As a Mexican-American on the William Jewell Campus, I have had an interesting experience throughout my four years. I am from Texas. The high schools that I attended (I attended two) were predominantly Hispanic. In Texas, I was part of a minority majority. I was technically a minority, but the minority group that I was part of was so prominent that we were the majority.  At Jewell, I am part of a significant minority and sometimes I do feel the magnitude of that significance.  In general, I do get along with many people on campus. I am a very social person. As my aunt likes to put it, “You are a social butterfly.” However there are times when I do feel disconnected from individuals on campus.

One thing that really bugs me is the fact that people ask me why I do not speak Spanish. As a third generation Mexican-American, my siblings and I do not speak Spanish. I get asked this frequently, often in a very accusatory tone. We were brought up by our parents to speak English. A lot of people assume that I should not only speak Spanish, but be fluent in English as well. As a third generation Mexican-American, English was already a prominent foundation within my family. My grandparents, my parents and even a couple of my great-grandparents spoke English and spoke it well. My mom and my family made the conscious decision to teach me English. They figured that knowing English was the best way for me to get ahead in this country. They struggled learning English, and did not want me to suffer the same fate. My parents believed they did what was best for me. To question my knowledge of Spanish is to question their upbringing of me. I love my parents and do not question one choice they made in raising me. They had my best interests in mind when they decided to teach me English.

Another issue that I have encountered on this campus is what I like to call unintentional racism. There have been several times where I have felt uncomfortable with actions and words used by my peers. My first year, we read the book, Invisible Man. One problem the protagonist encountered was his acceptance into a particular group of people. He felt and knew that he would never truly belong. Here I sometimes feel this way. For the most part I usually feel like I belong and am loved on this campus; however sometimes I feel like an outsider, like I don’t belong. A few times I have witnessed friends say or do something that is very upsetting. There have been some cases of racism. For the most part, this is not the intent behind those actions and words; however, it does make me feel separated. There is no intent behind what has been said or done, but it is still racism. Those actions and words are made without my peers knowing the severity and weight of their words. Those instances just make me step back and make me feel as though I do not truly belong. It is as though I am driving along on a highway and I get too close to the shoulder of the highway, and I run over that uneven part of the road. I am startled, and once again aware that I am driving. I try to address these instances as much as possible; however, it does not take away from the fact that at times I feel unwanted or unloved. In conclusion, be aware that being a minority at a predominantly white college is tougher than you would think.