Growing up I was too white for the
black kids, and too black for the whites. You see, I was born and raised in
Compton, California, but went school in El Segundo. Anyone who is familiar with
the Los Angeles area knows that these are two completely different
environments. Compton is the original home of the drive by shooting, while El
Segundo is known for its beautiful scenery and location near the beach. But, as a child growing up in a low income
community, I saw everything but waves crashing along the shore.
When you don’t have much, you learn to make do with what you
have. Growing up in an impoverished community, kids don’t have an abundance of
toys or games, so we hung around the local gang members. I blindly admired
their lifestyle because they appeared to have money, unlike a lot of people in
my community. I wanted to be like them. They were having fun, and making money
without having to work for it. I know now that they were moving drugs, but as a
child I didn’t understand that concept. I was infatuated with the flashy
jewelry, so I was headed down the same path… until March 12th.
On March 12th my aunt had
a birthday party in Compton. My family and I were hanging out in the front yard
celebrating and having a good time when a neighboring gang drove by and shot up
the house. Everyone dropped to the floor seeking cover, and most of us went
unharmed, all but one. My aunt’s daughter, Jasmine, was penetrated by the hot
led. Ironically, none of the gang members were hit. Imagine being a ten year
old boy, and witnessing your fifteen year old cousin lying in the corner
bleeding out for absolutely no reason. Imagine seeing your aunt fall to the
floor with a stream of tears flowing from her eyes knowing she’s on the verge
of losing her precious angel. Rightfully
so, that incident made me want out.
Originally, I attended school in
Compton, and hung out with the kids in my neighborhood. I fit in. But, following
the incident, I knew that life wasn’t for me. As soon as I graduated from the eighth
grade I told my mom I didn’t want to go to school in the hood anymore. She was
fully supportive of my decision, and enrolled me in Da Vinci Science. As a
freshman, I was one of the few black students in the school. I couldn’t
identify with the students because I came from a completely different world. I
carried my slang to El Segundo, and brought my ‘properness’ back to Compton.
All of a sudden I didn’t identify with anyone, and I was stuck. My mom
reflected on the decision, and said, “I knew I was doing the right thing by letting
you switch schools. It was harder for me having to travel that far, but it had
to be done. I’m glad I made the sacrifice because look where it brought you.” It
was definitely hard to get use to living in an alternate world, but it paid off
in the long run.
Attending school in the hood would
have put me at a disadvantage. In Students
Facing Poverty, the New Majority, Steve Suitts writes, “A student from a
U.S. family in the top quartile of income is seven times more likely to
graduate from college than is a U.S. student in the bottom income quartile
(Mortenson, 2014).” Studies show that lower income students have a harder time
receiving an education because of lack of resources. In Keeping Low-Income
Students on Track, Sean Nyhan also highlights the academic performance gap.
Nyhan says, “In 2013, nearly 89 percent of adults who came from the top income
quartile earned at least a bachelor’s degree, while only nine percent of those
from the lowest income quartile achieved the same outcome,” (Nyhan 28). Receiving
a college education for those from a lower income community is possible, but a
lot less likely. Therefore, although my decision and situation was tough at
first, it was the right choice. It led me to LMU, and in three more semesters,
I will have graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree.
No comments:
Post a Comment