Not too long ago, the Supreme Court passed that college tuition for "illegal aliens" is lowered to the normal rate of in-state students. This means they no longer pay the out of state rate which is much more than normal. Many are outraged at this, saying that it's unfair to American students who pay that out of state fee.
There is one thing people do not realize when they hear about this act. There is no such thing as financial aid or loans for undocumented students. This means that they pay tuition, books and other expenses out of their own pocket. They pay on the hope that they can escape the cycle of poverty and hardship their families endured. Many would say it is useless since they can't use that degree for a job since they are without documentation in this country. Then, they become outraged that their tax dollars are being spent for these people. In reality, they are losing any of their tax money. If these people were given financial aid, they would but that is not the case. These "illegal aliens" pay the full tuition which brings in money for the schools. It is something I can't understand since many are fine with their taxes being spent on war and jails, but not education "illegals."
I had a girlfriend who was undocumented here in America. She completed high school here and went to Cypress College for psychology. Every semester she had to pay the out of state tuition, since she wasn't present in the United States long enough in high school. Out of her own pocket, she would pay a good amount of money that is hard to obtain for undocumented workers. Not only it is expensive by American means, but for an illegal it is much more difficult. To get a good job for a student is difficult by any means. She had to work full time at a gas station, a place many girls would not want to work at. Most of her money went to rent and school, so she sacrificed a lot to go to school. She went because she hoped and believed something good will come out of it, even though her degree would be obsolete. I saw the struggles she endured and really envied her for trying to better herself, while others tried to discourage.
The one thing I find wrong is this situation is that in the media, they assign these people the term "illegal aliens." In reality these people are undocumented students, but media feels the need to attach them with a negative meaning. When people hear that illegal aliens are being given a little break, they feel it is wrong because of the message that was elicited. It is a trick media has used for many people to stir up negative feelings on something that may be positive. Also, I feel people's mind states are programmed to associate illegal alien with Mexican people. Though it may be true that many are Mexican, it does not mean all are. Only do I hear Mexicans being called illegal aliens, but not for a Canadian or Chinese student in college. It is true because when I hear people talk about it, Mexicans are the first to be brought up. I don't feel anyone should be called that since everyone should be considered equal. I think the minds of the American people have truly been brainwashed to associate negative things with this and it halts the dreams of many people just trying to better themselves.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Pursuit of Unhappiness.
Many people feel the purpose of life is the pursuit of happiness. Everyone has a different idea on what their happiness is. One person's idea of a good life may not seem as appealing to someone else. We are all attracted toward it and search for it on a daily basis. We dream about happiness and struggle in order to achieve it.
Today many have a warped image on what happiness really is. We have many influences that brainwash us to think and pursue a certain. The deception is even stronger in today's society where media is such a big part of our lives. Look at billboards, commercials and television and see what they define as happiness. For men; you need a big house, sports car, sexy women, a lot of money and sex. I say a sexy women because I feel beautiful is too strong to describe what a women should be in today's society. For a women; you need to have a model body, a man with money, designer clothing and compare to the women you see on television. This is a complete warped idea on happiness. Happiness cannot be bought, sold or judged. Many follow this and get the cars and money, only to find that they are still unhappy with their life. Happiness is not superficial and is something within you, not something you wear.
I am not saying having money is a bad thing, because you do not want to live in poverty. Money can provide happiness to some people, and that is fine. Yet, it can never complete your happiness. You can have all the money in the world, and feel lonely. The problem is the pursuit of money seems to be the purpose of life nowadays. Many feel you are not successful unless you have a considerable amount of wealth. We are losing what it is to be human. We are children of media, which brainwashes us to buy their cars and clothes. It is all a business.
Happiness is a very hard thing to determine and find, but everyone seems to be looking in the wrong direction. People spend their life working to have all this money. All they do is work, and never get to enjoy the simple aspects of life like family, love, friendship and enjoying yourself. What is the point of putting in all these hours if you never get to enjoy the money anyways? Unless your job makes you happy, then that is fine. Though many people dislike their profession and follow it only for money. It seems the things we enjoy most, are the least paid professions. If you love to draw, there is no job that will give you six figures right away, unless you are a high profile artist. We leave our dreams for this pursuit of money and "success." Then, when we get there and realize that this is not how we want to live our life it is too late.
I feel media should push you to be "you" and follow your own path rather than taking the same road everyone else is on. We are shunned if we don't succeed how society wants us to. Many parents push their kids to pursue high paying jobs rather than what makes them happy. Society should be molded that way so we could all have our own piece of utopia.
Today many have a warped image on what happiness really is. We have many influences that brainwash us to think and pursue a certain. The deception is even stronger in today's society where media is such a big part of our lives. Look at billboards, commercials and television and see what they define as happiness. For men; you need a big house, sports car, sexy women, a lot of money and sex. I say a sexy women because I feel beautiful is too strong to describe what a women should be in today's society. For a women; you need to have a model body, a man with money, designer clothing and compare to the women you see on television. This is a complete warped idea on happiness. Happiness cannot be bought, sold or judged. Many follow this and get the cars and money, only to find that they are still unhappy with their life. Happiness is not superficial and is something within you, not something you wear.
I am not saying having money is a bad thing, because you do not want to live in poverty. Money can provide happiness to some people, and that is fine. Yet, it can never complete your happiness. You can have all the money in the world, and feel lonely. The problem is the pursuit of money seems to be the purpose of life nowadays. Many feel you are not successful unless you have a considerable amount of wealth. We are losing what it is to be human. We are children of media, which brainwashes us to buy their cars and clothes. It is all a business.
Happiness is a very hard thing to determine and find, but everyone seems to be looking in the wrong direction. People spend their life working to have all this money. All they do is work, and never get to enjoy the simple aspects of life like family, love, friendship and enjoying yourself. What is the point of putting in all these hours if you never get to enjoy the money anyways? Unless your job makes you happy, then that is fine. Though many people dislike their profession and follow it only for money. It seems the things we enjoy most, are the least paid professions. If you love to draw, there is no job that will give you six figures right away, unless you are a high profile artist. We leave our dreams for this pursuit of money and "success." Then, when we get there and realize that this is not how we want to live our life it is too late.
I feel media should push you to be "you" and follow your own path rather than taking the same road everyone else is on. We are shunned if we don't succeed how society wants us to. Many parents push their kids to pursue high paying jobs rather than what makes them happy. Society should be molded that way so we could all have our own piece of utopia.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Working to survive.
I was at work a while ago, making a delivery to a freight company in Montebello. I spoke with a spanish-speaking worker who was very kind and talkative. I've seen this man before and noticed that he is always there and doing something. He seemed to be a very hard worker and on top of his job. His functions were to load up trucks with merchandise and organize all the pallets they recieved. It seemed to be a very difficult job due to the amount of cargo they had, and the understaffing. I have been delivering to this place for about a year now and never got the oppurtunity to converse with him.
About two weeks ago, he was on lunch, and he came up to me to say hello. I never really knew much about him other than he was the man who loaded up all the freight. In speaking with him, I was able to find out he was an illegal immigrant and worked for a very low wage. He worked every day of the week, expect Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. He was based on a salary and he said he made about $80 a day. At first, I really didnt realize how low that was until I did the math. For his 12 hour day, where he works non-stop doing hard labor, he is paid $6.67 an hour. That is more than a dollar below the minumum wage. When I thought about the reality of the situation, it actually hit me pretty hard and put my life in perspective. With those wages, that means annually he makes around $25,000 a year. That is borderline poverty nowadays.
Not only was the pay hard for me to deal with, but the hours seemed slave-like. He spends about a third of his life at work. Yet he was happy to work and had 72 hours of work available for him to work. I wanted to almost educate him that he would probably be better off working at a Mcdonalds, then slaving at this freight company. Yet, he said he is blessed to have this job amidst a recession.
Then, I also spoke with a young woman in her 20's who is seven months pregnant. I asked how her pregnancy was going and she said well. Usually this late in labor you are put on maternity leave, yet she told me she would be working until she is absolutely ready to deliver. I thought about how harsh it was that this woman in labor is working 12 hour days, 6 days a week, and being pregnant. She said she has no choice in the matter and has to be there. While most people are paid on maternity to take care of their labor and make sure everything goes well, she is stuck at work. I never asked about her wages yet I am sure she is not anywhere near well-off.
Hearing things like this really saddens me and actually engulfs me in anger that my own people are exploited in such a way. All the times I hear how undocumented workers are taking away the jobs and creating problems, drowns me in a pool of sorrow. I ask why do we allow this to happen and why is there nothing being said. I do not understand how people complain about these workers, when they are taking jobs that many American people who consider slave wages and hours. I hear people complain about how they only got $30 dollars tip as a server and how hard their job is, when they know nothing about being really exploited. These people I speak of literally work to survive. They don't work for fun, or to have a nice car, or go places. They work so they can provide for their family and hope that their next generation will have it better than them. It really sucks that these people are stuck in a trap, and have no way of escaping their cage of poverty.
I really wish one day these people will have it much better and wish I had a means to help. Hopefully, many others wake up to the realities of this situation and not turn a blind eye to the problem.
About two weeks ago, he was on lunch, and he came up to me to say hello. I never really knew much about him other than he was the man who loaded up all the freight. In speaking with him, I was able to find out he was an illegal immigrant and worked for a very low wage. He worked every day of the week, expect Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. He was based on a salary and he said he made about $80 a day. At first, I really didnt realize how low that was until I did the math. For his 12 hour day, where he works non-stop doing hard labor, he is paid $6.67 an hour. That is more than a dollar below the minumum wage. When I thought about the reality of the situation, it actually hit me pretty hard and put my life in perspective. With those wages, that means annually he makes around $25,000 a year. That is borderline poverty nowadays.
Not only was the pay hard for me to deal with, but the hours seemed slave-like. He spends about a third of his life at work. Yet he was happy to work and had 72 hours of work available for him to work. I wanted to almost educate him that he would probably be better off working at a Mcdonalds, then slaving at this freight company. Yet, he said he is blessed to have this job amidst a recession.
Then, I also spoke with a young woman in her 20's who is seven months pregnant. I asked how her pregnancy was going and she said well. Usually this late in labor you are put on maternity leave, yet she told me she would be working until she is absolutely ready to deliver. I thought about how harsh it was that this woman in labor is working 12 hour days, 6 days a week, and being pregnant. She said she has no choice in the matter and has to be there. While most people are paid on maternity to take care of their labor and make sure everything goes well, she is stuck at work. I never asked about her wages yet I am sure she is not anywhere near well-off.
Hearing things like this really saddens me and actually engulfs me in anger that my own people are exploited in such a way. All the times I hear how undocumented workers are taking away the jobs and creating problems, drowns me in a pool of sorrow. I ask why do we allow this to happen and why is there nothing being said. I do not understand how people complain about these workers, when they are taking jobs that many American people who consider slave wages and hours. I hear people complain about how they only got $30 dollars tip as a server and how hard their job is, when they know nothing about being really exploited. These people I speak of literally work to survive. They don't work for fun, or to have a nice car, or go places. They work so they can provide for their family and hope that their next generation will have it better than them. It really sucks that these people are stuck in a trap, and have no way of escaping their cage of poverty.
I really wish one day these people will have it much better and wish I had a means to help. Hopefully, many others wake up to the realities of this situation and not turn a blind eye to the problem.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Drug War
The U.S./Mexico drug war has been a constant battle and never seems to subside. There are two components to this problem: the buyer and seller. The buyer is here in America and the seller is drug cartels in Mexico. I feel this problem has been handled completely wrong. America blames Mexico and Mexico blames America. The finger pointing has gotten nowhere and the problem has only increased.
America claims that Mexico brings in illegal immigrant that possess drugs. They claim them to be the problem, and has fueled this hatred against Mexican immigrants. The thing is in order for these people to migrate to the United States they have to go through coyotes, who are men that help them. Many times these men are members of a certain cartel. They have heartless methods and it is all business to them. They tell these people to take their drugs over for them, or they will punish them. These good people just trying to make a life for themselves have no choice but to do this, and when caught, they are blamed. So American media drills it into society to have undocumented migrants associated with drugs. The problem is not immigration, but the cartels themselves. These cartels have much power and do anything in their power to get what they want. They spread violence like a plague and send to wrong message for the normal people. Yet America blames these normal people exploited by these cartels as the problem. They have it all wrong and do not see that they help the problem.
America blames Mexico and many other Latin American countries for their drug problem. America has the most drug users here more than any other country. Even in Mexico and Colombia where they are made, people do not use as much drugs here. People say they used drugs to escape their hard lives, yet people there have much harder lives. That says that something here in America is not being done right to raise people to stay away from drug use. Since there is such a demand for drugs here, there needs to be a supply. It is economics and cocaine is native to Latin America. For these people there who live tough and have very limited options, they go with whatever they can to survive. These drug cartels know that and recruit many people, offering them a good life. Then, all the guns used by these cartels are actually from America. Guns are illegal in Mexico, so America keeps these cartels in power by fueling there firepower. How are you going to complain about a weed problem, when you give it water? It does not make sense to me. It is all money-based and they use lies and deception to keep people in check.
America has the power to do many things yet feel it is not necessary until it is a real problem. They spend more money fixing problems, where they could prevent them. They could offer opportunities in these countries so drug trafficking is not their only option. They could also do more to prevent drug use here if they see they problem is that bad. They have the diagnostic of the problem all wrong and use it to blame illegal immigrants for something they have no control over. It hurts me to hear that my people are exploited by not only their own people, but a country that is immigrant based. I feel if they really wanted the problem gone, they would have found ways to suppress it, yet I only see it getting worse.
America claims that Mexico brings in illegal immigrant that possess drugs. They claim them to be the problem, and has fueled this hatred against Mexican immigrants. The thing is in order for these people to migrate to the United States they have to go through coyotes, who are men that help them. Many times these men are members of a certain cartel. They have heartless methods and it is all business to them. They tell these people to take their drugs over for them, or they will punish them. These good people just trying to make a life for themselves have no choice but to do this, and when caught, they are blamed. So American media drills it into society to have undocumented migrants associated with drugs. The problem is not immigration, but the cartels themselves. These cartels have much power and do anything in their power to get what they want. They spread violence like a plague and send to wrong message for the normal people. Yet America blames these normal people exploited by these cartels as the problem. They have it all wrong and do not see that they help the problem.
America blames Mexico and many other Latin American countries for their drug problem. America has the most drug users here more than any other country. Even in Mexico and Colombia where they are made, people do not use as much drugs here. People say they used drugs to escape their hard lives, yet people there have much harder lives. That says that something here in America is not being done right to raise people to stay away from drug use. Since there is such a demand for drugs here, there needs to be a supply. It is economics and cocaine is native to Latin America. For these people there who live tough and have very limited options, they go with whatever they can to survive. These drug cartels know that and recruit many people, offering them a good life. Then, all the guns used by these cartels are actually from America. Guns are illegal in Mexico, so America keeps these cartels in power by fueling there firepower. How are you going to complain about a weed problem, when you give it water? It does not make sense to me. It is all money-based and they use lies and deception to keep people in check.
America has the power to do many things yet feel it is not necessary until it is a real problem. They spend more money fixing problems, where they could prevent them. They could offer opportunities in these countries so drug trafficking is not their only option. They could also do more to prevent drug use here if they see they problem is that bad. They have the diagnostic of the problem all wrong and use it to blame illegal immigrants for something they have no control over. It hurts me to hear that my people are exploited by not only their own people, but a country that is immigrant based. I feel if they really wanted the problem gone, they would have found ways to suppress it, yet I only see it getting worse.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tradition can't live in a country of flash.
It's funny how the most popular sport in the world, soccer, is one of the least popular here in the United States. Being a universal sport, here in America the people do not really follow it to the extent that other countries do. In Europe and Latin America, people live by soccer and are true fans who actually bleed for their team. Here in America, it seems the people want flashy sports and want instant gratification. They say soccer is boring because they rarely score and it gets repetitive. They rather watch football or basketball, the most popular here in America. Though I enjoy these sports as well, I've never felt the passion for it as I have soccer. Something about soccer makes me feel part of something that has a cause behind it. When World Cup comes around, I actually take time out of what I am doing to watch a game. I won't do it for any other sport and there are many others here that feel like me. The funny thing is the people that enjoy soccer are the most passionate of all fans and see soccer as a way of life. I don't see how that could be unpopular here. It seems to be all flash and trends we follow. For example, in soccer I cheer for Mexico because that is my heritage. Every Mexico game I see, I am swelled with pride of who I am and am devastated when we lose. I also watch football and am a raider fan, but I don't feel the connection to the team like I do with soccer.
The funny thing about fans here is that many choose teams on things such as cool uniforms. Many people like the Lakers just because they have Kobe Bryant and are good, yet they never been to Los Angeles. I see that a lot here in America and I feel a traditional sport like soccer gets left in the shadows.It is a wonderful sport I wish we embraced more. There is nothing more passionate and even people here do not even cheer for the American team. They pay attention to Europe where it is a big thing and care less on their National team. Maybe it is the lack of passion in America. Sometimes I wish it was how it used to be in the old days where people lived with passion, and weren't sucked in to flash and marketing. That is all sports seem to be today.
The funny thing about fans here is that many choose teams on things such as cool uniforms. Many people like the Lakers just because they have Kobe Bryant and are good, yet they never been to Los Angeles. I see that a lot here in America and I feel a traditional sport like soccer gets left in the shadows.It is a wonderful sport I wish we embraced more. There is nothing more passionate and even people here do not even cheer for the American team. They pay attention to Europe where it is a big thing and care less on their National team. Maybe it is the lack of passion in America. Sometimes I wish it was how it used to be in the old days where people lived with passion, and weren't sucked in to flash and marketing. That is all sports seem to be today.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
My enemy is my inner me.
It is crazy that our moods have such a huge impact on our life. At times I feel happy, at times I feel sad. There are times I am on top of the world and times I feel at the bottom of the totem pole. Sometimes I am just fine, sometimes I feel refined, and times I feel undefined. This is what it is to deal with Bi-Polar syndrome.
It was junior year in high school I noticed I felt something was wrong with me psychologically. I could be going through my day just fine and within seconds I would sink into a depressive state. I wanted to escape where I was and go into complete solitude. Then, given some time, I would feel just fine. Then somedays I would feel extremely eccentric and had an incredible amount of energy. I would speak so fast that my thoughts would race out faster than my mouth was able to project them out. It was hard for me to understand why somedays I woke up feeling I could do anything, and somedays I felt like I couldn't do anything at all. My friends and family found me unpredictable and knew I had something wrong with me. My mom's first assumption was that I was on drugs. In my manic episodes she would look at me as if I was someone she didn't even know. The ironic thing is at the time I didn't even know who I was. On a sport physical I mentioned to a doctor how I had mood swings and if he could offer any type of explanation. He had no answer but then insisted I speak to a psychiatrist. As much as I hated the fact that I was to go to a psychiatrist, my mother made me go insisting it is for my own good. So I went against my own will, and glad I did because in doing so he diagnosed me as Bi-Polar Type 2. My first thoughts were that I was schizophrenic and cursed with this burden. I didn't want to tell anyone afraid that they would think of me as some mentally unstable person. Though I had my mood swings, I was the same person I have always been.
I was prescribed a drug called Lithium to balance out my moods and I completely hated it. Though it helped keep me stable while I was on it, when I wasn't I felt even more depressed than ever. On top of that it made me feel like a zombie void of emotion. Plus, I was playing soccer at the time and it really had a negative effect on my performance. I felt slowed down and since it would thin my blood, I would bleed out my nose when I exerted myself. I completely hated taking the drug, so after 2 months I discontinued taking it. I would rather deal with it myself than go through life dependent on a drug that me to an emotionless body.
I have dealt with disorder since high school and I kind of think of it as a gift and curse. There are three phases of it. The manic phase is when I am very energetic, upbeat, and overly excited. Then I have my neutral phase where I am normal like everyone else. The final phase is the depressive state, which is the one I despise most. It causes me to sink into a state of paranoia and sadness. Through experiences I have found ways to control it naturally. I have noticed that when I am not working, playing a sport, reading, drawing, or anything productive is when I get my mood swings. So it forces me to stay busy and productive in a good way. It has me doing things in order to prevent me from getting depressed.
I would say the hardest part is trying to have someone understand where I am coming from. People find it hard to understand how I can switch from happy to sad quite rapidly. Especially when I was involved in a relationship, it was much harder to make her understand since she thought it was her fault. I felt bad that she felt burdened by it too. Also, the hard part is letting people know because they assume that being bipolar makes you crazy which is not the case. I am just like everyone, except I switch moods involuntarily. I used to keep it a secret, but I feel it is not anything to hide and is why I write about it. It actually feels good writing about it because I am reflecting myself, and helps me understand me a little better.
It was junior year in high school I noticed I felt something was wrong with me psychologically. I could be going through my day just fine and within seconds I would sink into a depressive state. I wanted to escape where I was and go into complete solitude. Then, given some time, I would feel just fine. Then somedays I would feel extremely eccentric and had an incredible amount of energy. I would speak so fast that my thoughts would race out faster than my mouth was able to project them out. It was hard for me to understand why somedays I woke up feeling I could do anything, and somedays I felt like I couldn't do anything at all. My friends and family found me unpredictable and knew I had something wrong with me. My mom's first assumption was that I was on drugs. In my manic episodes she would look at me as if I was someone she didn't even know. The ironic thing is at the time I didn't even know who I was. On a sport physical I mentioned to a doctor how I had mood swings and if he could offer any type of explanation. He had no answer but then insisted I speak to a psychiatrist. As much as I hated the fact that I was to go to a psychiatrist, my mother made me go insisting it is for my own good. So I went against my own will, and glad I did because in doing so he diagnosed me as Bi-Polar Type 2. My first thoughts were that I was schizophrenic and cursed with this burden. I didn't want to tell anyone afraid that they would think of me as some mentally unstable person. Though I had my mood swings, I was the same person I have always been.
I was prescribed a drug called Lithium to balance out my moods and I completely hated it. Though it helped keep me stable while I was on it, when I wasn't I felt even more depressed than ever. On top of that it made me feel like a zombie void of emotion. Plus, I was playing soccer at the time and it really had a negative effect on my performance. I felt slowed down and since it would thin my blood, I would bleed out my nose when I exerted myself. I completely hated taking the drug, so after 2 months I discontinued taking it. I would rather deal with it myself than go through life dependent on a drug that me to an emotionless body.
I have dealt with disorder since high school and I kind of think of it as a gift and curse. There are three phases of it. The manic phase is when I am very energetic, upbeat, and overly excited. Then I have my neutral phase where I am normal like everyone else. The final phase is the depressive state, which is the one I despise most. It causes me to sink into a state of paranoia and sadness. Through experiences I have found ways to control it naturally. I have noticed that when I am not working, playing a sport, reading, drawing, or anything productive is when I get my mood swings. So it forces me to stay busy and productive in a good way. It has me doing things in order to prevent me from getting depressed.
I would say the hardest part is trying to have someone understand where I am coming from. People find it hard to understand how I can switch from happy to sad quite rapidly. Especially when I was involved in a relationship, it was much harder to make her understand since she thought it was her fault. I felt bad that she felt burdened by it too. Also, the hard part is letting people know because they assume that being bipolar makes you crazy which is not the case. I am just like everyone, except I switch moods involuntarily. I used to keep it a secret, but I feel it is not anything to hide and is why I write about it. It actually feels good writing about it because I am reflecting myself, and helps me understand me a little better.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wrong Impressions.
In a society so focused upon image and physical characteristics, it seems we proceed to judge people on how they look before they get to know them. I constantly hear people say "That person looks so trashy" or "Damn, that guy looks like he will rob someone". I can not understand why we think we know what a person is about, when we know nothing about them. In this era, we thrive off stereotypes and image too much and especially here in Los Angeles you get people who think they are better than someone because o what they wear or car they drive. People do not even seek a relationship with a person who has a good personality and honest soul but look for "attractive" people who seem to always have a nasty chip on their shoulder.
I feel I am always misjudged by my image before people even get to know me. I know the person that I am and when I hear what people thought about me before they spoken to me baffles me. People always think I am some wanna be cholo who can not articulate. I know I am far from that and it seems people look at me like I am a bad person, yet they know nothing of me. I may be Mexican and have short hair but I do not have a short heart. Many times people do not attempt to approach me on their hunch that I am mean and some "macho" man. The funny part is I am the opposite. I know I am a very kind person with a big heart and good qualities. Just because I dress a certain way and have a certain look, does not have an impact on my personality. Then, people tell me to clean up my image to prevent this. The way I see it is instead of me changing how look, how about you change how you think about people before knowing them.
I actually find it funny sometimes and play with it. Many times people do not know that I am educated and for them to hear me talk intellectually shocks them. People never believe that I am an avid reader and seeker of knowledge. They think I am shallow and I am not at all. When people get to know me, I laugh at how they seemed shocked to learn certain aspects of me. One instance I was pulled over by a police officer in Irvine when I was on my way to work. I drive a Honda Civic to top off my stereotype and it was filled with three other mexicans so of course they would take a second look. I was working an event there and in front of my boss was pulled over by the police. He asked me my business here, where I am from, have I ever been arrested, etc. For a laugh, I used big words and had a professional mannerism about me so it made him look stupid. He found it weird for me to not have a warrant or any tattoos. This happens to me constantly but it feels good to prove people wrong. I will never change my image, but maybe people can change their train of thought.
I feel I am always misjudged by my image before people even get to know me. I know the person that I am and when I hear what people thought about me before they spoken to me baffles me. People always think I am some wanna be cholo who can not articulate. I know I am far from that and it seems people look at me like I am a bad person, yet they know nothing of me. I may be Mexican and have short hair but I do not have a short heart. Many times people do not attempt to approach me on their hunch that I am mean and some "macho" man. The funny part is I am the opposite. I know I am a very kind person with a big heart and good qualities. Just because I dress a certain way and have a certain look, does not have an impact on my personality. Then, people tell me to clean up my image to prevent this. The way I see it is instead of me changing how look, how about you change how you think about people before knowing them.
I actually find it funny sometimes and play with it. Many times people do not know that I am educated and for them to hear me talk intellectually shocks them. People never believe that I am an avid reader and seeker of knowledge. They think I am shallow and I am not at all. When people get to know me, I laugh at how they seemed shocked to learn certain aspects of me. One instance I was pulled over by a police officer in Irvine when I was on my way to work. I drive a Honda Civic to top off my stereotype and it was filled with three other mexicans so of course they would take a second look. I was working an event there and in front of my boss was pulled over by the police. He asked me my business here, where I am from, have I ever been arrested, etc. For a laugh, I used big words and had a professional mannerism about me so it made him look stupid. He found it weird for me to not have a warrant or any tattoos. This happens to me constantly but it feels good to prove people wrong. I will never change my image, but maybe people can change their train of thought.
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