One of the greatest issues that affects immigrants and immigrant children is prejudice. Many times people are prejudiced against people and cultures because they do not know about the beliefs that other people may have. Unfortunately, prejudice is something that is very hard to get rid of, but there is something that all people can do to confront it. by being educated and open to what people of other cultures have to say and believe, people become more open minded and more accepting of each other.
In my life, I have never really experienced any prejudice however I have faced some stereotypes. Because I went to private Catholic school for my entire life, people have assumed that I am a stuck up, snobby, rich girl who loved to wear a neat and tidy uniform to school everyday. People who believed this could not be more wrong. I do not fit any of those profiles at all. Sometimes it was hard to deal with, knowing that people were completely judging me based on what they thought was true. It was more annoying that the people who judged me, didn't try to get to know me because they thought they already knew everything about my life from one small detail.
My experiences, however, are nothing compared to the prejudice and stereotypes that immigrant families face. It is hard for me to compare my own experiences with those of my mentee Adama. I am sure that he and his family has dealt with a lot of adversity since immigrating here from Africa.A lot of people tend to judge a person by the way they look or the accent with which they speak, so being an immigrant is probably a very hard thing to deal with, especially as a child. However, I do believe that Adama is well equipped to deal with these adversities. I can tell that Adama is not afraid to speak his mind and he is not afraid to share his interests with those who care to listen. one thing i was surprised to find out when i first talked with Adama was how similar he really was to a lot of other kids i knew that were his same age. They all liked to do similar things, and have similar outlooks on life. this shows me that a lot of the prejudices that people perceive are totally made up in the mind. people in our culture judge things they don't know too quickly, which in turn leads to a lot of hurt and hardship that is totally unnecessary.
My experiences, however, are nothing compared to the prejudice and stereotypes that immigrant families face. It is hard for me to compare my own experiences with those of my mentee Adama. I am sure that he and his family has dealt with a lot of adversity since immigrating here from Africa.A lot of people tend to judge a person by the way they look or the accent with which they speak, so being an immigrant is probably a very hard thing to deal with, especially as a child. However, I do believe that Adama is well equipped to deal with these adversities. I can tell that Adama is not afraid to speak his mind and he is not afraid to share his interests with those who care to listen. one thing i was surprised to find out when i first talked with Adama was how similar he really was to a lot of other kids i knew that were his same age. They all liked to do similar things, and have similar outlooks on life. this shows me that a lot of the prejudices that people perceive are totally made up in the mind. people in our culture judge things they don't know too quickly, which in turn leads to a lot of hurt and hardship that is totally unnecessary. 
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