I think one of the reasons I am so interested in African American Studies and other cultural studies is because I grew up in a place with almost no diversity. Having lived in the small town of Tuttle, Oklahoma my whole life until I moved to Norman, I grew up surrounded by people who were just like me. It wasn’t just racial diversity that was lacking. The homogeneity of the people I was surrounded by also extended to lifestyle. Before I came to college, I never had a friend of a different race. I never had a friend who believed in a religion other than Christianity. I never had a friend of a different sexual orientation. Everyone I came in contact with was just like me, and that was all I knew. Growing up in such a place causes different attitudes in different people. For some, it leads to close-mindedness. I would even go so far as to say that some people are just scared of people who are different than they are. Although it’s a small place, Tuttle is known for many things. First, Braum’s Ice Cream. The Braum’s farm and headquarters is located in Tuttle. Second, Jason White, Heisman Trophy Winner. Unfortunately, another thing Tuttle is known for is racism. When I meet new people and tell them where I am from, sometimes they say, “Oh, that’s where Jason White is from” (Which makes me really happy because I absolutely love him). But occasionally when I say I am from Tuttle, people say, “Isn’t that a pretty racist place”? Unfortunately, I can’t disagree with them. I hate to say that, because Tuttle is full of good people. The smallness causes it to be a very close-knit town and the people there would do anything for each other. Sadly, the lack of diversity has lead to ignorance and intolerance for some people. In my case, however, growing up in Tuttle didn’t make me fear diversity; it made me eager to experience it. Now, being on a much more diverse college campus, I am very thankful for the opportunity to meet different kinds of people.
Where we came from is nowhere near as important as where we are headed. Taking classes like this, and embracing diversity enhances your world view, and allows you to go further in life.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's really neat and admirable that you are trying to diversify yourself after coming to OU and being in a different community. I went to a very diverse higschool and met all different types of people and it was one of the best experiences of my life, I wouldn't trade it for anything. i also learned something new from your blog because I had never heard of Tuttle before this! That's really cool though that being such a small town there are still some interesting things that came from the town. I also agree with what you said about the racism. I have been in situations before where people are just ignorant and usually it is because of the lack of diversity in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience growing up. My high school was 99% WASP (White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant) and I interacted with people of different cultures on a sporadic basis at best. Unfortunately, we didn't have Braum's ice cream, although we did have our own Heisman Trophy winner in Doak Walker. An open mind is one of the best human qualities to have, and luckily it is a quality that can grow. The cure for ignorance is knowledge, and an educated populace will cure many of the ills faced by society, including racism. Good luck in your journey! Remember, it is just as important to share knowledge as it is to obtain it.
ReplyDeleteHi, Just to let you know that I really find your topic of "Diversity" interesting. First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Corinne and I am coming from Cameroon, a country located at the heart of Africa. I came in U.S. about 4 years ago, when I just turned 18. To be honest, the separation with my parents and family was very difficult at the beginning. I almost wanted to go back home because this new world was totally different from the one I was used to.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I found the society very rude and unfriendly. For instance, I remembered one day I took the bus and I said Hi to everyone and barely one person answered. From this day, I decided to no longer say hi or good Morning in the bus. Moreover, I was also traumatized by the fact that everybody is at his place, nobody visits anybody on daily basis; if you want to visit, you have to make an appointment first. This is totally different from my culture in the sense that in Africa, you do not have to make an appointment if you want to visit your friend or your brother. In addition, I was also shocked by the reaction of people when I told them I am from Africa. Sometimes, they asked me questions like, "is Cameroon a jungle?", "are Lions or other wild animals wandering around?" At first, I was mad at them, but later I found that they asked these stupid questions because they were not informed about Africa. Thus, I decided to vent my country, my continent, and of course my culture. The best advices I can give to anybody are "Be always proud of where you come from" and “try to accept or understand people even though their cultures are different from yours”. Yes, I am proud to be an African Queen.
It is good to see that you are open minded to learn about different cultures and lifestyles. It is about as bad to say that all people in a small towns are racist because small towns tend to be racist, as it is to say that people living in the big city are rude are full of crooks and lairs. Me personally I grew up in the Mid-Del/Edmond area of OKC. Racism does tend to be a problem for smaller towns, and that is because of the lack of diversity, and for the most part people are afraid of change. The problem is that one group should not define an individual. There are bad apples in every group, but that should not spoil the whole pie :). Also a comment for Corinne, people will always ask stupid questions...there are people in America that still think that people Oklahoman all ride horses, and covered wagons, and it is still the old west. Open mindedness is key to survival in this world; we are all diplomats of our race, our home city, our state, and our country.
ReplyDeleteMy life experience is totally opposite then yours. I had move to Dallas from Taiwan when I was 14 years old and spend six years at a small college town in Utah after my high school. Finally, I came to OU to finish my school. During the time at different places, I learned to accept the difference of many different people. You would think that people from Utah are the same as people from Texas, but they are different in many ways. The big difference was the religion and it was very interesting for me to learn the differences between Mormon and Christianity. The cultural sock of United State was the other major change in my life. I had to learn new language and make new friends after I can to this new place. This had made me more acceptable to different idea, people, and tolerate to changes.
ReplyDeleteI know that in some cases, it’s hard for someone to say that they understand, when in reality they can’t simply because they weren’t in that person’s shoes, but I believe that in a sense I can relate. First off, let me say that I commend your thirst for diversity and open-minded optimism (not everyone contains that characteristic). I grew up in Dermott Arkansas, a small town that people rarely realize they pass due to its appeared vacancy. One thing that was quite clear was the dominate race of the residents: black. Even though I was a little girl, I remember that black people were everywhere. I then moved to Tulsa and went t to a predominately white school, with a handful of minorities-I was included in that handful. Despite this fact, being the type of person that my mother was, she passed down her most admirable quality: the ability to get along with anyone. Ironically, I was often questioned why I talked to so many people who weren’t of my same race. I didn’t see the problem. I guess my people did. In reality that solves nothing. Sadly, I would have to agree with you. People are scared to venture outside their race and as a result, I was judged for it. I still didn’t let that stop me from associating with diverse groups, because in reality, the world id diverse, and in order to survive in it, we need to know how to interact with other people with different backgrounds, religions, sexual preferences, you name it. Moreover, never let that thirst you have go dry. Satisfy it with knowledge, because it is powerful.
ReplyDeleteJessica Turner