A Universal Me

Name: Niat Afeworki

Age: 17

Hometown: Hayward CA

Greatest Fear/ Greatest Aspiration: My greatest fear is fear that would get in the way of my potential, fear that would stop me from taking on a task or challenging something that i strongly disagree with. My greatest aspiration is making a difference in chilldresn's lives. I know it may sound cheesy but i want to be able to bring a bit of happiness to little children in war torn parts of the world or 3rd world countries.

Music: I cannot function without music, i cant sleep, clean, read, eat without music. I'll listen to anything with a great beat to it but i dont know how i would live with out R&B.

Hobbies: I love to read poetry. I also like to cook and hang out with my friends.

Name: Jessica Bell

Age: 19

Hometown: Oakland (East, to be precise)

Greatest Fear/ Greatest Aspiration: My greatest fear is succumbing to mediocrity. By this I mean allowing my potential to go untapped, and missing out on the achievements and promises God has for me.

My greatest aspiration is to be a woman after God's own heart; and to show the world all the love, kindness, and compassion that God has shown me.

Music: I Looooove music. I love rock, pop, rap, r&b, reggae.... everything.... but jazz and classical make me sleepy. I only listen to christian music, but have found a wide range of it that satisfy my every rhythmic need.

Hobbies: Hmmm.... I spend a lot of time a church or doing things church related. I spend the rest of my fun time with my friends, watching movies, doing hair, talking, or doing random and spontaneous things. On occasion I draw, write, sew, stalk people (the anthropologist in me), and attempt to expand the horizons of my life's experiences.

Name: Jacqueline Kith

Age: 23

Hometown: San Leandro

Greatest Fear/ Greatest Aspiration: My greatest fear is finding out the career that I have worked so hard to achieve is not the career I expected it to be and then having to start over and figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. My greatest dream is to travel the world and see what the world has to offer.

Music: I love music that moves me. Music is a huge part of my life because I like to sing and dance. I listen to all kinds of music, but my favorites would probably be oldies and R&B.

Hobbies: I love a lot of outdoor and indoor sports and I'm always willing to try something new.

Ethnic Background

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZwZVBDAHI

iNTRODUCTiON:

tHIS VIDEO CLiP iS A SMALL PIECE OF what OUR PROJECT iS TRYiNG TO SAY. tHE MOMENT YOU LOOK AT OUR GROUP, YOU SEE DIFFERENCE: rACE. sTYLE. sEPARATiON.

aND THE MIND SO EASiLY CATEGORiZES EACH OF US; ATTEMPTiNG TO FIGURE OUT WHO WE ARE BASED ON HOW WE LOOK.

rATHER THAN SEARCHiNG THE COMMUNITY FOR DiFFERENT CULTURES AND EXPERiENCES, WE RECOGNiZED THE DiVERSiTY WE HAVE AMOUNG OURSELVES. tHE BAY AREA IS A CRUCiBLE FULL OF MELTiNG CULTURES, HiSTORiES, EXPERiENCES, AND BELiEFS; AND AS RESIDENTS, WE FEEL WE ARE THE EPiTAMY OF HOW EACH INTERACT.

cOMPARiNG AND cONRASTiNG HOW WE SEE FOOD, RELiGiON, FAMiLY, FRiENDSHIP, EDUCATiON, ENViRONMENT, ETHNiCiTY, APPEARENCE, AS WELL AS OURSELVES GiVES A ViViD iDEA OF WHAT DiViDES AND UNiTES US.

Ethnicity

Physically, I'm the darkest in my family.
Ethnically, I'm not sure what I am.
if I had to choose, I prefer to be labeled Black rather than African American; for the simple fact that I'd rather choose a color than an association to a culture and people that I do not know nor feel any special sense of belonging to. America, on the other hand, is my home. I was born and raise into it's culture, and know that many of my habits and perspectives are influenced by it. Though it is a country based on lies and deceit, I have been surrounded by various cultures, ethinicities, and traditions that I've adopted as my own, and hope to pass on the value of each.
When ethnicity is linked to the idea of race: I used to struggle with feelings of insecurity and inferiority because of my complexion and the connotations of being Black, but now hope to surprise every stereotypical mind and supersede every low standard set up for those who couldn't pass the paper bag test. As far as ethnicity goes, I'm still trying to figure out its significance. - Jessica

I am Eritrean, of the Tigrinya tribe, also known as habesha which translates to burned-faced arab. That is what i have been taught by my father and my own research. I am also an American, which makes me an Eritrean-American I guess. My parents grew up in the homelands so they try as hard as they can to raise us as though we live back home. This causes American culture and Eritrean culture to clash all the time. I try to learn a lot about my culture, I do my own research when my parents knowledge doesn't

answer all my questions. I love to emerse myself in my culture and soak up everything i can. As an Eritrean i was raised to be greatly proud of where i come, know who my people are and know the history. The drum depicts a women making boon, coffe which my mother makes all the time for guest, friends, or for her own enjoyment. I try to keep a balance between the American me and the Eritrean me. - Niat

My ethnicity is very mixed and from what I am told, I am Filipino, Portuguese, Cambodian, and Chinese. My mother is part Filipino and part Portuguese and my father, whom I never met, is part Chinese and part Cambodian. However, what I consider myself is Filipino American. I have never known my Cambodian or Chinese heritage, so I don't identify myself as such. My childhood was full of the Filipino traditions, customs, and foods. The other half of me seems to be tainted by the American culture. Since I lived in America all my life and my mother has incorporated a lot of the American traditions in it as well, I noticed that I live the American way of life and adopted a lot of the ideologies. I celebrate all the American holidays, like July 4th and New Year's. My grandma is what kept the Filipino traditions strong in my family and she never changed her ways or lived the American lifestyle, no matter how long she lived here.

- Jackie

Family

Growing up I formed three definitions for family.

1. My mother, brother, and I. Though it irritated my brother to have to bring his little sister everywhere, and it irritated me to have my brother chaparone me everywhere else, spending this time together forged a bond between us that can never be broken. Me and my brother are very protective over eachother as well as our mom. After struggling through many hardships, and finding refuge in one another, we are now best friends and our family is very important to us.


2. My "Family." Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my mother's family; especially on the holidays. As I got older, I started developing a relationship with my father, and he has been very providing, loving, and supportive. I also have an older brother and sister, as well as freakish amounts of other kin folk.


3. My Brothers from some other mothers. There are many people in my life that though we are not biologically related, I consider family. Whether it be the years or tears that have made them so valuable to me, they have found a special place in my heart. - Jessica

What family means to me is people coming together to share their good and bad times with one another. To depend and help each other and enjoy memorable moments together. I was fortunate to be blessed with two families. I have my biological family that consists of myself, my five sisters, and my mother. I also have my boyfriends family that I have come to love and know for more than ten years. They have accepted me into their lives and celebrations, as my family has done with my boyfriend. Family are the people we can turn to for advice and to have laughs about the world's hardships. We accept one another for who they are and never judge each other's lifestyle. I wouldn't be who I am today without the people in my life that taught me to appreciate, respect and honor those who have come before us and those who come after us. My family continues to grow and I wonder what the future holds for us. -Jackie

Family are those who will always be around. Family might not be the most sweetest people in your life but theyre the ones that live to see you grow and prosper. My family consists of my parents, siblings, cousins, uncles, and aunts. I consider them all my close family because they have seen me grow and taught me things i'll keep forever with me. They've helped and supported me in some of the things i've done, but not all, and thats okay. If they feel i might be doing something stupid, they are the ones with experience so yes, they can disagree with me anytime they feel it's neccesary to do so. My family can tell you at least one thing about me that most people don't know, like how i got certain scars, what was my favorite toys as a baby, and what my aspirations were and what they are now. -Niat

Friends

I once stated that my friends are the building blocks to my matter; and though much has changed since then, that still holds true. Friendship has always been very important to me, and being a loyal and loving friend is a priority in my life.

Friendship is one of the greatest support systems in life, and i have experienced how a supportive and caring friend can help you through any circumstance. Friendship is a sort of safe haven, where people can confide in one another without having to worry about insecurities. Though drama comes with it, I feel that true friendships are enduring, and that there is no price that can compare the the value of them. - Jessica

Friends are the ones that I would consider as family because they are the ones that have been through the trial and tribulations of my life. Friends love and support one another as if they were extended family. My boyfriend is my best friend because he has brought out my true self and I am comfortable to talk about anything with him. He was there when all my other friends have come and gone. I couldn't choose a better friend or partner. - Jackie

Friends, those who will do whatever it takes to protect you from anything that may harm you, those who will laugh with you for hours, those who you can be yourself around, those who will tell you the truth even if it may hurt you and those you go exploring with. Friends are also people you're not afraid to yell at, and afraid to disappoint. I believe friends, especially the great ones know more about you then you do yourself. For example my friend Elida can figure out my next move before i can even think about it. Friends are people you learn with, more then you learn from, meaning that we go on the journey of life together on the same or similar level. We're figuring out new things and questioning old ones and since we have each-other we're not scared. -Niat

Religion

I was baptised at a few months old as a Christian Orthodox. That is the religon my grandmother practices and all the members of our family have practiced for some time now. I don't really feel that I am a Christian Orthodox, or a member of any religon for that matter because i havent yet grasped the idea why someone might need religon in thier life. My parents aren't at all religous, my mother goes to church on special holidays (i acompany and my dad has probably went 4 or 5

times, and that is for the batising of my siblings, god brother and I. So i was not really taught to be religous. I feel religion is a way of grouping people together and making them have something in common so they can feel safe within their own and gang up on others. BUT, religon can also bring light and meaning to a persons life like my grandmother who rarely misses church and never fails in here fasting.

The first photo I chose shows a woman being filled with the Holy Ghost and experiencing God first hand. This is significant to me, because it illustrates a living God, that interacts with His people,

and empowers them. The second photo I chose is significant to me because it portrays a side of religion that many don't see. It is my youth group fellowship, having fun, and loving one another; which is much more significant than emotionless rituals that most identify as religion.

The Greatest Commandment of all is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second, is to love your neighbor as yourself. This is what religion is to me, and is the foundation of my life. Though I prefer to say I have a relationship with God rather than associate myself with the endless negative connotations of being a Christian, when labeled I inevitably fall into the Religious: Christian category. Since late 2004, I have grown to know Jesus and He has proven himself to be the realest thing I've ever experienced; because of it, I am madly in love with Him and aspire to live my for Him. -Jessica

When I was born I was baptized Catholic. My entire family have always been devoted Catholics and the older generation is very religious. During my childhood, my mother would teach us how to pray and how to pray the rosary, but for some reason I didn't see the importance of religion in my life because all I knew was that it was apart of a family tradition. By the time I became a teenager, I grew so far away from the Catholic ways that I stopped caring about it. A few years ago, I felt lost in my life. My sister told me to pray to God and say what was going on in my life and so I did. I never knew how powerful praying was until then, because I was so overwhelmed by so much emotion and when I was done, I felt that a burden was lifted from my shoulders and my grief was gone. I felt comforted and that God was there to help me through anything. From then on, I have never lost faith in the Lord and I will continue to pass on this tradition. -Jackie

Education

Education has always been a priority in my life. I understood at a very young age that dilligence, intellect, and relentlessness could take me as far as I pushed it. Despite our corrupt system and the many obstacles of life, I strive to educate myself in everything I do, and to learn from every situation.
As I've grown up, I've learned to appreciate the various forms of education: Academics, experience, oral tradition, as well as spiritual guidance. I've also learned how to categorize which are more important to me. I strived for financial success and a degree from a prestigious college,"I once thought these things were valuable, but now consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Jesus christ"(Phil 3:13). Though school is still a priority in my life and I plan to be the first woman in my family to graduate from college, what I expect to learn from an institute cannot compare to what I expect to learn from God. - Jessica


Education can be attained from anywhere, anything, and anyone. I have learned so much from various aspects of my life, including school institutions. My first teachers were my family members and my older sisters. They taught me the way of life and the consequences or outcomes that accompany my chioces in life. Since I was the second youngest in my family, I always learned what and what not to do. Just observing the world around me, I can absorb knowledge from an infinite number of things. There is no limit to knowledge, unless one chooses to stop learning. I believe we are capable of learning whatever our heats desire and our curiosity about the world will always fuel our minds to search for something new and interesting. - Jackie

WHat can be deemed education? When you learn things from others, when you discover things on your own through exploration, or when your sitting in a class room listening to a teacher talk? I feel you can get your education anywhere. For example when I'm at my friends house, her mother is usually cooking, i like to sit and watch her as she mixs ingredients for the pupusa's that she is about to make. I can make them totally alone but i know the basics. Also i get my education from my highschool. I have great teacher's that not only offer information we must learn but also life lessons that we will need to succeed in life. I will be a senior this fall, and start my journey into college the following fall!

Environment

This is what my environment is like. I am usually surrounded by family and we love to watch television together. I live with my boyfriend and we have a one bedroom apartment in San Leandro. My neighbors are single families and they are all very modest and kind. We live in an area that looks peaceful and is very close to the 580 west freeway. The Bayfair Mall is five minutes away and I walk to the bart every morning. I believe that we live in a convenient area because everything can be accessed within the same area. I would consider my home "feng shui" because it brings balance, tranquility, relaxation, and peace to our lives. We always look forward to going home because it is a place where we are comfortable and a place to bond us and our families together. - Jackie

I live in Sobrante Park in Oakland. It's not as bad as people say it is, no there isn't shooting every night, but there is shooting. Sobrante Park is mixture of beauty and crap, flowers and trash. THe people here are pretty friendly, always saying hello when you walk by.

Food

The greatest purpose for food in my family has always been to eat. It is not always significant what we are eating or who cooked it, just that it is edible. All the women were always interested in cooking. They always watched cooking shows and mastered how to make every ethnic, authentic, and casual American food they wanted. I am the first to break the chain; I'd much rather eat than cook.
As a child, we were more traditional, and ate as a family; but now everyone just grabs their food and goes to their room. For holidays, we still tend to cook up a miniture feast, but it's seldom that we sit at the table together to eat it.

As for my personal likes.... I am completely infatuated with JambaJuice and Sunflower seeds. I would have a break down without them. - Jessica

Food in my life is a way to bring people together once or twice a day, or sometimes just on occasions. I started cooking when I was about five or six years old. My first cooking lesson was with my grandma, she taught me how to make chocolate rice or champorado in Tagalog. She told me that she will teach me how to make Filipino dishes, while I learn to speak Tagalog and she learns English. Before the day of a celebration, my family has this tradiotion where the females would prepare the meals the night before and then continue the following morning. I always loved to see the kitchen full of life and various aromas. Sometimes there would be a competition for who made the best dish. We would have a great feast with the younger generation serving the older generation and everyone rejoicing in one another's company.- Jackie

I LOVE FOOD! pasta and salad is one of my favorite meals, i eat it at least 4 times a week, and ive been doing so for about 17 years. My mother makes great pasta sauce(sigo), my dad makes better, but my grandmother will forever make the best. Once,when I was about 12, i sat watching my grandmother making her sigo. I watched her as she diced the onions, added the spices, crushed the tomatoes and waited paitently as the sigo simmered. I helped strain the boiled pasta and rip up the lettuce. We set the table and put out the food and everyone got a plate and helped themselves. I feel like food helps people get together and start up conversations and stirr up old memories which start up the laughter. Overrall good hearty food helps create a great time.-Niat

Work/Economic Status

Work and economic status does not mean a lot to me. I feel that there is a difference between work and career. A career is doing something that you love, so it doesn't feel like you're working, but work is something you do to earn some money for the time being. Economic status has no importance to me because I can care less about what the state, government, or other people place me as in society. All I care about is being content with myself and helping my loved ones. If I had to state my occupation, I would say that I am a full-time student and part-time office assistant. - Jackie

I AM BROKE. I only have money when my parents are willing to give it to me, and in this tough economy its once in a while. I am a highschool student who recently started a summer job! The money I'm getting from this job is going towards college, which is becoming more expensive each day. Why does it cost so much to want to go to school? Money used to mean the world to me, but now i dont think about it to much if you have it...you've got a head start if you dont, you gotta work harder which only makes you want to reach your goals.

Appearance/Style

"I need variety in my life." - Jessica Bell.
Appearance is one of the funnest parts of life. I look at it as an opportunity to show what's on the inside - outside, and use it as a form of expression. I can be classy, funky-fresh, punk-rock, preppy, casual... whatever I feel like. As an Apostolic Christian, I choose to dress modestly; which includes wearing a skirt everyday and refraining from jewelry. However, my personality still beams through every outfit and hairstyle. I am definitely somewhat of a "plastic." Me and make-up have a love-hate relationship and I consider hair to be mine as long as I've grown it or paid for it.I try to maintain a standard for my appearance, not because i care so much of what people think, or even how I look; but i remember who I represent. - Jessica

This is a picture of an Elvis impersonator and I thought it was interesting that Elvis's style still leaves a lasting impression. Appearance and style constantly changes and I believe we portray our personalities through our clothing. How we feel and what we like can usually be seen through the style that we choose. For me, I feel that what I wear reflects the mood that I am in. I like to be comfortable in my clothes because I am laid back and I like to wear bright colors because I'm pretty upbeat. When I feel a little down, I tend to wear dark colored clothes, especially black. I apply light make-up to my face because it makes me feel like an artist. I don't wear too much jewelry because I'm not a fan of it. If I want to feel sexy, I just put on a fancy dress and high heels. People change just like fashion changes, so what I wear this year may be totally different from what I wear ten years from now.

- Jackie

It takes sooo much for me to be really satisfied with how I look. Im really fussy when it comes to my hair, I hate my nails when they look chipped or they are peeling, my wrist need to be adorned by silver bangles and my eyeslashes coated with mascara. If I wake up in a good mood I will take the time to put a ton of product in my hiar, I will perfectly get my eyeliner one and my toes will look splendid in a pair of sandals. I hate to say it, but appearance has to do a lot with how i feel about myself and my confidence. If im dressed in sweat pants nd a jacket or jeans, sneakers, and my hair is in a bun I tend to feel bad about myself and the people I surround myself with will make sure i know im not looking too good. My teacher always said, "you should always dress to impress, the way you feel about your self comes out in the way you dress". I dont know if I fully believe that but i think im coming to that conclusion.-Niat

A Universal Us

What we are taking from this project is that although we are unique individuals and we come from different backgrounds, we can still come together and build friendships with one another. We all learned something new about each other and we also found similarities in various aspects of our lives. Our goal was to show the world that everyone has a story to tell and we are not that different from one another. Once we look past the surface, we can find some commonality that bonds us together.