It is not uncommon for people to assume someone’s race or ethnicity. If someone is black, they must be African American. If someone is Asian, they must be either Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. If someone is Hispanic, they must be either Mexican. This is a form of ignorance and much of society is not knowledgable on the fact there are more than just the racial categories of white people, black people, Asians, and Hispanics. There are many ethnic groups that an average American person they may not know of.

Growing up in Jersey City, I have been exposed to many people who have heritage from these lesser known ethnic groups, to which I am very grateful for. While forming friendships and relationships, I have gained some knowledge in their cultures. Some of these ethnic groups share similar characteristics of a well-known ethnicity, and I have also learned to not jump into the quick assumption of someone’s heritage based on their physical appearance.

A number of ethnic groups possess garments representing their heritage, with South Asians being the most known to wear them. I find these types of clothing fascinating and beautiful; they represent the continuation of culture and showing pride in heritages. It is important to educate the audience to know of ethnic garments and some of the lesser-known minority groups. I also aim to represent in my piece examples of the common heritages of Jersey City in my piece.

In a time where our society is still working in-progress to overcome racism, I hope my piece can also make people take pride in their heritage.