Being a native of the United States Virgin Islands, I am exposed to numerous backgrounds and ethnicities. My peers in school are black, hispanic, asian, and caucasians. And I've also witnessed these races attack each other in group fights in which many people get hurt and sometimes the whole school is involved. The way I see it, instead of fighting, we, the minorities of this nation, should come together, and address discrimination, prejudice, and our cultural standings simply because we are all minorities. Individually, each minority race makes up a very small portion of the U.S. Population. But If African American, and Hispanics were to join hands we would make up a greater percentage. With a greater percentage comes a greater voice. With a greater voice comes greater opportunities. And with greater opportunities comes a slow but sure positive change in the status of African Americans and Hispanics.
Where I was born (St. Croix), hispanics are considered fully black. The only significant distinction in race is black and white. Hispanics and blacks share the same likes, dislikes, girlfriends, boyfriends, and we all attend the same school. But even on my small island, there is a big gap between hispanic and african american.
The first approach to progress is change. If the society instilled publice programs into a variety of systems, the community could create professional, cultural, and social groups that welcomed blacks and hispanics. In such a setting, these minorities could address problems facing both societies and together come up with ways to bring both groups of problems to the government. With a greater voice, we would be sure to be heard. The government would be forced to address our needs, and at the same time, a bond between African Americans, and Hispanics could be formed.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities should continue to support both African Americans and Hispanics, because as minorities, we recieve less oportunities, and less attention. Without scholarship and financial aid from HBCU's, further education would be impossible for some of us. With colleges and universities especially designated for minorities such as Hispanics and African Americans, we can be sure that there is a higher level of education available to us after high school.
We can only make a change if we can take the first step. The fist step in this instance is to stop referring to the other race (whether they be hispanics, african americans, or asians) as 'they', and instead say 'We'. That way, we can begin to acknowledge the fact that we share the same problems, are faced with the same situations, and have the same positions in our American society. Only then can we begin to bridge the gap.
