Desirae Starnes

CNS 120
Heidi Robinson
February 29, 2016
This I Believe Statement
I am multiracial. My mom is Guamanian and Filipino. My dad is African American.
Many of my friends are African American and that is what I consider myself to be,
not ignoring the fact that I am also Guamanian and Filipino.
Last semester I attended Branches, a social justice retreat funded by the ProHumanitate Institute here on campus. During this retreat we learned how to create
safe spaces for everyone by discussing sensitive topics such as gender, sexual
orientation, ability, religion, socio-economic status, and race. It was during this very
retreat that I discovered a belief of mine.
It was during the race module that I felt most uncomfortable. This activity required
each ethnic group to split up into groups and discussion what common stereotypes
have been formed about them. One group would leave at a time and the remaining
groups would have to call out stereotypes about that specific ethnic group. Once
finished the group that left would return and would have to listen to what others
commonly think of them or people of their ethnic group.
There were two groups that I could have participated with during this activity, the
multiracial group of the African American group. I have never been in an
environment where I was forced to choose between the two, (except during a
standardized test, where there were two separate options of African-American and
Pacific Islander/Hawaiian versus a muIti-racial option). This was the first time that I
was faced with something this difficult. What made this so difficult for me was that
my twin brother Tavonte was also there and he had no problem choosing which
group to me in. My brother and I briefly talked about what groups were going to join
and it ended with me crying. Although I am multi-racial, I usually associate myself
with African Americans. I felt so uneasy and uncomfortable that I could not
participate in this activity.
I could not understand why identity meant so much. Would I be disrespecting my
mother and her family by not specifically embracing the other part of me all the
time? Identity is so important in our society. I am a wholesome person and I believe
that I should not be limited or judged by one specific part of my identity.