon, Missouri. I’ve been here ever since.”

“What have you done since you’ve been back for all these years? How has it been?”

“It’s been quiet. Over the years, people have forgotten about the war and about me. Some young kids today don’t even know about me or even about the war. It’s been very peaceful.”

Truth be told, I was partly lying. Yeah, its true that people have forgotten. But, it hasn’t been peaceful. Not a single bit. I haven’t been able to sleep at night. Walking out to grab mail is hard. I always get stares whenever I go to fill up on gas. Everything is so different. Society here is so different. Society here look at outsiders with a look of disgust. If you are different, in any way, they treat you differently. They avoid you. It’s dehumanizing. What did I fight for? Why did I come back?

“I’m glad to hear it! You know, I’ve always looked up to you. You were always my hero. Hearing those stories of how you saved your entire platoon, it’s so awesome!”

“I’m glad I could play some type of role in your life. I’m sorry for being so rude earlier. Over the years, I’ve learned to shut people out.”

Ever since I’ve been back, I’ve seen how backwards society here still is. The segregation is still very prominent. Society appears to be a melting pot, mixing different ethnicities and people with differences, but there are still spots that haven’t mixed well. In some parts, there is even a clear line dividing them.

“Say, Tom. Have you ever looked at society’s flaws before?”

“What do you mean?”

“The differences with everyone. The inability for people to accept others for their difference. The segregation.”

“Hmm. Growing up, I never really thought about it thoroughly before. Didn’t we go through the reformations? Didn’t society fix the segregation problem already?”

“We tried, yes, and the majority of society agrees that our differences with each other are unique and significant in defining our culture and who we are. However, there is still a large group of people who don’t see it that way. They will never understand it.”

“Wow, I haven’t really thought of things this deep before. I hadn’t realized.”

“Tom, sometimes you need to be in the other shoes to figure out when something immoral is happening to you.”

Here Tom was. He was the typical college student, working a side part time job to pay for it. He was white. Part of the majority here in Macon, Missouri. Who could blame him for not realizing what was going on? Who could blame him for the problems of our society? When I got back from the Vietnam, I saw everything wrong with society back at home. How segregated and hateful it was. It is so much different from Vietnam and the people there. I finished my coffee and stood up.

“It’s been a good talk. I’m glad we had it”

Tom looked up at me.

“I’m sorry I never saw the problems with society. It sucks that you had to come back to this.”

“It’s not your fault Tom. You shouldn’t have to apologize. This was not your doing. The only thing that you could do now is to help fix it. It is up to your generation to right all of my generation’s wrongs.”

I turned around towards the door.

“You’re a good kid, Tom. I think if you help more people see, you’ll make a very large impact on society.”

As I walked out, Tom starts to wipe down the counter.

Dean Nguyen, Portrait of Peter Pham, Kansas City, 2019. All Rights Reserved

I wrote a short story that was inspired by an interview I did with my friend, who struggled with fitting in due to his religion and race/ethnicity. The interview with my friend took place at the UMKC campus in 2019. My short story took place in the small town of Macon, Missouri in the 1970s. He was Catholic and Vietnamese. The two differences work against each other and really create a harsh environment for him to grow up in. In the interview, my friend talked about how people can’t accept him for being different. Another main point that he really emphasized was that this was a problem that was caused by the older generation. I connected this to my short story. I wrote about a war hero who sees the flaws of society after coming back from war, and he conveys the flaws to a young generation college student. The war hero blames society for not being able to accept people with differences, when it was so easily accepted in the society overseas. The war hero also tells the young generation kid that it’s really up to his generation to fix the flaws of the older generation. The segregation and harsh environment of both the interview and the short story could be connected to The Butcher’s Tale. In The Butcher’s Tale, people were extremely separated. The majority group of the Christians were unable to accept the minority group of the Jews, leading to violence and problems. However, once they put that aside, they were able to fix their problems. I think that this could be the same with society. Once we all figure out how to get along with each other and accept each other, we will be able to move into the future together.

Bullying in America

All my life I spent most of my time playing video games, so when I met Brandon in middle school and figured out that he played the same types of video games on the same platform, we instantly clicked with each other. And for the next six years, we spent most of our time out of school playing various types of video games with each other. But one thing that we never really spoke to each other about was our backgrounds. So that’s why I chose to do this interview with him: so I can learn more about his past, at other schools in the rough parts of the neighborhood, and how being of Asian descent has affected him growing up.

After my second question, I was already surprised by one his answer. He told me that “When I was little I always thought I was a normal American and that I wasn’t Asian because at home my mom really only spoke English and I barely knew how to speak Vietnamese.” (00:30) I could see where the thought process comes from. When I was young and just playing around with all the other kids at school, looking hard at one another and trying to figure out everyone’s differences wasn’t the main priority. The main goal was to just play and have fun. With everybody learning English and being too young to understand that people could be different, kids could easily come to the conclusion that everybody is the same.

Continuing on with the interview, I found out that his parents fit the Asian stereotypes. He told me that when he was going through school, his parents pressured him to succeed, and if his grades started to fall behind then his dad would make him pick up a book or start studying so he can raise his grades back up. His dad would also forbid him to play video games so he could solely focus on studying and improving grades. This wasn’t too surprising to hear; this is one of the most common Asian stereotypes that people hear. Following with the next question, I was told that kids at his school would only reinforce the stereotypes because they would talk about Asians being smart, which was another part of society pressuring him to succeed and to continuously adhere to the stereotype. But this was just one “positive” stereotype, the kids at school would also make fun of him with the negative stereotypes, such as the one about Asians eating dogs. They would just poke fun at him saying immature things such as, “Do you eat dogs?” And the best way Brandon could face the problem was to just go along with jokes, so then everybody could move on and there would be less conflict. However, that just continued to reinforce the stereotypes. It didn’t solve the problems in society.

This leads to why Brandon spent most of his time playing video games. “I felt truly accepted when I was at home playing video games with my friends online because I could relate to them and had fun playing and sort of forgot my pressures and could enjoy life.” (02:21). He used them as an escape mechanism. Instead of having to deal with the trouble makers at school while also dealing with the pressure to succeed from his parents he could just have fun playing games by himself at home or a few people who he met online. This isn’t too surprising to hear as games being used as an escape mechanism isn’t anything new. Lots of people have done it, whether it’s to escape bullying, relieve stress, or ignore family problems.

Moving on to how Brandon feels today, he tells me that it’s a lot better in college. People don’t really say anything mean at all but he still has the pressure from his parents to succeed. This could easily relate to age and maturity. In middle school, kids don’t fully understand the impacts of their actions, and even in high school, most 16-year-old students can still act immature and constantly reinforce stereotypes with the types of “jokes” they tell.

When I asked Brandon how others in his situation could deal with it, he told me that they should talk to a teacher or counselor. But when I asked him if he himself told anyone about what was going on, he told me no. He said, “I felt too scared to talk to them because the situation could have gotten worse because if you told a teacher something, you could be labeled as a snitch and the bullies would target you more.” (04:10). So when I asked him later “If you could change any one thing about society, what would it be?”, he said “…to improve the help people should be receiving when they do talk to a teacher or counselor because today there really isn’t much help, they listen a bit to your story and there is almost no punishment or any change, so the people continue being bullies…” (04:27).

And I completely agree with his stance. During our times in middle school and high school, the principals constantly told students that they shouldn’t be afraid to speak up if they are getting harassed. But there was always that fear of being labeled a snitch and getting targeted more. And the main reason for that was because nothing was ever done about the situation. Today we constantly hear on the news about how someone at school was either beaten up or constantly harassed to point where the student didn’t even want to show up at school anymore. While reading into the story, we can see that most of the time the student or parent actually did notify a teacher or principal, but nothing was ever done until it was too late and the situation escalated to the point where actual authorities had to be called. Teachers rely more on anti-bullying policies than actually helping the student themselves. This goes back to why students are too afraid to ask for help: the teacher will most likely not take the bullying seriously or lack the skills to emotionally help the student, which causes students to be embarrassed, or afraid of getting teased even more after asking for help.

If left untreated, bullying and racism can slowly build into something dangerous. Recently there was a story published on CNN by Eliott C. McLaughlin talking about how one fifth grade girl attacked Raniya, another fifth-grade student, who later died from her injuries. One of the most relevant points in the story is how the victim’s mother told school administrators that there was a student harassing her daughter even going back to the previous school year. A few weeks before the fight, Raniya was asking her mom if she could stay at home to avoid coming to school completely. And yet even with the parents’ concern, nothing had been done to perpetrator. No talking to, no punishments, no separation from the victim. The victim’s mother told the teacher that she was “leaving it in her hands to do something about it,” but when Raniya came back home, she told her mother that the teacher hadn’t raised the issue. School administrators need to take more actions against bullying instead of just saying “We’ll look into it”.

Another thing we can take away from this story is how no one else stepped in to help the victim. The victim’s classmates did acknowledge that they saw the bully harass the victim into the fight throughout the day, but they didn’t step in to help, not even once considering how the bullying has been going on for the past year. But that can be blamed on the weak administration when Brandon mentioned earlier that he was too afraid to speak up because he could be targeted more, the same could be said for all of the witnesses in almost all bullying scenarios. If only one person steps in to help, that person would most likely be afraid of also becoming a target.

In the book “The Drowned and the Saved” by Primo Levi, a Holocaust survivor, he mentions the term “Useless Violence”. The term can be simply defined as the desire to inflict pain and suffering without any reasoning. He used it to describe how concentration camps were designed to provoke terror, suffering, and pain instead of killing the prisoners fast and efficiently. We can describe Brandon’s case, Raniya’s case, or any case of bullying as “Useless Violence”. The bullies have no reason to act the way they do, they are only causing the victims to suffer for no good reason.

As a society, we all need to do our part in creating a more open, friendly, and trustworthy community. People need to understand how their actions affect others. Bullies especially need to understand the dangers of reinforcing extremely negative stereotypes or causing harm towards people who are different from them for no reason. We all have the ability to treat others the way we want to be treated.

Destroying Hatred

The Weekend Edition

April / / 12th / / NO. 37

**Sam Hart, showing ant-Semitic graffiti in a well-known cemetery in France. Champagne-au-Mont-d’Or cemetery, The New York Times, April 6^th, 2019**

National Emergency V.S. Congress

Anti-Semitism is an issue as a result of rising nationalism in the west. In Europe, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict spills over, the anti-Semitic surge has been particularly marked. France, home to the continent’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, it has not become the epicenter of it all. The slaughter of Jewish children at an Orthodox school in Toulouse in 2012, the terrorist attack on a kosher supermarket in a Paris suburb in 2015 and the brutal murder in 2018 of Mireille Knoll, a Holocaust survivor, form a trail of horror. This is partly to blame due to some younger individuals have anti-Semitism embedded in their roots. European countries claim to address the issue and defuse the situation, it doesn’t appear so.

Learning about Others

**Geology.com, Map of Mexico, Kimberly is from Camargo, Chihuahua, March 15^th, 2019.**

An issue in across the world we have been facing is discrimination. Since the beginning of time, it has been relevant, but we are beginning to see it normalized through media. According to the Cambridge dictionary, Discrimination is described as “the treatment of a person or a particular group of people differently, in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated.” Discrimination can take many forms. But how can we place ourselves in the shoes of someone else who has been discriminated? We can learn through the experiences of Kimberly Rodriguez, a young Latina adult. I conducted an interview with Kimberly a few days ago with Kimberly and learned stunning information. Kimberly was a classmate of mine and I would call her one of my best friends. Kimberly introduced me into the Mexican culture by inviting me to Quinceañeras, having me over for special celebrations, and overall surrounding me with her culture. I have been friends with Kimberly for several years but I have never learned her story. Who is Kimberly Rodriguez? Kimberly Rodriguez was born July 16^th, 2001 in Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico. Kimberly attended Preschool in Mexico and eventually migrated to Kansas City, Kansas in 2005. Being from Mexico, her first language was Spanish so moving to Kansas was a challenge for her.
As she began elementary school at Whittier Elementary in Kansas City, she struggled with English. In her first year in school, she was bullied for her accent and lacking in her English-speaking skills.

**Sam Hart, MexConnect, Camargo is where Kimberly was born.** **March 15^th, 2019.**

Kimberly would face discrimination from her classmates, and this would affect her self-esteem. She would have to take speech classes to improve her English. But eventually, Kimberly improved her English greatly. Until this interview, I was unaware that English wasn’t Kimberly’s first language based on how well she is able to speak it. Regardless of her journey, it affected her self-esteem growing up. She was constantly self-conscious of her speaking ability and continued to work on it as she got older.

Even though Kimberly resides in the United States and Americanized her ways, she still faces discrimination. She has been battling this her entire life. Kimberly currently lives in Kansas City, Kansas. In Kansas City, a there is a large Latino population. Remaining in this neighborhood, you do not experience discrimination. But once you leave the city, it becomes more rural. For example, Kim works at Great Wolf Lodge which is located at the Legends. Even straying from the city slightly, Kim says there is a different atmosphere. With both the customers and even her employees. In some cases, discrimination occurs indirectly. It ranges from body language to passive interactions. Regardless of Kim’s long journey, she is thriving. Kim is a senior at Sumner Academy of Arts and has her goals set high. She is planning on attending the University of Missouri Kansas City entering the medical field. Kim uses her doubters to motivate her to prove others wrong.

Statistics of Detention Centers

**Sam Hart, The image is taken by Kimberly’s mother outside of their home in Kansas City. Kimberly is excited to hold her first puppy of the family, 2006. All rights reserved**

Immigration detention is at the center of numerous heated public debates in the United States, including about the treatment of undocumented children and families, the growth of the private prison industry, the use of jails for immigration purposes, and the increasing convergence between immigration law and the criminal justice system. The size and cost of U.S. immigration detention and removal operations have spiraled since the 1990s. According to the Global Detention Project, the number of people placed in detention annually increased from some 85,000 people in 1995 to a record 477,523 during 2012. According to a 2014 study on the history of immigration control policies in the United States, between 1986 and 2012, the United States spent some $187 billion on immigration enforcement. By 2014, the annual cost of the detention portion of the immigration enforcement budget had grown to roughly $2 billion, or approximately $5 million a day. We know very little of what actually takes place in these centers and what the fate is of thousands of families.

**Taken by Kimberly’s mother at their home in Camargo, Chihuahua, 2003, All rights reserved.**

When interviewing Kim, I asked, “what do you think causes individuals to act like this?” (10:37). Kim came to the conclusion that discrimination is a result of ignorance. This is caused by two major factors, being expressed through mass media, and being isolated from other cultures. Kim has very strong feelings about discrimination being normalized by our President. She states that “But since Trump has been in office, I have personally seen more open racism and discrimination. Having someone to in such high -power display racism makes it seem normalized. His presidency has been a form of regression on the civil rights of minorities. The president is supposed to be a role model and he is doing the exact opposite.” The President is expressing closed-minded beliefs and his supporters believe it instead of testing them. The only knowledge his supporters have is what is expressed through the President. Both the President and his supporters have very little experience with other cultures and which it is unfair to make claims of something they don’t know.

A State of Hate

**Taken by Kimberly’s father, portrait of Kimberly ready to participate in the traditional Folk Dance tied to her heritage, 2006. All rights reserved.**

On Election Night in 2008, Americans gathered in Grant Park, Chicago. They cried tears of joy knowing Barack Obama would become the first black president. For millions of Americans, Obama lifted the nation. For white supremacists, he lit a powder keg. His election supercharged the divisions that have existed since the country’s birth. The hate created two Americas. Two realities. Split-screen reactions to the same events, that continued and were exacerbated with President Trump’s victory and time in office. The era that started with hope and change had now become one of unapologetic hate. Most African-Americans polled immediately after the 2008 election called Obama’s victory “a dream come true,” one they never expected to see in their lifetime. Not all Americans saw it that way. Racists viewed a black man in power as a signal of the browning of America. It was the sight they feared the most. They were terrified and infuriated. White supremacists, Klansmen, and others began to vent, plot and act. As Obama called for people to come together, they used his existence to drive the nation apart. Donald Trump, then a private citizen, questioned if the first black President was born in America. Some repeated the lie that Obama was Muslim as if to exaggerate his “otherness.” This undercurrent of racism came as the country struggled with a divided Washington and the economic crisis following the Great Recession. Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail in 2016 seemed to bring those divisions out into the open. Trump received great support in the perceived and outwardly racist language. From his call for a so-called Muslim ban to denigrating Mexicans at his campaign announcement, Trump stirred America’s melting pot of diversity and haters emerged. This damage caused by Donald Trump will leave a stain on America. This will take decades of work to fix.

Eliminating Discrimination

Taken by Kimberly’s sister. Portrait of Kimberly winning a local scholarship. Kansas City, Kansas, 2019. All rights reserved.

The play Rhinoceros was written by Eugène Ionesco. In this play, we can see several parallels to the play and the movement President Trump has brought on our country. In Rhinoceros, there is a spread of disease in their town. People are suddenly turning green and eventually becoming Rhinoceros. In the beginning, the people feared the Rhinoceros without much interaction of them. They portray the Rhinos as monsters. But eventually when they become the majority, the uninfected wish to become the Rhinos. Ionesco’s intention of the play was to show the sweeping fascist movement. We can tie parallels to President Trump. Trump has fascist characteristics by wanting to isolate the only nationality through nationalism. Also getting the population to believe in whatever he says with very little evidence

Bettering Ourselves

**Stage Agent, A poster for the play Rhinoceros, 2017.**

The world is filled with hate, especially in America. It spread because of different religions, ethnicity, and even political beliefs. This is due to discrimination against these different groups. We have learned earlier that discrimination is caused by ignorance. As our interviewee, Kimberly has mentioned before, that people discriminate against others for a few reasons. Since they don’t know these groups, they are afraid of them. When afraid, they try to push these other groups down. We have seen this throughout history. Discrimination leads to violence as we seen in history and in particular, in the United States. Most recently, we have seen mass massacres on hated groups. To create peace, we must eliminate discriminating others. Most of the global issues come from the root of discrimination. I hope for us to develop and learn from our prior mistakes. In this better world, we must learn and accept others instead of rejecting them and putting them down. Hopefully, we will live in peaceful world, eventually.

**Faithfully Magazine,** **poster placed in several cities across the nation, inspiring citizens, March 15^th, 2019.**

I decided to do a Newspaper article on this project. I feel like the best way to communicate my message is through mass media, such as a Newspaper. Since individuals surround themselves with mass media every day to get their news. My goal is to info everyone about the struggles of others. If I get their message out, then hopefully others will be understanding. Then eventually this can lead to the improvement of discrimination against others.