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MikaelaMagana
English115
ProfessorLawson
17September2014
Project1RoughDraft
WordCount:
IdentityEssay
IdonotmaketoastswithGeorgeClooneyonaprivateisland,orarmwrestlewithMr.T.
Idonotjumpoutofairplanesfilledwithsnakes.Idonotmakeonionscry.UnliketheDosEquis
man,Iamnotthemostinterestingfemaleintheworld,buttomyselfmyidentityisinteresting.I
ambeinghonestwhenIsaymylifehasbeenfilledwithanarrayofexperiencesthatrangefrom
overcomingtheexpectationspeoplehavesetforme,tofeelingtheliberationofbeingwhoeverI
wishedtobecome.Myparentsneverimposedanidentityonme.Theyneverdubbedmewith
societysstereotypicaltitlesofbeingarockerorahiphopkid.Instead,theyalwaystaught
metobeopenandwillingtolistentovariousstylesofmusic.Icanrelatetodifferentpeople
becauseIunderstandwheretheyarecomingfrom.Thetaughtphilosophyofbeingversatile,has
transitionedintomysociallife.IassociatewithwhoeverIlike,anddressinawaythatexhibits
mybeliefinversatilityandthecelebrationofallpeoples.
Insteadoftellinghowmyparentshadanimpactonmymusicaltastes,itwouldbemore
fittingtoillustrateatypicalmorningatmyhome.Gettingreadyforschoolconsistedofmymom
brisklycookingbreakfastandjammingoutamedleyofsongs,Uskidsjoltingdownthestairsto
joininontheaction,andsingingalongtowhicheversongthatwasplaying.Someexamplesof

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thesongsthatplayedwereMadonnasIslaBonitaorLaurenHillssong,KillingMeSoftly.
BothofmyparentstaughtmysiblingsandItocelebratethediversenationwecamefrom,andto
nevercastoutorexcludeapersonbasedontheirdifferences.LittledidIknowthatthisvariation
inmusictasteswouldsoonmoldthediversepersonIlaterwouldbecome.Fromthemusicians,to
thelyricsbehindeachsongIhadeverlistenedto,hadinfluencedhowIhandlesituations,and
howIcarriedmyself.Throughmyappearancethemusicaldiversitycouldberevealedtothe
passerbyinthestreet.MostpeoplefinditoddseeingaMexicanteenagerexpressingan
DowntownLAlookofablazerandRaybansunglassesoneday,andavibrantcoloredoutfitthe
next.WheneverIimaginethetypicalimagesocietyhassetforyounggirls,Iinstantlyhearthe
AmericanrockbandNoDoubtslyricsfromtheirhit,ImJustaGirl.Suddenly,thatsong
abruptlyhalts.Itmakesthathorriblescratchingnoise,youknowthatnoisethathappensin
almosteverytelevisionshowwhenasituationtakeadrasticturn.IrealizethatGwenStefani,the
leadsinger,isusingreversepsychologythroughthesong,tocallmetorecognizethestrengthsI
possessasagirl.TheselyricsservedasabackboneastohowIhavedealtwithsituationsof
beingsingledoutforbeingwhatotherssawasjustagirl.Integratingthelyricsofpopular
songsandapplyingthemintomypersonahavebeenresponsibleforhowIhavebehavedand
dressed.
AsIgrewolderthelyricsofTupacShakur,SwitchfootandHilaryDuffcontributedto
howIreactedtosituations.Rapper,Tupactaughtmetoconfronthardtimesappropriatelyandto
standfearlessforwhatIbelievedin.Switchfoot,anAlternativeRockBandssong,WeWere
MeanttoLive,instilledthemessagetoalwayslivelifetothefullest.Popsinger,HilaryDuff,
instructedmetousepastexperiencesaslearninglessonsthroughhersong,SoYesterday.

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BeingopentoalltypesofmusictransferredintothediversefriendshipsImade.Someexamples
offriendsfromdifferentsocialgroupsrangedfromthePokemonobsessedkid,tothatone
dudewhowasintoskateboarding,andTonyHawksProSkatergameonPlayStation,tothe
preppygirlwholovedAbercrombie.Ineverwouldhaveimaginedthatwantingamedleyof
musicstyles,wouldlatertransitionintowantingadiversecrowdoffriendsthatIcouldrelateto
onaboutanysubject.
Althoughrelatingtoalmostanyoneallsoundsgreat,ithashaditschallenges.The
challengesmostoftenoccurredinmiddleschool.Afterall,middleschoolwasthetimewhere
selfimagewastheonethingmostpeoplewouldguardwiththeirlife.Mymiddleschool,andI
amsurethisphilosophywassimilaratmostmiddleschools,thecreworcliquesystemwas
highlyidolized.ThissystemremindedmeofthesceneintheAmericanmovie,MeanGirls,
wherethenewgirlisinstructedwheretositandwhosecliquetoignoreinordertoavoidsocial
suicide.Mostpeoplelivebythisphilosophyofnotspeakingtopeopleofothercrowdsinorder
toprotecttheirselfimage.Forexample,thedialogueandsickeningstareIreceivedfromtheI
popularprepkid,ZachHill,inmiddleschoolrevealstheseverityoftheinvisibleterritory
linesandactionofprotectingselfimage.HillcalledmeaposerandaweirdobecauseIwas
talkingtoapersonwhodidntbelongtohisgroup.Thewordposerhasanegativeconnotation,
itsusedtocallapersonwhobehavesacertainwaytoimpressotherpeople.ItoldhimIwasnot
aposer,andwasnotpretendingtobeacertainwaytofitinwithanyone.Isimplysaidmy
identitywasversatileandifhedidnotlikeit,thatheshouldbeafraidoftheworldandits
diversity.Thatshuthimup,andIthinkheactuallyrespectedwhatIsaid.Whenwecrossed
pathsinhighschoolIspottedhimwithacrowdhecompletelydifferedfromthaninmiddle

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school.Henolongerhungoutwith,whatsocietylabeledpeoplewithmoney,theprepkids.He
insteadbegantoformfriendshipswiththepeoplewhoappreciatedfarmingandCountrymusic.
Aftermiddleschool,highschoolbecamethewayIexpressedwhoIwasasanappreciatorofall
musicandpeople.Iconnectedwithsocietyslabelofthemisfitcrowd.Ilovedhighschool,it
wasabang,itwaspoppin,itwasdope,moreimportantlyitleftamessageonitsaudience
duringthe2014HomecomingPerformances.Inhighschoolmygroupofimmediatefriends
rangedfromtheathletestotheForever21shopaholics.Ilovedmyfriends,butsituationswhen
theywouldattributenegativelabelstopeopleangeredme.Fromtimetotime,iftheymadefun
ofapersonthatIfeltIrelatedtomusicallyorthroughothercommoninterests,Iwouldbe
discouraged.Ibegantoaskthem,Sowhatdoyouthinkofme?Theywouldimmediatelygive
mearesponse,Wellyoucanpullitoff,andyouarejustnotweirdlikethem.Ineverworked
upthecouragetoexpressmyfeelingstomyfriendsaboutthelabelstheyattributedtothese
people,untilHomecomingWeekrolledby,andyourstrulybecameaTop5candidate.