Before I took this course, I really didnt realize the difficulties faced by many

immigrants. I knew that racism is still alive and well in the United States, as much as people
dont want to admit it. When I was in school, racism really wasnt spoken about, people were
racist and nobody really noticed or cared. I grew up on the East side of the Salt Lake Valley
where there were not many ethnic minorities. There was one African American for one year in
my elementary school, about three in my Jr. high and maybe 5-10 at my high school. My friends
and I did not deal with many minorities growing up. After I graduated from high school and went
to college (25 years ago) there were still not that many minorities. I noticed a lot more diversity
starting in the 1990s though. What I noticed the most was a lot more Latinos living in Salt Lake.
Still, in the area I live, it is not that common to see many people that are racial minorities.
The elementary school my kids attend has a few minorities, but for the most part, most of the
kids look like W.A.S.P. kids. Theres just not a ton of diversity there. I have noticed that the Jr
high and high school my children attend (the same ones I attended) have more racial diversity
than when I was a kid. There are still not that many other kids. My children dont really notice
race at all. I have tried to teach them not to let the color of a persons skin or what religion they
are matter to them.
I havent attended college in over 20 years. I dont have any courses that have influenced
me in my opinions about this course or race in general. One thing I do have experience in is the
work force. I have worked at the same company for 18 years. When I began working at my
current company there was never talk about political correctness or what we could or could not
say. Now, we have all kinds of classes, on line and in conference rooms about what is appropriate
conversation at work. I have to admit, that it really gets annoying sometimes. I do not like being
told what to do, whether Id do it anyway or not. Of course, in the work place you have to follow
the rules, or you get in trouble. That being said, I work with some of the most racist people Ive
ever met. They are not malicious or hateful people. Not all of the people I work with are that
racist, but there are a lot of racist jokes that are told at breaks and lunch. Do I laugh, yes, some of
them are funny. Does it make me uncomfortable? Absolutely!
Since starting this course, I have realized how damaging the stereotypes of cultures can
be to people. It holds them back and hurts peoples feeling. I have tried not to participate in the
racial jokes. There needs to be more tolerance in this country for people that are different. That
goes for race and religion. In a world that has become so diverse, it almost seems as though some
people have become more closed minded. All I can do is try to educate my children and the
people around me.