Last week, I was faced with my first amazing experience of jury duty, not really it was terrible. However, what caught my attention was something completely unrelated to the jury duty process. I was captivated by a form I was given to fill out that asked me to give all of my basic information as well as whether I was of Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin as well as my race. I was able to answer everything until I got to the question asking me what my race was. Usually, whenever I had to answer the dreaded race question on any form I would leave it blank or fill in “other.” This time was different because upon selecting other you have to fill in what “other” race you are. I was unsure what to fill in, I knew I was Latina and I knew I wasn’t White, Black, or any of the other options given. After much contemplation and thought I opted for selecting the “other” option and filling in that I was of mixed race.

I had never given race much thought in the sense of how the race options given do not apply to everyone. After all, race was something I was aware of on a personal level but never felt the need to truly explain or bring up. I was always aware that many Latinos do not fit into the categories or races given on forms. Yet, I had never felt so confused and outraged that people are forced to categorize themselves. Race is so much more than color of skin or physical traits, in our society race represents you and everything you do. The fact that race represents so much of an individual reinforces the idea that our systems are built to the benefit of specific people, in this case, a specific race.

Our society is so focused on race that it fails to acknowledge that all of us are the same and certain races shouldn’t have to feel like outsiders. Having to put ourselves into a category or race undermines the idea that equality exists and that we all have the same opportunities. We live in a society where the only ones that are aware that race exists and is a true problem is those who do not benefit from race. Race is built into our everyday lives and built into every thing we do.

While the concept of race may never cede to exist, it is important to understand the negative affects that race can have. It is astonishing that the one vital thing that I got out of jury duty is that race was merely created to suppress those who are viewed as less. My experience allowed me to open my eyes to the reality that we must all be united and stop assuming that certain races are superior than others. We are all the same, regardless of how you identify, and we must stand together to make our world a better place.