Abby Hsu, 13

Abby Hsu, 13

A lot of people stereotype that Asians are really smart and some colleges don’t accept Asians because they want an even racial percentage. but it has also affected me positively because I am proud to be like Chinese.

Shayne Cleeve, 14

Shayne Cleeve, 14

Well, a lot of times being white had its advantages, so to speak. I wasn’t really treated like a lesser being or anything out of the ordinary in schools or anywhere else. However, being a white girl did come with other disadvantages. I sometimes felt like I was looked down on a lot by coaches in sports. I felt like some saw me as some dainty white girl, and assumed I wasn’t that good at any of the sports I played. I felt underestimated, and it was frustrating because I would get placed on teams that were far worse than I was all because of the white girl stereotype. So I sometimes felt I had to work a lot harder in sports to actually show that I shouldn’t be tossed aside so quickly.

Aleena Abraham, 13

Aleena Abraham, 13

Being different than others is always a challenge. In schools, being an Indian/Asian brought the “smart” and “nerdy” stereotype among me and a lot of my other Indian friends. It changed my life in both a negative and positive aspect. The negative aspect would be that I would get used for answers in my old school, positive being that I would be able to use this to my advantage and excel amongst other students. But moving to a new school with multiple Indians and Asians seemed to make the stereotype a little less present in my life.

Emily Qin, 13

Emily Qin, 13

I guess it’s mostly been grades and expectations to do really well. When I don’t do well, it makes me feel pressured to study so much so I can keep up a good grade. It’s also been partially like doing what my parents want me to do, such as going to medical school, which I guess I don’t mind doing since I’m interested in science, but I think they’re mostly biased by their culture and the fact that 3/4 of my grandparents were in the science/medical industry.