My parents always told me everyone was equal. They have taught me that your race, the color of your hair, different personalities, and the language you speak don’t make you unequal to another. Everyone is a person on this earth with a beating heart. They taught me to be diverse. They told me I shouldn’t just be friends with someone who generally has the same physical/inner qualities as me. My parents wanted me to accept everyone as who they are. They told me to always have diversity in my life. They explained how this would help me grow as a person and develop appreciation to other cultures.

I am truly thankful for my parents bringing me up this way. I look beyond everything and see individuals as the person they are, not the color of their skin or where they come from. My parents made it clear that I would see people for who they actually are. I was in the public school education system my whole life. I loved the diversity. I liked meeting kids that had all different backgrounds. I’m so glad my parents taught me the importance of diversity or I wouldn’t have appreciated cultures as much. My parents understood how important it was to make sure I could make the right judgment on people no matter what other people thought.

Ever since you were born you are fed what to do and how to act from your parents. Your parents give you your first values and set of rules to apply how to live your life. My parents made it clear that diversity was a good thing. My parents wanted me to respect and value people the way they should be valued as humans. They wanted me to be a good person to everyone. I was told at a very young age the true definition of what it means to be equal. Fairness was a keyword in my everyday life. They taught me to never think I’m too good or judge someone who doesn’t look like me. Treat everyone how you would want to be treated was a big deal in my household.

I come from a very good and well respected family but that doesn’t mean that I should treat people that are diverse from me differently. The reason I write this article is because I know people who were not raised to be diverse. They were taught to only be comfortable around the people they most commonly look like or run in the same social circle. As humans we do generally associate ourselves like have the same qualities as us. Since I come from a family that valued diversity I not only hangout with people that are like me but some that are completely different. It helps me stay very diverse and helps me be more rounded as a person and culturally adapted. I value other people's beliefs and values that are not the same as mine. It doesn’t bother me that people have different opinions than me; I accept all. I’m proud of the person who I am and how I treat other people and I owe it all to my parents. Thank you for teaching me that everyone matters in the world.