Out of all the schools I’ve ever attended, Paramount High School West Campus being the seventh one, it is definitely one of the most diverse schools I’ve ever been to. Diversity used to be compared to a “melting pot” but now and days; diversity is most compared to a salad bowl. In a good salad you can find various vegetables like, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, or green pepper which are all different in shapes, color and taste. They all have their unique flavors that are brought together in to one delicious salad.
When entering PHSWC, you’ll immediately see numerous groups of students with their friends. Usually, they’re categorized. Hispanics with Hispanics, African Americans with African Americans, punkers with punkers, pretty boys with pretty boys, Christians with Christians, and lastly, “nerds” with nerds”. In a way, I do see some sense to it. A punker most likely has more in common with another punker then he or she would with a Christian. You might never know though; they still might have the same taste in music or clothes. Not only that, but their differences might give them a chance to learn new things and bring them closer together.
Our school is filled with many different ethnicities, which I find very remarkable because I’ve see mostly Mexicans in every school I’ve attended. Not that I have a problem with Mexicans. That could never happen. I’m Mexican myself and really proud to be one but learning about other cultures and other traditions is really amusing to me. I’m only speaking for myself though; I know others might agree and others might disagree. Somebody else might argue my opinion simply because they think they should stick to “their people” due to fear or conflict. That also makes sense to me too, our backgrounds might be different and some might not like it but then again, there is nothing we can do about our ethnicity. Instead of trying to isolate ourselves from all the other amazing people out there that are different, we really should just learn how to understand and respect one another for who we are.
“One bad apple might ruin another” is a very famous saying that I’ve heard one too many times before. My step dad used to say it to me all the time. He’s Christian and last year, when I used to live with him and my mom, he would always say that I needed to be around other Christians. “Anybody else of other beliefs, can possibly be a bad influence”, he used to say. The bible doesn’t say that though. The bible says in Mathew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” But rather people believe in God or the Virgin Mary, the heavens or reincarnation, we are all apart of humankind who should try to come together and make the world better in peace.
The stereotypes that have contaminated our world, is something that should and needs to be stopped. We are all different in many, many ways. In some situations it’s by choice and in others, it isn’t. Why would someone want to change themselves for somebody else though? It’s something that a lot of people are not willing to do and don’t have to either. Just imagine how dull this earth will be if we were all the same. Diversity isn’t bad, it’s good. We are unique in our own way because of it and if one day, people would just stop and realize that, they’ll see. And It can start…now.