Neighborhood Watch

To what extent does a person’s neighborhood shape who she or he is? 
Briefly describe your neighborhood. Which statement best fits you and why? 
I am who I am because of the neighborhood I live(d) in. 
I am who I am despite the neighborhood I live(d) in.

One's neighborhood will dramatically molded a person’s perspective on life and social progression in diverse atmospheres. I have had the pleasure of living in the rich urban community of East Oakland. Living in the “ghetto” ignited a spark in my mother; she raised my brother in a sense of not being a part of our environment but still living in it. On a daily basis my family witnessed prostitution, drugs deals, drug usage and other crimes common in the “hood”. My mother was so determined to raise her children with less exposure of this environment that she fought for use to attend school in another school district in a suburban area.

I attended school in Castro Valley which is a very safe city in the bay area; going to school here definitely molded the way I socialize and who I associate myself with. Although I lived in Oakland, I spent more time in the safe zone. Every year my mother struggled to get us in Castro Valley Unified School district with success. It was in 2001 that my mother was not able to get me into the school district and I had no choice to attend school in my appropriate school district.

I attend a school in Oakland for the 6th grade and was not prepared to interact with students who lived and went to school in Oakland. Oakland schools back then were known for testing low and struggling with controlling violence within the campus. I didn’t enjoy much of my schooling expirence because I was constantly picked on in class and had little friends to hang out with. The 6th grade was a super crucial in my social development, and attending school in Oakland taught me a lot about being in my environment but not a part of it.