I Had My Innocence Striped From Me

BY: Yasmin Garcia When was the first time you may have encountered racism?

DISCLAIMER

Neither did they warn me of racism. Most of my childhood I was surrounded by people who looked similar to me. By similar I mean same skin color, same culture, same accent, same everything.

All my friends, neighbors, and family friends where all Hispanic. I went from living from an all Hispanic community to an all Armenian and White community.

Innocence in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

My world had literally turned upside down. I was transferred to a school that was located between Burbank and Glendale. But short story straight was that when I tried making friends with the Armenian and White kids I was told that I was suppose to only be friends with the Mexicans and Filipinos. And that was when I realized that I was different because of my race and my color.

But I do wish I was told ahead of time so that I could have known how to handle the situation. In the video above, the kids are asked if race is talked about in their home? The kids reply no. Well some parents feel discomforted with this issue.

They feel discomforted talking to their children about racism. Some parents are very discomforted with the fact that they have misguidedly tried to insulate their children from the existence of violence and racism instead of facing it head-on. Many kids encounter racial differences and racism on their own due to their parents not talking about it and not warning them sooner. These kids encountered racism so early in there childhood. He asks himself why am I this race? He feels bad and it hurts him to be told this.

As a kid, you wonder why your different, why do others treat me different because of my looks. When a kid is exposed to racism their view of the world changes as well.]

I Had My Innocence Striped From Me - congratulate

And my heart shattered like a glass fallen to the ground. So boy, you are fine its not you, its me Its not that I could not Love him. It was the sound I heard when I was 10 And my dad slammed the door so hard when he walked out I swear it shook the entire house. For the next 6 years I had to watch my mother breaks her teeth on vodka bottles. I think she stopped breathing when he walked out something died within her. I Had My Innocence Striped From Me.