I find that this is a very broad subject to talk about. There are so many conflicts that happen between so many people or groups of people, but OK here we go. Well, ACTUALLY, I don't want to sit here and go on and on about some friendship that was ruined because someone talked trash about another someone, nor do i want to talk about a more serious topic such as divorce (where we definitely know that the relationship was ruined). So, how about we go with a more personal topic, and it goes a little something like this:
I'm sure you guys know that Mexicans and PuertoRicans don't really get along too much (i don't know why) (actually i do, but let's not take sides). Well years ago, when i lived in Humbolt Park (yeaaa!) i had many purto rican friends, among them my very best friend, her name was Janira. She and I knew each other since third grade, we went waaay back. I had gone to her house countless times and her to mine, we were young, and her mom really like me and my parents liked her. So years later in like fifth grade, she asks me "What part of PuertoRico are you from?" and I'm like "whaat?" with this dumbfounded look on my face. How could she not know I'm Mexican?
Looking back i realize that we never really went into our ethnic background. We never talked about how i eat Tacos when she eats Arroz Con Gandules. It never occurred to me, that by telling i was Mexican, i ruined our whole relationship. Like i said her mom and my parents got along, so they knew that we were Mexicans and they were Puerto Rican, but Janira didn't. She stopped talking to me.
I confronted her later and i asked why she hadn't talked to me in a while, and she straight up told me that it was because 'according to 'society' we can't get along'. It must have been very conflicting in her mind. I got angry, i told my parents and they were like 'oh well, you'll find another best friend'. I can't believe that i had been BFFs with her, i realize now, that if i hadn't moved to the south side and she hadn't moved to Puerto Rico, that we would have had more conflicts than just our race.
P.S. I miss her. ♥ even if she didn't like me after, she once did. :p
Looking back i realize that we never really went into our ethnic background. We never talked about how i eat Tacos when she eats Arroz Con Gandules. It never occurred to me, that by telling i was Mexican, i ruined our whole relationship. Like i said her mom and my parents got along, so they knew that we were Mexicans and they were Puerto Rican, but Janira didn't. She stopped talking to me.
I confronted her later and i asked why she hadn't talked to me in a while, and she straight up told me that it was because 'according to 'society' we can't get along'. It must have been very conflicting in her mind. I got angry, i told my parents and they were like 'oh well, you'll find another best friend'. I can't believe that i had been BFFs with her, i realize now, that if i hadn't moved to the south side and she hadn't moved to Puerto Rico, that we would have had more conflicts than just our race.
P.S. I miss her. ♥ even if she didn't like me after, she once did. :p
It's hard to be able to build and keep relationships when people believe one thing and that if you are anything but that, you can't be friends. We might think that we live in a world where segregation is a thing of the past but it happens every day, sometimes right in front of your own eyes. So it's nice to understand that people can still try to get along, even if it doesn't end up working out. At least you tried and were open to the idea of change. :D
ReplyDeleteThats really sad :( I can relate to the racial tensions that exist between two groups. After school, I used to go to an all black after-school program and no one really ever talked to me. Sometimes I would build a slight friendship with one kid but then the others would push him/her away from me. Even though society wants equality, they don't want integration and relationships with others.
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