As a black female who from another country I experience a lot of prejudice and discrimination since I was born remember. First of all, I don’t consider myself safe anywhere, that’s the reason I don’t work the night shifts at my old nursing home job even if that was my desire because I am full time student during the day. And white woman get justice for sexual assault, rape and domestic violence but rarely black women because the news or the system instead blame them and say that black women are oversexualized, and this is their faults.
I used to be followed around in my local beauty supplies stores by those store’s owner Asians like I am a wanted criminal by the police or like I am a child, sometimes I turned and asked them if I can help them? Or if they want a picture or an autograph and told them I don’t remember I am a celebrity and you are paparazzi, what the hell you want? It is worse when I went shopping in Manhattan in these boutiques with my other black friends, it is like one of Tupac Shakur’s song ‘” All Eyez on Me” like we are going to rob the store, I can’t even shop properly those prejudices make me so uncomfortable I just shop online only. And forget about to apply in these boutiques for a position if you are black and browns skin in Manhattan.
I experience microaggressions as woman because of my huge breasts, my breast is 40 dd people always told me that my breast is beautiful especially my male friends, sexy and so on. some people ask me if I get breast implant or lips injection or butt lift etc. but I always told them most of black women are curvy in lips, breast, and butt.
As an immigrant, people always ask me where I am from even some teachers at BMCC because of my accent. And when I told them that a Caribbean slave decent girl, they always asked, are you from Jamaica? and I always told them Jamaica isn’t the only island in the Caribbean and I am from Haiti. And because of my French accent some people thought I am French, but I always told them that France isn’t the only country that speak French, Haitian people speak French we are a bilanguage country.
I don’t have privilege and never will have any because of my skin color and where I am from, I did not grow up with educated parents. I am not sure sometimes if I am going to make my dreams come true because of who I am. I live in constant fear being killed by police like Brianna Taylor or Sandra Bland than natural causes or a car accident, I pray God every night if I get kill by a police officer make sure someone is recording my death like George Floyd because I want my family to get justice for me. Being in black female immigrant, living for me is hell, if die right now I will die without any regrets because I have nothing to live for in this world and nothing to lose, I am tired fighting against inequality with my community.
Hello Lisa,
It’s sad that we still face discrimination based on our skin color, race, or culture but again all we know that we have to stand on the right path and stick with our values that are not harmful to others. About your 3rd paragraph, I would say however is your physical appearance, you are beautiful. And let yourself feel bad about it. Your last paragraph was heart touching as it can be totally related to the current situation happening in the states. I cannot exactly feel what you go through but I can assure, that you are going to have a beautiful future, and please do not loose on hope and strength on what you can do you and what you can be. Because there are people who are bad but also the people who are good and treat you right. Look at our class, you have good friends. So just don’t let yourself down just because of the bad people out there. I definitely don’t know you in a person but through your stories, I can say that you are beautiful person inner and out. 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing you story with us. I remembered when I got my first job, I was 17 and because I was going to school I had to work the last shift and close the store where I used to work. My mom hated the fact I wanted to work and that my first one had to be late at night because being a woman of color walking by herself alone it is not safe anywhere.
Hi Lisa, Thank you for sharing. Unfortunate that you had to experience being followed around in a store simply because of the color of your skin. I remember going through similar situations when I was younger and even through the present date. I wouldn’t necessarily say it is because of the color of my skin, but it is definitely because of my nationality. Thanks to Trump, all Hispanics are Mexican!