White Girl in Harlem

A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook asking if people ever find themselves as the only person of their race/color in any given place. The person asking is of Indian descent and I am, of course, a bean burrito- white on the outside and Latina on the inside. But for real, I am so white, Western European that it's a bit ridiculous. I got caught up thinking about her question that I never actually responded to her, but my answer is an unequivocal yes! I live in Harlem here in Manhattan- upper Harlem across the river from Yankee Stadium. So essentially, Black Harlem. I don't say that with judgment, because they call another area the "Spanish Harlem- it is simply what it is. Any given time I can walk out of the apartment building, go in any direction, and not see another Caucasian individual the entire time. At my school, I am the only white teacher (there is a Caucasian administrator there sometimes). I go on the train and more often than not, am the only Anglo-Saxon in the car. New York demographics claim that New York City (all 5 boroughs) has a population of 8.55 million people- 44.6% white, 27.5% Hispanic, 25.1% African American, and 11.8% Asian. While statistics claim that Manhattan in particular is 50% white, 15% black, and about 12% Hispanic, it all depends on what area you live in- Chelsea, SoHo, TriBeCa, Harlem, Washington Heights, Upper West Side or Upper East Side. Washington Heights, just north of Harlem on the west side, is a known as a hub for those from the Dominican Republic. I already knew that since so many of my friends from church are Dominican. Harlem is a historically large African American community since the 1920s- here blacks represent about 50% of the population. Most well-known for it's history of African American art and as a center of jazz in the 1930's and 40s.  Sorry, not sorry, for my little history lesson on the side.

Well, so what? Why am I going on about this besides describing where I live now? Because it is giving me amazing experiences and perspective. Though I grew up in many states from the West to the Midwest, mostly in suburban or smaller communities, I was always in the majority. I had and have friends of many races, but they were a part of our community instead of the other way around. I find myself in a position to see things as the minority in a particular community. Similar to my church congregation ( we attend a Spanish ward), I am being the gift of seeing a group from the inside. Though my skin hasn't changed, I identify strongly with the Hispanic community now. Not just because of my mission to Houston or my marriage to my Mexican mancrush, but rather because I have shared so much with that community and fell in love with them. Now, I am being given the chance to look at my opinions through a different lens. The jury is still out on what that will bring for me, but I'm excited to explore that. There are things I don't like about the neighborhood of course, but there are so many unique things as well. I can't wait to share them with you.