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Segregation may not be something that's officially on the books as law anymore, but it certainly still exists all the same. You only have to open your eyes and look around you in order to see that groups of people almost always consist of members that are alike when it comes to many factors, especially racial background. So why is this the case in a world where there are no longer such things as colored bathrooms, specific seating for different racial groups on buses, laws against interracial marriage, and so forth? It's the 21st century, after all. Didn't we supposedly integrate ourselves as a society years ago?

In my experience, it would seem that both sides of the fence are equally guilty when it comes to perpetuating the situation. On one hand, it's natural for people to want to stick with their own. Some see "their own" as others who share similar interests, passions, or beliefs, but there will always be those that identify best with other people who have similar skin colors or racial make-ups. On the other hand - like it or not - it's also quite natural for many to fear or be apprehensive about anything (or anyone) that is different from what they're used to. This is especially so for people who were raised in environments that were not at all diverse. All they seem to know about people of other ethnic groups is what has trickled down to them through stereotyping.

As a person of mixed racial heritage - Irish, Native American, and African American, to be specific - I've always been somewhat segregated into a group of my own. I also LOOK like I could be just about anything from a racial standpoint, so many different types of people have accepted me as "one of them" in the past. As a result, I've had the opportunity to see many different types of groups from the inside, and I can tell you from personal experience that there is still a lot of fear and apprehension between the races when it comes to certain things.

White people sometimes forget that I'm part something else and start talking about "lazy blacks" or "lazy Indians", forcing them to scramble around for apologies when they remember who they're talking to. Similarly, black people often complain to me about "the white man", or tease me about acting or dressing "too white", completely forgetting altogether who my mother is. And these are only the things that people have openly expressed in front of me! I shudder to think what people say and think about people of other ethnicities privately.

As long as this type of attitude exists, segregation will remain alive and well. It's sad to say, but I think in many ways, a lot of people WANT to be segregated in one way or another from those that are different from themselves, and as far as I'm concerned that's a terrible shame. I've personally never limited myself as to include only members of my own ethnic groups. In a way that's not even an option for me BECAUSE of my very mixed ethnicity. However, I'm personally grateful for that. Knowing many people of many different backgrounds has enhanced my life in ways that are difficult for me to accurately describe in brief. My wish for humanity is that more people will one day learn to embrace the spirit of their fellow man in a similar way.

Learn more about this author, Shannon Hilson.
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