PAC

Priscilla Carlson

My Family

Argument

Section 06

11/4/07

Racism has been around for a long time. In the United States today there isn’t much racism, but it’s still around. Not every family is the same. Looking at most families you probably think that they’re all one nationality. The truth is that most families today have different nationalities. I am glad that my family has mix races, and were not all the same race. I have to say Inter-racial families cause other people to show their hidden racism.

Here is a story that happened to my family years ago, which deals with some racism in it. One day my niece Natalie and her mom Sherri went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to go and see her friend Amy. When they got to Amy’s house they crashed after their long drive. The next morning, Sherri and Amy left to browse through the town and catch up. They left Natalie at Amy’s house to baby-sit Amy’s five kids. Natalie was old enough to baby-sit and to be left alone. The kids were playing in the house for awhile, until they wanted to go to the candy shop up the block. Natalie and the five kids walked up the street and went to the shop to get some candy. Natalie, who was around thirteen years old at the time, was very scared in a place that she wasn’t familiar with. Natalie and the kids got their candy, and left the shop. Then they started to walk back home. They were a few houses away from Amy’s when a couple of African Americans came around the corner, and started to get in Natalie’s face. These kids were about seventeen years old and they weren’t acting their age. They started harassing my niece Natalie. These kids would ask, “Why are you in our neighborhood whitey?” She was also asked, “Why she was with those black kids?” Natalie would just shrug her shoulders and keep walking towards the house. In a way she was ignoring them, but she still heard them. When they got home Natalie told her mother what happened, but she didn’t believe her. People don’t believe racism is still around, but it is. My niece was harassed, and was stereotyped at the same time.

People still have a problem with the idea of inter-racial families. One summer my mom, my nephew Kirby, and I went to Park Point for rummage sales. Kirby, who is African American, held my hand while we walked, and we got looks from people around us. We mostly got looks from older ladies, and they would keep staring at Kirby and me. I wasn’t sure what those looks were for. It could be because I’m young and they thought Kirby was my child, or that he is African American. I can’t believe that inter-racial families are still around. These were the thoughts that were running through my head. All I hope that the second thought of mine was wrong.

I have two nephews that are African Americans. People don’t really look at them differently, but some people still look at them differently. One day my nephews Kirby and Kyjuan were being themselves. They would play outside on the block that we live on and ride their bikes back and forth, and just laugh. They would always play tag with their bikes. Our one neighbor isn’t very social, and one day he told my mom to keep my nephews away from his house. The truth is that he is racist. He never pay-attention towards the boys, when his girlfriend would baby-sit the kids. I just have to say our neighbor is different, and that’s how he is going to be. I just hope he will change his thoughts about my nephews, and start playing with them like they do with the other children on the block. Just because all the other kids are all the same race, doesn’t mean that their bad kids. These kids are very happy boys and they’re a blast to hang with. I hope my neighbor will change for the better. Only time will know.

I do believe that my family is different, and that’s what I love about my family. The best part about my family is that we are unique, and we have different nationalities. I am blessed to have such of amazing family. I am happy that my family is not the same and I can learn from them. I hope that I can teach my children about the wrong of racism and my experiences. Racism is a big deal in the United States. Everyone should just accept the fact that everyone is different and we all have to deal with it.

Priscilla Carlson

Section 06

Chronological

10/22/07

Millie’s Family Memories

In this essay I am going to write about a resident that lives at Keystone Bluffs Nursing Home. Recently our class took a trip to interview some of the residents that live there. I was paired up with a girl in our class by the name of Ashley. The wonderful person I interviewed was Mildred Luck, and Ashley interviewed Mildred’s husband Lucky Luck. Mildred’s family is her entire life, so I decided to focus my paper on her relationship with her family and husband.

Mildred was born on September 6, 1915. She likes to be called “Millie” instead of Mildred. Millie has six sisters including herself. There names are Elva, Floy, Mary-Francis, Junita, and Mattie-Ruth. Millie was raised by wonderful parents. She was extremely close to her mother and her father. Living at home with her parents was good, but other times it was difficult. She didn’t live in a very wealthy environment, but they lived on what they could. Her dad was a hard worker, and her mother was a hard working housewife. Family means the world to Millie. Raising a family with love, dignity and sharing that life with her husband made Millie’s live meaningful.

Millie has some great memories living at home with her sisters. One of her favorite memories was climbing their elm tree. This tree was in front of their house this might not sound like a big event; but she enjoyed all the simple things with her sisters. She remembers a time when one of her sisters got stuck up in the tree, and she couldn’t get down. Her mom noticed that one of her sister’s was stuck up in the tree, so she told Millie. Millie had to climb up the tree and get her down.

            Another great memory that she had was with her sister Elva. They loved walking down near the stream. One day they were walking by the stream, when they lost their footing and fell in the stream. They were all wet. When they got home, her parents saw them all wet. They were in big trouble because they were so wet and they didn’t change into dry clothes right away.

            One of her best vacations she has ever gone on was with her sister Elva. Millie and her sister traveled all over the United States, and Elva paid for Millie to go on the trip with her. Millie said, “I had a blast and I will never forget about traveling around the United States with my sister.” Millie isn’t quite sure how old they were, but she knows that she’ll never forget about that trip. After listening to her stories about her sister Elva. It seems that Elva and Millie have a great relationship; it seems like that they’re the best of friends.

            One night at a Cocktail Lounge, She and her sister Elva decided to spend their night at the lounge. This lounge was near their home, and it was a great place to hangout at. While they were at the lounge they were hanging out with these two soldiers. Her sister Elva was flirting a lot, Mildred didn’t like that. Then later in the evening Elva and Mildred excused themselves from the table to the restroom. Millie told Elva to stop flirting. When they got back to the table the two soldiers weren’t there. They still decided to sit at the table they were at. They enjoyed each other’s company. Then these two nice looking sergeants came to the table and ask if they would like some drinks. Elva and Millie couldn’t deny the offer. When the two sergeants walked away Millie told Elva that one is mine. Elva told her that she likes the Hispanic one. That night Millie would never forget. She remembers the guy she liked was such a gentlemen. She also said, “That night instead of calling him Maurice I called him Lucky, because I am lucky to find a guy like him.” Millie knew he was the one. After a few dates, they were officially a couple. They went on a vacation together. During the vacation, Lucky went down on one knee and he asked, “I think we should get married, what you think?” She couldn’t say no, so obviously she said, “Yes.”

            While they were planning on a wedding, they decided to have a small wedding, and have their immediate family there. They didn’t have any arguments about how big the wedding was going to be. Millie chose the pastor. She actually was close to this pastor, so she wasn’t nervous around him. She asked her friend who is a pastor, “Would you marry me.” The pastor said, “I would love to, but I’m married.” Millie said, “I didn’t realize what he said until after he said it.”

            In Nashville, Tennessee 1949 was the year she got married. It was everything she wanted. A small wedding, a Catholic Church, the pastor she wanted, and all of her immediate family there.

            One year passed by and they started to have a family. They had a little girl named Jan. They always loved that name; they didn’t really have a reason why they named her Jan.

Millie remembers one of her favorite memories about Jan was when she was three years old. She remembered that she brought her to see Santa Claus. Santa sat Jan on his knee, and started talking to her. She wasn’t really paying attention to him. Jan was looking at his beard and started to pet his beard. Then she said to his beard, “Pretty Kitty.” Millie said, “It was adorable, with some laughter.”

            The year of 1957 came and they had a baby boy on Friday the thirteenth. It was a good Friday for Millie and Lucky; and they named him Jeff.

            One great memory that she has with Jeff was when he was young he cut a big piece of his beautiful blonde hair. Then a couple days later he saw his Uncle Jerry and his uncle is completely bald. He told Millie and pointed to his uncle’s head, and said, “I didn’t do that.” She said, “It was cute.”

            While Lucky was at work and the kids were at school; Millie would do some house and yard work. Lucky and Millie never really ever needed a babysitter. If they did, they would ask one of Millie’s sisters to baby-sit. Her sisters were always pleased to baby-sit.

            Millie and Lucky do have grandchildren now; they have two grandsons from Jeff, and one granddaughter from Jan. They’re happy for their children that they have some kids of their own. They hope everything they taught their kids will go to their kids. They hope that they would teach them to be respectful adults, and have well mannered. Millie always told Jeff, “I want you to turn out just like your father.”

            Millie adores her husband. She states that he’s the best husband. What she loves about her husband is that he is such a gentlemen, and he is very honest. She isn’t the best cook, but Lucky loves it.

            I’ve learned so much from Millie. I did enjoy getting to know someone new. She taught me that true families are always there for you. When I saw her daughter Jan with her mom Millie, her eyes just sparked up with joy. I can tell that Millie loves her family more than anything in this world. Millie is such a sweet lady, funny, and very thoughtful. I am glad that I got to know Millie, and what I’ve learned from her I am going to keep and live by.