The Pyle Inside

Do you judge someone just because of where they come from? Maybe it was just by accident. After all, we’re so used to hearing certain things about certain people. Stereotypes have become so mainstream now. Well, I decided to interview some people at our school to see what they thought about cultures, backgrounds, and personalities. Teresa Reis, a seventh-grade Pyle student moved here from Brazil and has been here for almost a year. Of course, she had her share of grief when she found out she had to move, “When my parents told me we were moving, I just started crying so hard and could not stop,” she tells me. Then I asked Teresa if that emotion changed after she was here for a while. “Yes. Especially after I made friends. I found nice people that I can count on.” Furthermore, regarding how she liked America, she says, “Yes! For sure. People have not given me a reason to not like it here.” It was very nice to see how, though Teresa misses the very rich culture and affectionate people of her country, she likes things here in America as well. I then talked to Maeve Hamilton, who is also a seventh-grade student at Pyle. “I’ve lived in the same neighborhood my whole life,” she tells me. This neighborhood, that is. Maeve has never even been out of the country. When I ask Maeve how she thinks other cultures’ compatibility differs from America, as an American, she says it depends. “Your surroundings and your family affect how you grow up, but it shouldn’t define you,” she says. This was very eye-opening for me, because as before, I had just hoped to uncover how different cultures are different from American culture, but after hearing both Maeve and Teresa talk, I realize that background affects actions and customs in some ways, but it does not affect personality, as in heart. Both my friends Teresa and Maeve state: “You can’t tell an individual’s personality just based on their background.”