One Ugly Duckling

Mon, 07/21/2014 - 22:37 -- Yesaroo

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Its the first day of school and I feel excited.

As a little first grader I walk into a room and sit next to 2 girls, possible friends.

And still to this day I cannot forget what they said, “Mira esa pinche gringa ya se cree”
At 5 years old I could not understand how those 2 little girls could assume that I was a gringa.

8 Years passed by .

I am constantly made fun of at school by white people, because I have a Mexican accent.

All the people in the bus make fun of my skin color for I am not as brown as they are.

And for some weird reason to their knowledge I am white not Mexican.

One day I go grocery shopping with my parents and  people follow them around in the store.

As if they were criminals and all of a sudden I hear a white family call my parents “dirty mexicans”

That, just that right there sparked deep anger inside me.

And I asked my mom, “Why she didn’t say or do anything about it?”

and she tells me “All you have to do is turn the other cheek”

And I tell her, but how can I just simply turn the other cheek when people just discriminate you and me for our skin color, accent, and culture.

What do I do when I go through the same struggle as many of my fellow  aztec blood brothers and sisters, but they cannot accept me for the color of my skin.

Because I am not brown enough.

But we share the same the blood that is flowing through our veins how can they not see this.

How can anyone just sit there and take in all the racist comments that go to their family and aztec blood brothers and sisters?

Mom what do I do with all this anger and pain I feel inside?

Am I suppose to accept this injustice that has been going on throughout my life

What do I do when I am forced to shed blood and tears because the world cannot open their eyes and see past skin color.

Explain to me what I must  do when I continue seeing the ducks make fun of the ugly duckling just because he has different colored feathers.

Do I shout to them that we are all creatures and that we all have hearts with pumping blood?

silence is left

Now Years pass by and my thoughts get stronger. It is present day 2014.

I hear about how people came to protest, judge, and discriminate against these poor kids headed to a Murreita detention center.

They are being called criminals just because they are from different countries.

How can anyone judge before actually understanding the situation and humanity of others.

Why can’t we welcome them with open arms for they are creatures with hearts and souls like you and me?

Our skin color is just the surface.

Now look into my eyes and tell me would you discriminate a bird by the color of their feather?

We all have the power to change the world  .

Soon everyone will look into the eyes of the two little girls and  say “ no soy  gringa   , soy un ser humano”.

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