Childhood Memory

To tell you the truth, I don't remember when I really started to become conscious of race or class difference. I think that I really became conscious of race and class difference when my friends and I started calling each other nigger during class. One day, when we were outside on the street, one of my friends called this black person a nigger and let’s just say there were some big complications. The guy grabbed my friend and threw him to a wall. After that, he just started punching him and going on and throwing him on the floor and stomping him. Let’s just say that we had to take my friend to the hospital and he recieved many stitches. We found out the meaning of the word and that was when I really became conscious about racial issues. There was a fight because of race between a black person and a Dominican. I don't really know the full details about what provoked the fight. All I know was that that fight made me aware of racial differences and conflicts that happen all around the world. I try to stay away from racial problems with my friends. It seems that both fights really opened me up to how the world is when it comes to racial problems. I believe that racial problems from the past will come back to haunt us. I believe that the best way to forget about these racial problems is to keep an open mind. Even though some racial problems and differences are in the past, it will never stop unless we try to keep an open mind about it and remember that we live with a more modern time. Both of these issues involved the negative connotation of the word nigger. Even if you try not to get involved, it will come back sooner or later and begin to harm you in either a physical or emotional way. Finding a way to avoid racial problems is difficult but it really is not impossible. Usually for the most complicated of problems you have, you have the simplest solutions to it. More than likely, I have learned how to keep an open-mind. I am pretty sure that I might get into trouble at times, but it will keep me out many racial and class difference problems.