Personal Narrative: My Heritage Made Me Who I Am

Heritage has impacted my life in many good and bad ways, growing up I was afraid to express my culture and ethnicity. My only concern about not expressing who I truly was is that I may not be accepted for who I am. Growing up Asian I went through a lot phases where I became the main target for racism. I would always question myself and ask “What is wrong with me and my culture?”, “Why am I the target?”, “When was it ever okay to bring someone down and make them feel worthless?”. At that moment I would not just only hide who I really am but I would lie to myself and say that, that’s not really me. Throughout my life I began to become someone that I am not, with false information I gave to my peers I never thought I would dislike my culture

I was afraid to bring in my parents for parent teacher night because I had fear that people would make fun of my mom for wearing “Hijab” which is a piece of cloth a muslim women wraps around their head to embrace their culture and religion. I still remember the day when a kid tried to pull my mother’s Hijab of from her head. Me and my mother we were walking down 5th avenue from grocery shopping. I remember when we were getting out of the store two kid were constantly staring at us especially my mother.I wasn’t concerned about it because most of the time that seem to be the case. As me and mother were walking down the street they kept following us. We didn’t pay any attention to them until they started yelling “ Terrorist” that was the moment when we realized that we were being targeted. I tried to stop but my mom held my hand tight and started walking fast. However that didn't stop them from teasing us. All of a sudden one of the kid run up behind my mom and tried to pull my mother's Hijab off, she quickly turned and pushed his hand away from her head.Then they both runs away from the scene I remember trying to run after them but mother kept calling my name desperately and telling me to take her