While growing up, I lived in a predominantly black neighborhood. In this population, there was a very small group consisting of people of Arab, Indian, Caucasian, and Asian ethnicities. We were brought up knowing a peculiar story about the members of our Indian heritage group. Indians were the people who owned most of our town's markets, grocery stores, and trade centers for me and my friends. Therefore, we have grown to have the sense that good businessmen or women are Indian citizens. Our view of society was very myopic, because most of the kids in our town studied in boarding schools. My peers learned about the broader community through books, these only sources of information were neatly tucked away in a library. Our practical knowledge of people around us was limited to short holidays in which our exposure to society was primarily controlled by our parents or guardians. It was logical to assume that Indian people were better at business than black people because history suggested they were good at trade long before African nations became civilized (Adichie). However, last year, I got a job in town where I was employed in a small cyber café. During that period, I learned that black people were just as proficient in business as Indians. Any black person with enough formal knowledge and willingness to work hard could have their own business managing a convenience store or a shop and be just as competitive. I learned to appreciate the full narrative and corrected the stereotype that members of the Indian community are always more proficient in business than those of the black community (Solorzano 9). In conclusion, it does not matter which community one comes from; if anyone wants to be successful, all they have to do is to work hard and do their best until the goals are achieved.
Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda. “The Danger of a Single Story.” Ted.Com, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en. Accessed 2 December 2017. Solorzano, Daniel G., and Yosso, Tara J. From racial stereotyping and deficit discourse toward a critical race theory in teacher education. Multicultural Education, vol. 9, no. 1, 2001, p. 2.
