Northern Exposure

Before coming to college every individual grows up in different atmospheres, different situations with different environmental circumstances. These differences can lead to a variety of accents, body gestures, and styles of dress.
All these things brought together on one campus gives a setting for a very diverse collegiate population, in theory. Unfortunately the outcome of this cornucopia of style, personality and music has led to is stigmas and stereotypes amid one population.
Being a native of where I am from, I have been placed in dozens of different categories, but none more prevalent than Cali’ or simply “up north.” Worse is the mistake that I’m mixed. This conclusion has even been decided on by people brought up in my hometown. Their excuse: “You don’t have an accent from…” or “You dress like you’re from Cali” or the most famous, “You just seem so diverse.”
The last I take as a compliment and an insult. It seems that the people and culture from my hometown of _______ aren’t supposed to have cultural ideals and versatility in their vocabulary. Just bounce music, ghetto wear and very thick accents mixed with homegrown slang. Then the person finds out that I went to a private school and everything clicks.
Unfotunately, at first, I bought into this stereotype. I was mistaken as a west-coaster so much that I adopted Sacramento as my foster hometown.
There are still some of my associates who are convinced that I am from California.
It took me a minute to realize that I needed to be proud of where I was from because my background was my pie that I brought to the Sunday dinner. My part of what makes this university so special. Each one of the cultures, dress and personalities from the US and beyond (shout out to my girl from Trinidad)–my hometown included–need not be stereotyped because in the end we are all what makes this place run.
As students we are all from Scottlandville, Louisiana and a part of the Jaguar Nation. So the next time you look at someone and immediately classify them into a stereotypical region or culture, ask them, find out something you might not have known about them, that’s what you came to college for, to learn, isn’t it?