Dear South African Government,

My name is Kya Wallin, and I am a senior in high school. I have recently been studying

your policies regarding the Population Registration Act and I am writing to you today to express

my anger regarding the unfair and incomplete representation of South Africans. Your mindset

regarding the people who live in your country is so unbelievably narrow that I’d be surprised if

you didn’t see the world in black and white. There are so many different identities and interests

people can have, likes and dislikes that surpass the color of their skin by a longshot. Some

people have cultural identities, ones that surround their culture, where they live and what they

believe in. But other people’s identities have more to do with their sexuality, their interests,

passions, occupations. And even if people’s Identities don’t perfectly align, they can still form

connections with one another and enjoy the same things.

A black kid and a white kid might both like mulberries. And when a mulberry tree grows,

they might both go and pick some to eat. They might even sit in the shade together, or play

together after eating some of the fruit. It doesn’t matter to them that one of them is black and

one of them is white, they just both wanted some mulberries. That’s how it should be. However,

it’s not just a problem between black people and white people. Colored people suffer the same

kind of alienation from others of different races. And it’s completely nonsensical. You could grow

up surrounded by fields of grass with dirt roads, or you could grow up in the city or suburbs with

paved streets and TV’s. But no matter what, that doesn’t change who you are. No matter the

color of your skin, the language you speak, the food you eat, or the toys you play with, you all

are still African. So please, do better by your people.

Sincerely,

Kya Wallin