Asians are labeled to be slit-eyed math freaks, trapped in a world of conservatism and harsh parenting. We generalize them as the people of the yellow with subpar English skills. Muslims are racially profiled to be terrorists or heinous criminals on the loose and so are African Americans who are treated to be part of violent gangs. We tend to categorize people into different races socially and culturally, based on their skin color, appearances, and similar characteristics. We exclude foreigners because they are different, alienated, and culturally eccentric. But are we so different? Are we really “Asians” or “Caucasians”? I don’t quite agree when I recall a girl in my elementary days.

She tightens her hijab across her face to only reveal her dark, ebony eyes and gazes at me with an unwavering spirit before she looks away. She chatters away giddily with her new friends across the lunch table- her laughs as audible as the car horns on the street. She stuffed a handful of delectable curry into her mouth with her slender fingers and scraped the bowl clean in a flash. Quickly brushing away the food remnants smeared across her face, she stares at me again- catching me stare at her in curiosity. But I kept my distance then. She seemed so different, so peculiar- her eating habits, her clothing styles that clearly clashed with my clothes, her skin color, and her scent. Everything about her was new and so culturally different I was taken aback to approach her- to approach someone from a different race who seemingly doesn’t understand my Korean cultures. As uncomfortable as I was, I foolishly scurried out of the cafeteria to my next period class without taking a second glance.

“Hadil will be partners with Joanne for the science fair,” the science teacher bellowed as he pointed at the Muslim girl and beckoned me to sit next to her to plan out our project. I was uncertain to open up myself to someone so different from me but I managed to give a bright smile on the surface, edging towards Hadil in small steps. Would we get along, and most importantly, would she understand me?

We started off awkwardly, each glancing at one another hesitantly. But Hadil started to talk about one of her favorite Korean dramas which starred a character that shared the same name as mine and chuckled as she re enacted one of the hilarious scenes. This caught me by surprise, considering that this romance-comedy channel was my favorite as well, and we both started laughing. Her giggles were sweet and delicate, and she gushed on about her favorite Youtube stars, her movies, and hobbies. Surprisingly enough, we had a lot of things in common: we loved the rejuvenating rides in the amusement parks, the comedy and horror movies, and the lush park near the school. We wanted to be celebrities living in our dream houses with the flashing paparazzi, concerts, and fans- picturing the moments of our futures together. She might have been different, belonging to a different culture and custom, but she was in a way the same individual I was. I never felt so closer, so similar, to someone like Hadil. Different looks and race does not make you some stranger, because there are so many similar beauties and attributes in the inside that brings humanity together.

Race does not mean anything and people are not as different as we think, like Hadil. Race is simply a cultural and political concept in society- not a biologically proven concept that separates one from another. DNA samples have proved that 99.9% of people had the same genetic material yet the 0.1% determined our individual variations that classified us into such arbitrary races. Beliefs of each race was something that was instilled into people throughout history- but something that cannot be proven to be the differentiating factor among humans. Sure, we could practice different religions or have different looks, but we aren’t so separated from another and we weren’t different biological humans. You would be surprised of how much we all are connected to one another, not as a coincidence, but because we all make up humanity.