Alex: reflecting on time in Cape Town

Prior to leaving Cape Town reach co-educator wrote a paper in response to the following questions: How do you expect the experiences and knowledge gained this semester to influence your future career and life choices?; What have your learned about race and gender that you believe is important for you to know as you strive to become a more well informed global citizen?; What have you learned about yourself that you believe is important for you to know?  

Alex has agreed to post her answers as her final entry on this blog.

Upfront I would like to note that I’m not sure I will be able to accurately put into words my true feelings about this program, the experiences I have had, and knowledge that I have gained while being here. When a place is able to truly impact one’s life in so many ways, I think it is hard to describe, and actually capture everything you want to say. Each day here has been a learning experience that I will be able to use for the rest of my life. Each person I have met has touched me one way or another, and I have learned more about peoples, cultures, and languages in three and a half months than I have in twenty years. These experiences and knowledge I have acquired over the months will definitely influence my future career. Having been able to intern at such an incredible non-profit organization, and seeing how they operate, will help me in the future when I apply to work at other non-profits. From my internship I’ve learned so much about working with people from different background and cultures, ways to communicate and get around language barriers, and how to learn new material quickly. All of these experiences will be most beneficial in helping me in the future. These experiences will also definitely influence my life choices. Taking the chance to come here showed me that I should grasp every opportunity presented, and I think I did that to the best of my ability here. Seeing how amazing the results are encourages me to continue accepting all options and opportunities. Everything I have been exposed to while in Cape Town will greatly affect my life choices. Whether it is being more sensitive and understanding about other peoples’ lives, or venturing back to Cape Town as soon as possible, I think that each day I live will have some part of Cape Town in it.

I think it would be impossible to come to Cape Town and not learn about race and gender. The “Rainbow Nation” has done a great job at exposing me to a variety of cultures and peoples, from whom I’ve learned so much. I think one of the most important things I’ve learned about race by being here is that it is completely arbitrary. I knew this when coming here, however learning about South Africa’s past, and just how random the racial categorization process was, really shows me how insignificant it is. Knowing this, and how continuing to use racial categories established during such a dreadful era can perpetuate racism is important. I can take away this knowledge and work to end it in the other cultures and countries I visit. The same is true for the knowledge I have gained about gender. Learning about it both in the classroom, as well as through people in the city, I think it has helped make me a much more informed individual. Seeing how the language we use can imply certain gender roles, and how we tend to neglect we are doing it because it is so “normal” in society, has really opened my eyes and has made me more conscious of how I speak. In addition, being in South Africa and learning how in certain cultures men treat women, or vice versa, is incredibly important. I’ve learned how women tend to stay in these roles, and I think this information will help me in the future trying to advocate for equality.

           

Being in South Africa has done more than just teach me about race, genders, and cultures; it has taught me so much about myself, as well as my place in the world. Through my experiences here, such as the Human Rights weekend, discussing topics with my co-educators and friends I have come to realize that what I believe is okay. I’ve always been told I am too idealistic in my thoughts and beliefs, however it is being in Cape Town that has showed me that that is okay, and that there is no such thing as “too idealistic.” I think most importantly I have learned how to be self confident in all that I do, and that mistakes are okay to make. I’ve also learned a lot about how I interact with others and how I tend to handle situations. From being around large groups of people, conflict is almost inevitable, and that is one thing I always strive to stay away from because it makes me anxious. However, from being here I’ve learned how to deal with my feelings better and in a much healthier manner. I think another thing I’ve learned about myself is that I’m extremely comfortable in foreign places, even if I am suddenly the minority. I’ve always loved people, but I think I’ve become much more outgoing here and learned about a whole new comfort zone that I have. All of the things I’ve learned about myself while in Cape Town have truly given me a sense of my entire identity. As cliché as it sounds, I think through my experiences here I’ve learned everything there is to know about myself at this point in time. My favorite thing that I’ve learned about myself by being here, however, is just how happy Cape Town makes me.

           

 

From experiences that have taught me about myself, to knowledge about other peoples, culture, and history, Cape Town has opened so many doors and opportunities for the future. I fell in love with the city from the very beginning, and the longer I have stayed here the more I never want to leave. The people I have met and grown close to have shaped my life in so many unexpected ways. A spur of the moment decision to come here, has turned out to be the biggest life changing trip I’ve ever taken. Marita, you were right- Cape Town really is amazing, and once you come here you’ll never want to leave.

Mackenzie: reflections on her experience

Prior to leaving Cape Town reach co-educator wrote a paper in response to the following questions: How do you expect the experiences and knowledge gained this semester to influence your future career and life choices?; What have your learned about race and gender that you believe is important for you to know as you strive to become a more well informed global citizen?; What have you learned about yourself that you believe is important for you to know?  

Mackenzie has agreed to post her answers as her final entry on this blog.

Honestly, it is going to be hard to put into words how influenced I have been by this semester. I have never been more grateful in my life as I am to have been accepted into this program. I know I can’t even fully see the changes in myself, and that they will truly blossom once I arrive back in my normal environment. However, I already feel the shifts within myself, and every moment here has been amazing. First off- aside from being in South Africa, being around this amazing group of my own fellow citizens has been probably one of the most life-changing experiences in my life thus far. I have never met people who have led me to question so much, who have taught me to self-reflect and to accept. These young adults chosen to come on this trip truly are unique, and I can say that with all of my heart. Each one of them has touched me in so many amazing ways. I learn even the smallest things about life from them, just from a simple conversation. I have learned what it is like to live and interact with people who are not the same as me – and that has affected me greatly. I grew comfortable with these new people, as we embarked on some uncomfortable experiences together. I learned to be patient with myself in opening up with these people. I learned who I was, and I’m so happy these individuals helped me to do that. Our classroom on Tuesday nights was, although long J, such a wild learning experience. Getting to see videos and learn about things that ACTUALLY matter has affected me greatly. I hate to knock UCONN, but I know I have spent many hours in classrooms in which I know I am learning things that will not matter to me later in life. But this class will stay with me forever. This class discusses issues that are so crucial to the bettering of this earth. Being in a space where we could learn, and then reflect, and then learn from each other was incredibly effective. Ideas that may have never crossed my mind were presented to me by my peers – I now fully understand why they are called my co-educators J. The class put us all on an even playing feel, often times that included Marita. We were learning from her, and she was learning from us – and it was beautiful. We respected each other, even when we disagreed.

Being at Christel House is something that is difficult to even begin to touch on. I fell in love with my students, and the staff. I am not sure how I am going to bring myself to leave, but I know that I am forever indebted to that school and the love it showed me. Watching my teacher, Ms. Angela, enthusiastically teach 30 5 year olds has been so motivating. The love she has for them inspires me, and reminds me of the wonderful people that exist on this earth. Amongst the bad things taking place in our world, here was a huge sighting of good. I learned that I did not want to be a social worker, I wanted to be a more nurturing role to these children. While a social worker does get to know children intimately, I observed that my teacher got to spend all day everyday with these kids – and that allowed her to be a more crucial role in their lives. It is something I am interested in, and will look into in the future. Career-wise, I have learned that I’m not entirely sure I am meant for one career – or a normal job. I have found some disagreement between myself and our current capitalist society. I’m sure all young people go through this, but I find myself (from much I have experienced on this trip) feeling as though I do not fit into the westernized society, and a lot of questions have gone through my mind. I have learned that there is no right or wrong way, and what seemed to be the right way of living fails to exist anymore in my mind. I have learned that what has showed to be the “natural” way of living has in fact been created, and because of this I am looking to my own heart and mind to dictate my life – as opposed to external sources. I have come to see that I become most anxious and stressed when I feel out of control in my life – and simply having the chance to observe this and acknowledge it has helped me a great deal. Being able to identify the source of stress is an incredible thing.

 Being in South Africa, surrounded by people who are not of my own race, has taught me to love and see all people for who they are. I am so in love with the children in my kindergarten class – I see them as young souls, as young lives. I have learned to acknowledge the beauty of their skin, while learning that it is not a barrier between us. From talking with my co-educators, I have learned a lot about fear of black people. I talked a bit with Mike about being afraid and cautious when you walk down the streets in the city here in Cape Town. To me, yes at times I am afraid, but I always feel that I would like to smile at everyone – to treat them as though they are not something to be feared. We then got into the discussion that some of these people are in fact criminals and may inflict harm on us. While I see that, I have learned that this is a sick cycle. If we continue to treat black people as criminals (even if some are) then we contribute to their actions – that may be negative. I think I would rather put myself in danger by waving or smiling at someone that “looks” suspicious if it would in any slight way give them the idea that they are a lovely human being – no matter what their actions or skin color. I have put the responsibility more so on myself, to change my own mind and behaviors, rather than looking to help unfortunate communities. I guess that sounds bad, but I really believe that if the root of the problem lies in white people – then that is where the fixing should begin. So I put it on myself to monitor my own thoughts and actions.  In terms of gender – I have learned a great deal in the classroom. From Disney movies to articles, I have much more respect and understanding for feminism than I did prior to this semester. I don’t think I understood it at first – but I realize there is a need to bring awareness to our society of the oppression of women. In places women think they are empowered, they are in fact not. I know many people I know are still blind to this and honestly would probably like to remain blind. That is a frustrating thing I have to deal with as I bring light to the oppression I’m receiving.

I touched on it earlier, but I have learned A LOT about myself through this program. The most important thing I have come to learn is to understand myself. I have spent so much time in my young life comparing what is going on inside of me to what “should” be going on. Our culture paints a picture of our lives for us and if what is truly going on doesn’t match up (which is almost always the case) then we suffer. I have suffered a great deal because of this fact. On the surface level, I recognize media’s impact on me. I used to suffer from an eating disorder, and I see now how a picture was painted of thin=happy. It is not the case. I am angered now that I know media’s ultimate purpose is to a.) get money from us and b.) distract us from things that truly matter and are going on in our country. I now feel less inclined to be a certain weight, to look pretty, to be SOMETHING for SOMEONE ELSE. I have learned to be truer to my own heart, and while I have a long way to go- its good to know I’ve gotten started. I have learned to think critically. That while it feels good to believe in something, it is important to keep questioning and keep an open mind for new opinions and perspectives to come through. I have learned to trust people, as I have developed close relationships with many people in this house. I have learned that I don’t like to be over committed, and while some may call that lazy, I happen to see it as kinder and practical (for myself). I have learned that the feeling inside me that something has been off can be justified by the fact that world that we live in is not natural and is growing to be bad for all. I have had the opportunity to be introduced to books like Ishmael and figures such as Noam Chomsky. I know that I have a lot of discovering to do but this trip has been such a great opportunity to see myself clearly. This trip provided me the space to be totally honest with my thoughts and opinions, and I am inspired to do more things like this in the future.

Nellie: from South Africa to Tanzania

Nellie in Tanzania

I feel like this is the reunion episode on some MTV reality show—‘The Real World: Cape Town, Where Are They Now?’ Well, at present I find myself sitting in the purgatory area of the Dar Es Salaam airport in Tanzania. I’ve got a seven hour lay-over before my connecting flights home (Quintessential cheap-college-travel-occurrence) and can’t check into my flight and the padded departure seating for another few hours. This blog is being written on a time limit (the remaining battery life of my computer) so my apologies if it lacks my normal flourish or graphs.

            

I spent the last five weeks in Tanzania with Theresa, we stayed with family friends of her’s in Arusha and I felt so fortunate to get a taste of East Africa. We spent our free time there reading profusely, reveling in having quiet rooms to dose off in and some reflection time after leaving Loch Road, we also well aquatinted ourselves with the gem of a television series that is The West Wing (frankly it dominated our night-life). We traveled down to Zanzibar for a week—the island is fascinating—we wore the customary headscarves as we walked around the unique city of Stone Town and soaked up the sun on a much needed beach holiday. The transit back consisted of a 14 hour bus ride from Dar Es Salaam back to Arusha, which was an experience. It certainly enabled us to get to see a lot of Tanzania’s scenic diversity, and the lack of A/C coupled with the speakers blasting the Swahili B-grade movies provided us with a ride we will never soon forget.

Nellie & Theresa

During the days we spent time volunteering at the school where our host works at, helping out with her 5^th grade class. This was particularly interesting for me as I spent my internship in Cape Town teaching grade 5 English and Social Studies. The student demographic couldn’t be more different, at Christel House the students are all from the poorest of the poor in the townships, in Arusha I worked at a private school filled with children of diplomats, lawyers, and business tycoons. It broke my heart to see the level that my new students were working at compared to my Capetonian class. I preformed a reading comprehension assessment here similar to one I did in Cape Town with drastically different results. The students at this private school didn’t even flinch, most breezed through it, while my class in Cape Town really struggled with this simple task. Obviously, my students from the townships have such larger obstacles to overcome compared to the privileged students, but I just couldn’t help thinking how wrong it felt that by some roll of the dice in the universe these sweet, smart, and curious students would have such a different experience, even considering that my students at Christel House were loads better off than their peers in the public schools. I still can’t quite wrap my head around it.

Another bit of Tanzania that I feel compelled to write about was what it felt like to be amongst the elite. There are approximately 2000 Tanzanian Shillings to the dollar and things are really, really, cheap here. For around $12 Theresa and I were able to buy: 1 ripe pineapple, 4 avocados, 1 kilo tomatoes, 1 kilo onions, 2 green peppers, 1 kilo of oranges, 4 mangos, and a bushel of bananas—I think that well illustrates the purchasing power our sorry checking accounts had here. The family we stayed with employed a maid and a security service that had a guard (askari in Swahili) on premises 24/7, I was never really able to wrap my head around this feeling of being waited on as normal. I did my best in my pathetic Swahili to greet the guard when we passed and we had several brief but pleasant chats in English with this one guard, Christopher. He was a friendly older gentleman who took ownership of maintaining the vegetable garden out back and was eager to practice his very impressive English skills. He was incredibly kind and hard working and one day came inside to help translate with the Electrician. He took off his shoes when he came inside and I saw the disrepair that his socks were in, they looked ancient, with prominent stains and large holes from heavy use. It’s a weird thing for me to fixate on, but it really put me in a funk. Socks are disposable for me, when they’ve served their purpose and start to tatter I just pitch them and buy a new pack at Costco. That is obviously not Christopher’s reality and again the most obvious reason behind that difference is just the chance that went into the situation we were born into. He’s a really intelligent man and though he received no formal schooling you can just tell he would excel academically, he could surely be a high achiever and live a life of leisure off his wit and gumption, but for him, that just wasn’t in the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand this facet of the world.

            

Theresa and I were fortunate to find out about an organization called HESHIMA which works to provide job training in sewing skills for marginalized Masaai women. They have a textile training center where the women are taught to use Singer foot pedal machines and work their way through different product patterns, they sell their products and help support their families off of their profits. HESHIMA also runs a small library and class for the local children near their facility each Wednesday. Theresa and I worked there on Wednesday afternoons and it was simultaneously a joyous and depressing. A lot of Masaai children will never go to school and spend their time shepherding the family’s cattle and goats or taking care of younger siblings, many only speak Maa, the Masaai dialect, and can’t speak Swahili or English, further isolating them from the world. HESHIMA’s once a week session is the only schooling some of these children receive. They were terribly shy around us at first (our first day they bashfully ran away from us for hours) but as soon as we gained their trust they were pulling at us for hugs and hand holding and just some smiles and TLC. We sang nursery rhymes, practiced counting in English, and played games like Duck-duck-goose. The session cumulated with the children receiving a slice of bread with some jam and a glass of juice each as well as the ability to check out a book from their portable library (a lard cardboard box of picture books with a check-out log). The children cherished both the food and the book, either savoring the piece of bread as long as they could, taking little sips of juice, or just wolfing it down immediately, they worshiped the books they got, stroking the covers and gently leafing through the pages—mind you these are children ranging from 6 months to about 12, so for toddlers to have such reverence for things like this shows how precious they are to them.

Sitting in the circle and looking around at the children the first thing you see are their beaming smiles and curious eyes, beautiful just like most other children you come across, but soon your vision pans out and then you notice the large rips in their colorful clothes, the snot caked on to their sweet faces, the crust cemented around their bright eyes, and the flies that are a constant and ignored presence around them—walking freely on their faces without so much as a blink from the child. Some of the children clearly display the swollen bellies common with Ascites and similar conditions common with malnutrition and some of the younger ones cough deeply and cry often. It’s a sight out of a Sarah McGloughin PSA, only it’s not some pathos edited clip, it’s real and sitting and smiling right in front of you asking you to read it Goodnight Moon. If there is any experience that will make you feel truly grateful for all of the banal things that you never even think to be thankful for, this is one of them. The work HESHIMA is doing in their community is truly inspiring and here is their website if your interested in learning more: www.heshima.org.uk

  

My time in Tanzania was without a doubt a worthwhile addition to my time in South Africa. It enabled me to experience another rich and fascinating culture and added an additional level of food for thought. I really began to miss my students at Christel House, and became really ready to get home to my family, and friends, and local beach. My time spent watching the West Wing and my encounters with crooked immigration and traffic cops even got me excited to be back in America, which believe me is no easy task. I’m sure as my summer at home starts and when I get back into my normal routine at UConn I’ll have more time to reflect upon what parts of my time in South Africa and Tanzania reflects in my thinking and actions, but until then, ciao. 

Erica sees Cape Town in her future!

It has been about a month now and I cannot stop thinking about Cape Town. In everything that I do here in the states I always reflect back to Cape Town and what I would be doing. Being back home is a great feeling and I realized how much I miss my family.  My first week back home was really hectic because I was preparing for graduation and meeting with friends and family members. I spent the weekend at Storrs with my friend Sharielle (who participated in this program last year), Sophia (my roommate from last semester), and Brittany.  

Being back home is a little overwhelming because everyone wants to know about my trip, but I find it hard to explain my experiences. Some of my experiences are complex and not everyone would understand. I just want my friends and family members to go to South Africa and create their own experience.

While being here I have kept in contact with some students, teachers, and friends that I have made in Cape Town.  Many people are asking me “So Erica would you go back to Cape Town”? Without any hesitation my answer is YES!

Recently, an individual asked me “What is my great accomplishment?” and I was proud to say that I just graduated from the University of Connecticut. It has been four challenging, but great years that have impacted me in many ways. Spending my last semester in Cape Town is one of the best decisions I have made. I am excited to see what my future entails, and trust me Cape Town is definitely in my future.

Erica with her parents following her graduation.

Becky realizing home is wherever she is

In the past few weeks I have been a bit dazed and confused. I’ve gone from Cape Town, to Connecticut, to Vegas, and back to Connecticut again, so I haven’t had much of a chance to catch my breath and place my feet on the ground. It still seems surreal to me that I am finally home at my apartment for good. When I had originally gotten home I wasn’t sure how I would handle the change of lifestyle. Especially knowing that I wouldn’t have a car coming back home I didn’t know how I would react to my lack of freedom. I felt like I wasn’t in the right place, like I needed to go back to Cape Town because that was my new home. I really needed to take a step back after that because I knew that I am a very blessed person. If I didn’t continue to enjoy my life here in Connecticut then I would have missed a crucial lesson I had learned in Cape Town.

To be completely honest it’s been tough coming home to Connecticut. I hated being home at first, it was great to see my loved ones but I felt so depressed. I couldn’t get back into my old life before I left Cape Town and I felt so alone. For the past three and a half months I had people around me every day, even when I didn’t want them around they were still there. Being back in my apartment, and getting back into the routine here I felt trapped. I closed myself off from talking about how I was feeling because I didn’t think anyone here would understand. Being apart from all my friends that I made in Cape Town was one of my most important and difficult tests. I had to stand alone and still hold onto everything I had learned while I was away. As the days have passed I have realized that, yes, I will survive leaving Cape Town. There will always be a place in my heart for my time there, but to dwell on the negative of coming home is just ridiculous. I am now realizing that I get to start an exciting new chapter in my life that I would never have experienced if I hadn’t gone to Cape Town. New opportunities have opened up for me and I am blessed to have such a great support system not only from my loved ones at home, but also from my Cape Town family.

As of right now, I think what I can rely on is staying strong in myself. I now realize that wherever I am is home because I make it my home. It may take a while for this to completely sink in but I am content with the way I am living as of right now. I know it isn’t good-bye, but just see you later.

             

Kristin reflecting upon lessons learned

The past three and a half months have been a huge learning experience.  I have learned more about myself and the world around me than I ever could have imagined. 

             

Although I have learned a lot about myself, what is somewhat confusing, is that the more I learn, the more I feel like I know less and less about myself.  One of my biggest fears is losing touch with myself, so, feeling like I don’t really know myself does scare me in some ways. One night during class when I brought this up, Marita asked if that is really bad thing, to lose oneself.  I guess it really isn’t.  I was thinking more on it and maybe I feel all confused and as if I’m losing myself because I could be going through a transition in life and so I am in a sense losing myself, my old self.  I shouldn’t be afraid, but I think living in a society that pressures people to always know who they are and what they are doing and to never change because then you’re just crazy, does make me a bit scared.  I fear not knowing what I am going to do for a career in the future. 

           

I see that education is really important in the process of freeing people’s minds and because of this I am contemplating a future in the field of education.  Sometimes I ponder becoming a teacher or going into the administrative end for educational policy or some position where I could try to manage public school curriculum.  I don’t think there are enough social studies courses.  There is so much emphasis on the main courses like English and math, especially preparing for SATs.  I think there should be more emphasis and requirements for social sciences and life skills courses in public schools.  These could serve to introduce and support conversations surrounding topics such as race, gender, sexuality, religion, culture, and basically how people live differently.  Hopefully resulting in a better recognition and understanding of the differences amongst us but also the similarities we share. 

On the topic of differences, though, people are far too often ridiculed and pressured into society’s mold of what people “should be”.  Classes that discuss these social constructs that we face every day of our lives would hopefully facilitate a better understanding of their own selves and the people around them.  High school is an environment that harbors group “cliques” and the presence of peer pressures that many students fall into.  No young adolescent wants to be left out and most want to fit in with the “popular” crowd, therefore, they are usually not confident or comfortable with themselves enough to follow their own path or say no to something most others are doing.  If there were classes similar to Marita’s, where you can create an environment that allows different people to come together to learn and talk about social and even personal issues that might get students to open up.  This may allow them to become more comfortable and confident in themselves and develop a better understanding of those around them.  Although we have different personalities and beliefs, we at least share the same emotions; we all know what it feels like to, be happy, angry, sad, jealous, etc.  We are all human and although so simple, it is a crucial fact to keep in mind about one another.  There are too many instances in life when people are dehumanized and categorized as less than another, even in high school cliques.

           

One thing that I have recognized while living in Cape Town are the walls that act to keep people out and separate.  There are also invisible walls that act as separations in life that divide people into different races, cultures, religions, and other social constructions. Everyone is always looking at differences that divide us and box us into categories separate from one another.  I understand we are different and we should acknowledge and embrace these differences.  But I have also come to believe that we should seek to recognize what makes us similar to one another even more than what makes us different.  I find it would be much more progressive and satisfying to relate and develop a love and respect for another person through the connections first, and then embrace the differences.  Thinking realistically about the way people treat each other, people will be more willing to get along with those they can relate to on some level, maybe because they see themselves in another person who they can connect with and would therefore be more likely to treat them the way they would like to be treated.

           

Learning about ourselves and the people around us is the only way we can reach a peaceful coexistence, by then reaching a mutual understanding and appreciation of one another. 

Marie reflects on how much she's learned

Maria with learners at Thandokhulu Secondary School

I am still not sure what career path I'd like to take in my future, so it may be difficult to explain how I expect the experiences and knowledge I gained this semester to influence my future career and life choices.  As far as my occupation goes, I do have many ideas how this class would affect my work if I decided to work towards becoming a teacher.  I would be careful to treat all of my students with respect, constantly being honest with my own thoughts and feelings to make sure I am being sensitive to students, co-workers, and the school environment at all times.  I would also improve required school curriculum to decrease American ethnocentricity and ignorance by not only adding content, but also the way in which it is presented to students.  American students should learn more about our country's past (not just the bright and shiny parts; and learn about all sides of an issue, not just the side that makes us look good and infallible) and more about other countries' histories and cultures.  As far as life choices goes, those will be unconsciously affected with everything I do, say, and think because of my new outlook on the world.  Seeing people for who they are and seeing certain issues and institutions for what they are will lead to things that I cannot even predict just yet.  I am still working on letting all of this new knowledge settle; I haven't the faintest clue what to do with all of it yet.  All I know is that this new information and the way I look at things now and question them are restless and bubbling, and will not lay dormant for long.

One of the most important things that I have examined more extensively is that institutions like race and gender are merely socially constructed, and that the media is a constant bombardment of reinforcements of these social constructions.  Our perceptions of stereotypes and individuals come from a complex and sturdy sociological foundation that has always been building and building from everything that makes up society, from individuals to government policies to mass media to Disney movies.  Another perspective-altering ongoing discussion is the idea of privilege and how certain privileges cannot be earned, only assigned at birth by luck.  This is important because then this cultivates a heightened sense of understanding and and acceptance between people; they can then acknowledge and respect the fact that someone can only play their hands of cards so well if they were dealt a bad hand in the first place.  If someone is dealt a fantastic hand, it's not because they earned it, it's because they're lucky, and they are lucky because there is only so badly you can do once you have been dealt a really good hand of cards.

Something important that I learned about myself is that I am racist, everybody is racist whether they want to be or not, and that it is not only okay to admit it, but important to admit it.  I didn't eve know that I wanted to stop being racist until I knew that I was in the first place.  Once I recognized what was going on my own head without my previous acknowledgement, I could begin to work toward being a more aware and accepting person, as well as apply this critically-thinking mindset to everything I think, experience, and witness.  It is scary, sad, and eye-opening to notice racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other discrimination so present and deeply ingrained in so many parts of society.  I've also learned that without even fully knowing it, I have a lot of false (or at least limited) knowledge of my own country, its history, and its role in our world today.  There is a lot of skewing and censoring that goes on in American education, media, and society that creates a very one-sided and biased (and sometimes just completely wrong) image about America and cultivates certain sentiments and values based on such information.  I learned how affected I am by advertising and media, how to identify how I am being affected, and have therefore been given more control over how I want to be affected by external information.  I have more of a choice about what I want to do with all of that information and who I want to be.