Minority

One of the things I like about New York is the diversity. Numerous times in the two days I’ve lived in Boerum Hill, I’ve suddenly realized that I am the only white person in sight. In a crowded subway train, standing room only, I’ll find myself looking around for someone who looks like me. And there is no one.

It’s a new experience for me. And I think maybe now I have more of an understanding of what it’s like to be a minority - I stand out. I wonder if the people around me are making judgments about me because I don’t look like them. I wonder if they’re whispering “What's this white girl doing on the A train heading to Flatbush?” (it turns out that I was, in fact, on the wrong train).

It’s refreshing. It’s eye-opening. And it’s humbling.

It’s also educational. Today was the Puerto Rico Day Parade up 5th Avenue. Huge crowds of Puerto Ricans all dressed up in red, white and blue, waving Puerto Rican flags flocked to the Upper East Side for the festivities.

I was fascinated and wanted to join the party, but all day we were busy driving back and forth to Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, etc. Finally at 5pm, we finished our shopping and drove back to Cate’s parents’ on the Upper East Side.

The streets were so mobbed with people coming from the parade that we could barely drive, much less park, near their building. We ended up pulling up at a nearby corner and unloading everything from the car through the crowd in multiple trips.

So not only was I the only white girl in a crazy mob of Puerto Ricans, but I had my arms full with 36 rolls of toilet paper. Talk about standing out! Afterwards, Claire and I could not stop laughing about it.