Ryan Fleming Post#3

Our discussion in class today really got me thinking about my experiences in high school. The topic of how there is a stereotype for how each ethnic group is supposed to act and stepping outside of those characteristics can cause disapproval is something I have witnessed multiple times. In high school one of my best friends was african american and was often called the slang word an "oreo". Meaning that she was "black" on the outside but acted "white" on the inside. This term while most people used it carelessly as a joke was still very offensive. Who my friend was as a person had nothing to do with her skin color. She was not acting "white" or "black" she was just being herself and the fact that we place personality traits with ethinicty seems ridiculous. The constant comments got to my friend and I noticed a change in her personality. Whenever she was around people who normally criticized her she began to act the way society expected her to act, rather than be made fun of. It was really upsetting to see my friend change who she was around certain people just because of what people expected from her. Many of my peers along with my friend were criticized for acting "black" or acting "white", but who decides these specific ways to act based on race? It is such an awful concept that we give into everyday and cannot hope to see change if we keep acting the way society expects us to.