My background is Irish, English and French. I identify most with my Irish background since I am 75% Irish and my sister is 100% Irish. 3 of my grandparents immigrated from Ireland as well as a few of my great aunts and uncles so when any member of my family talks about their heritage it is about their Irish heritage, the French and English part isn't talked about much since it was only on my fathers fathers side.
Until I was 5 I lived in the Bronx in a fairly diverse neighborhood, so I got used to seeing people who were different than me, but I can't remember ever thinking of any of the people around me as any different. My parents taught me to treat everyone the way I wanted to be treated, and at some point must have explained to me about racial diversity but I was most likely so young I don't remember. I don't think if ever occurred to me that though some of the people around me looked physically different than me that they were actually any different. The first time I think I actually realized that everyone wasn't just like me and my family was when one of my friends in elementary school asked me to explain Santa to her, this was the first time I remember actually realizing that people lived their lives differently than my families.
I honestly can't think of any racism that I have come across in real life.
J Huot
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