Why Representation Matters

Name: Crystal

Attending a predominantly white college as a Puerto Rican and Dominican female was more impactful than I originally thought. Growing up in New York City, I was used to seeing people of all shades that looked like me, talked like me and people that even came from similar backgrounds. I was always grateful for being exposed to all different types of ethnicities, cultures, and economic backgrounds on a day to day basis. The first thing I noticed as a freshman, was that there were not many people that looked the way I did. I have not actually felt like a member of a marginalized group until I came to college. I realized that college was a luxury where I came from and less of a normality like it was too many of my peers.

My experiences at college has definitely been a process of getting to know myself. Through being a part of different organizations, clubs, and changing interests. I got involved within my major and I was the DJ for our schools’ radio station. Soon after I realized how much my presence was needed for other students of color. I joined the rugby team for a semester and the first thing I looked for was people that looked like me. This was not something that fit me in the best ways because of the connections I was not able to make off the field. Through conversations and classroom presence I noticed how important representation and my presence for other people like me was. Even back home, this sets a path for my cousins and my younger brother because they see someone they can emulate. Understanding and setting an example to continue on this path with school would give them motivation to do the same.
While at school I was able to build some incredible relationships with my peers. I was able to create better and stronger relationships with other students of color. This is not because I could not get along with the many white students on campus but it was because we were able to connect on a deeper level. We struggled the same, the things that affected me affected them. After the 2016 elections there was an eerie feeling on campus and it was one moments that I felt like I was on the bottom of the food chain. That same day, I felt united with others who were like me  because they were dealing with the same heartache, anger, and frustration that I was. College allowed me to become more aware. Getting to know myself in more ways than one has been a journey of understanding how important it is for me to be here on campus. The importance of the impact that my color makes and lastly being proud of my culture.