Let’s celebrate our differences
JAMES BRIONES
Year 11, South Otago High School
AT an early age, the thing that made me perceive my distinction from my peers was not the colour of my skin or the colour of my hair, but the dissimilarity between their white food and my Filipino food.
When I was young, I always loved the smells of my mother’s homemade cooking.
It was always the pungent smell of garlic and onions against the vegetable oil, and pork fat with smells of piquant powders.
I loved to bring them to my primary school in my lunch box, because why not? But what I didn’t know was that when I exposed my food, these odd smells would inundate the whole school and it would stick to the surface of my uniform.
From then on, I was bullied just because of my difference.
For that reason, after school, I ran to my mother and told her, ‘‘Mum, I need to eat white people food, just like them’’.
She was confused and asked me why? I replied, ‘‘Mum, it’s because I don’t want to be different, I want to look like everyone else. Mum, I need to be white’’.
She supported me with my decision, just like any mother would.
But at that time, I didn’t know that I turned into this person I didn’t like, only for the sole purpose of belonging.
Until one day, I was finally in high school, and I saw people of many cultures who were unafraid of their identity and showed pride in their culture.
In South Otago High School, I see diversity — not only by nationality, race, colour, religion or language — but also by individuality, personality, character, and their identity.
It made me realise how I should not have let people change what I do or what I am, only because what I was doing was different.
Who cares if we are different?
Who cares if someone is black, or white?
Who cares if a person is Asian, or African?
Who cares!
It made me realise that I can be anyone that I want, I could blast hiphop music as loud as I want, I can speak any language that I want, I could eat anything that I want.
It made me realise that I don’t have to be Filipino, that I don’t have to be Kiwi, and that I don’t have to be white.
I can be anyone I want to be.
This is the 21st century and let’s not be afraid to express ourselves.
Whether you are black or white, African or Asian, tall or small, homosexual or heterosexual, let’s be proud and say to ourselves: ‘‘I am what I am. I am who I am meant to be. This is me’’.