Dear President,

There are many problems that we are currently dealing with in our country. One of the really serious issue, in my perspective is discrimination. America is supposed to be the “free country” yet many American citizens are not really free. Yes they may be physically free, yet mentally, we minorities are trying to fit the THE perfect American citizen. But what is the definition of the perfect American citizen? 

Americans of color constantly are discriminated against not only by their peers, but when applying for jobs, schools, etc. Hispanics, African Americans, Arabs go into interviews for schools and/or jobs already given a certain label just by their names.  As young “minorities,” we are set down before we can ever start.  We are forced to have to work harder just because the color of our skin, name of our family, or other little things that differ us from the white, upper-class men. It is devastating that people in our country assume a man with a name John Adams is held higher in the social hierarchy than a man with a name Alejandro Santiago.

America is made up of a lot of different races and ethnicities - Hispanic, African American, Asian, Arabs, and whites. Why do we have to discriminate one another? Is it because color of our skin?  Or how our accents don't let us say words with harsh "R’s" or "Ch's?"  Are we not all learning the same thing?  Trying to achieve greatness? Our genetics are something we cannot control. We are all born different.  Yet the big question is:  Why do we let others set the social standards based on race or gender? Why do we have to change our behavior or accents, to the perfect, typical, white person? It is because these things go unpunished and are there seen by the blind eye. We all know what is happening but why should we brush it off our shoulders?  Now it is not all on you, because one person cannot change the world's perspective. But you sure can help start the change, will you? 

Sincerely,

Tatiyana B.