Notes

S31E19 - "Chopped" Basket Buzz. With each episode of Chopped, they manage to bring people that have various backgrounds and have them compete against one another in order to win ten grand. A lot of the times, it is a show that is purely for  entertainment, not for any real connection to reality. However, this episode managed to touch on very heavy topics that ranged from supporting a transgender child to supporting the family by earning the funds to put down a down payment for a house. The winner was Maria Petridis who was a farm girl in Skoutari and later moved to America with her husband looking for opportunities. With the contestants, they are searching to win this show because they know it will open up opportunities for them. This show is recorded in New York City which is in America. There is a reason why people flock to this country because they know that this is the only place that offers personal rights and chances to succeed that is not tied to socioeconomic status. There is social mobility where college offers a leg up to both gaining knowledge and being able to forge an unique identity.

I have always considered myself as an American, but I know that I was not a citizen till I was 8 years old. My journey to here has been quick, I came here over on a plane when I was 3, but the actual process of coming to terms to be here has been a long one. I did not really realize how fortunate I was to be living in an area that was safe and had a good school system. Through my adoption, I was given an opportunity whereas if I was still in Guatemala, my dreams and hopes would be limited. To know this is something that is scary and also makes me really grateful to be living in such a great country. 

Double standards seem to be everywhere where we cannot escape them and I never really felt it till very recently. I never really saw myself as hispanic till I saw how dark I looked when I was right next to a white person. I have been looking at the world more closely, taking note of how many of the people who take the bus to different places are mostly hispanic and blacks. I did not think having the access to a car was a privilege or knowing that I will always have food in one of the cabinets. I am mostly comfortable in my skin, but I cannot help but wonder to think what others think of me when I walk down the street, what is happening in their minds? Do they make certain racial assumptions since I look hispanic, or do they think that I am ignorant since I know only spanish? WIth that, I realize that I got to represent my community and break these racial assumptions that people make. Not all hispanics are just for landscape so I feel that I have this pressure to do more with my life.