All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
The Art of Trying
While most of our voices are drowning in the ever growing narrow minded state of structure, I ask myself, who will make fun of me today? It’s always a new person, a blooming curiosity that surrounds me. They look toward me asking questions, but usually it’s mean. Their parents telling them about how my country is out of balance, how it is horrible. We may be Communist, but we the people not evil like a guy said to me the other day. While most accept the concept of immigrants, still many are disgusted by me. And what can I do?
My friends in America say I defend China too much. My friends in China is vice versa. So defending two countries isn’t great when you live in a small town populated by extreme non believers of outsiders. So I live in my own little solitary confinement and just hope that someone could understand.
I am not welling in self pity. I am merely stating a fact. There are still people who don’t accept others due to their ethnical policies. I am starting to hate my region due to hatred spread behind my jet black Asian hair. America may be a place of freedom of speech, but sometimes it hurts more than a gunshot. So I’ve never believed sayings like, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Some Americans fill themselves with self pride in their country, a great factor, but sometimes it can get annoying. Their state of mind is held up by the fact of perfection and looking at other countries’ past reputations. It sometimes revolts me.
My world cultures teacher most definitely watches BBC world news, which has a never-ending grudge against China’s shaky government. He told the whole class Chinese people are afraid of having a religion because the government will banish them or something along those lines. Except the way he said it made me feel like a total outcast. It was beyond the pain I felt when my thumb got sliced open. So I raised my hand saying he was wrong. He refused to believe my story, me going to school in China last year and not seeing any riots of any kind. And that was that.
Whilst in China, they asked prying questions about Americans; were they all blonde and beautiful like Britney Spears? How cheap was the food? Are the kids there dumb or smart? I was pleased to answer their curious gazes at first, but found out the similarities between some students in China, and some in America. They all held an equally small mind about the other country, preferring to focus on one source, and ignoring all others. So not every single Chinese or American is fully satisfied with the other, despite the young age they and us muster.
So while my failure to convince people (on both sides) that we are nice, not all of us are narrow minded and mean and etc, but somehow my message has not gone through. My hope is that when someone reads this and can relate. But really the whole message is this: Narrow mindedness can’t get you very far in life, so listening to new ideas is worth it, whether you chose to believe them or not. So please, try.
Similar Articles
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 5 comments.
No problem!!
My thoughts exactly as far as religion, I'm Christian but I keep my mind open about other people's religions, I actually think Buddhism is a lovely and well-thought-out religion and the philosophies involved are some that I have taken too. Thanks so much to answering the question!!
thanks for reading and commenting!
religion? that's kind of touchy but here's my view:
if someone opposes one religion to another, i don't understand why they must shun and ignore those people of that religion. i think people should be more open to everything in life. i am Buddist and personally, comments about my religion don't bother me.
i also don't like being stereo typed and i hope teens at your school will realize that not all people of one certain race is the same!!
cheers and thanks so much!
cheers!