“I am Proud to be an American Where at Least I know I’m free.”

“I am Proud to be an American Where at Least I know I’m free.”

By: Robert J Wegner

These are the lyrics that I herd blasting out of one of my fraternity brother’s speakers yesterday afternoon. This was around 6:15PM, shortly after I arrived home from Wednesday’s class discussion.

I can remember the first time that I herd this song; I was in the car with my mom just after the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11^th, 2001. My mom got chocked up and I remember her telling me that although I was only in the 5^th grade that I will likely remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard of the tragedy. As it turns out, my mom was right as usual.

I mention this story for two different reasons; the first being how ironic it was to hear this country-ish song coming out of one of my brothers speakers, just hours after todays discussion on the deportation of LEGAL immigrants in the United States. The second reason I bring up this song and September 11, 2001 is because that is the day that America and especially my generation began to fear, judge and stereotype an entire race of people.

From this day forward the vast majority of Americans began to treat people of Middle Eastern decent in a different manner. This is the first time in my life that I can remember race being so openly and abundantly discussed. The next thing I knew, the great country of America that I was born in and growing up I at the time; declared a “War on Terror”. Unfortunately, to a child who was between the age of eleven and twelve, this meant fear people of Middle Eastern decent.

I grew up in a middle-class home with parents that tried to teach their kids that there is no difference between black and white, white people and brown people or, purple people and gold people; when it comes to the color of a persons skin.

This is the first time I am getting to learn the racial inequality in present day America. These issues were not taught to me by my parents, in fear that I would begin stereotyping different races. I did not learn about these issues in elementary, middle or high school because the vast majority of the kids that went to my school were white and came from communities with parents who had similar incomes.

I was born in raised in a one-story ranch in Hoffman Estates; I grew up with a very tight-nit family, amazing neighbors and great friends. Unfortunately, I was one street away from getting out of district 220 (Barrington School District). From elementary school to high school, I dealt kids who lived up to my schools stereotype: spoiled white kids, who live in their parents mansions and brag about their parents cars and money. For the average home in North Barrington costs $789,120; with 95.6% of the residents being either “white” or “Asian American”. My mom attended a School Board Meeting when I was still in grammar school and the people in the Barrington area referred to the people who lived in Hoffman as “the people with the aluminum siding”.

Needless to say, I am very happy to have grown up in Hoffman Estates instead of Barrington. I had the opportunity to make friends with other kids from Hoffman Estates, many whom attended Fremd High School. A part of me wonders how much more exposure to different cultures I would have came across, had I attended Fremd. At Fremd, there is a larger Spanish American and Asian American population and more kids to interact with who were raised in different cultures.

At Barrington High School, we were taught to believe that slavery was abolished in 1865, there were riots and segregation up though the 60’s but were not taught how impactful the color of ones skin still is in American society. This is why I was completely shocked to hear that a legal citizen of the United States were deported after not being able to produce a birth certificate. I honestly believe it was racist to not have taught us both sides. If we do not recognize these problems and go though life believing that we live in the “The Land of Opportunity” as well as “ The Land of Equality” we leave immigrants with a lack of opportunity and equality of their own.

Works Cited

"Barrington High School in Barrington, Illinois (IL)." - Test Results, Rating, Ranking, Grades, Scores, Classes, Enrollment, Teachers, Students, and Report Card. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://www.city-data.com/school/barrington-high-school-il.html>.

"High School Graduation Rate at Highest Level in Three Decades." EDgov Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/01/high-school-graduation-rate-at-highest-level-in-three-decades/>.

Lee Greenwood. I Am Proud to Be an American. 1984. CD.