Peer Review Essay # 3

Essay # 3 draft
Perception Can Undermine a Person’s Ability
As one of immigrants from Asia, I have become a part of this international country. Being a minority in this country has to face many obstacles to succeed in life. Being different from others receives lots of perception and judgment. They are annoying, upsetting or even humiliate! The truth is that these perceptions can not reveal who the person really is because they usually undermine one’s capabilities in many circumstances.
First, a person’s ethnic can be largely the most reason for people’s perception. The majority of people live in America are considered “white”. If a person doesn’t fall into that category, then he is a minority. People usually judge others discreetly by race. Being an Asian, there were numerous times I received lots of perceptions toward my ethnic. Most of the time people would label me as an illegal worker who worked for cash and not paying tax. Or I would be someone who lived on Food Stamp, and Well-fare program. Some of them tried to be nice and understandable to me probably because they pitied me. Others might give me a cautious look whenever I came near them. Yet another might hate me because he felt ashamed of me for my race. They might look down on me because I am not “white,” because I am considered inferior to them. What is wrong with my race, anyway? Was it because Chinese immigrants were among the first entered this country as laborers? Or was it because I am from a country which defeated America more than three decades ago? It seems that minorities usually gather in one area to form their own communities such as China town, Korean town, Japan town, etc. I am not the only one who suffers from these perceptions. Others might experience similar situations like mine. Sometime these things really disturb and upset me. However, I can’t change the fact that I am an Asian. Luckily for me, I am living in California where there is diversity of many nationalities; so I don’t feel like a stranger at all. One’s ethnic can’t distinguish him for being smart or stupid, hard-working or lazy, good man or a dangerous criminal. Such perceptions like these lead people to stereotype others and cause lots of unfortunate situations. I still remember the Oscar case not too long ago. He was shot because he was labeled as a dangerous black man even though he was arrested, lying on the ground and handcuffed. Having a different skin tone shouldn’t be the reason for getting unequal treatment. Remember, the current President of the United States is a black man. People need to acknowledge others’ potential abilities in success but not by their skin.
Beside the ethnic, I think people also perceive others based on appearance such as clothes. Clothes are just accessories but they could make the person who wears them be perceived differently. For example, I am a manicurist so I always wear casual clothes at work. My job includes lots of contact with chemical and nail polish. Accidents like chemical spilling, broken color bottles happen all the time. The polish bottle is broken and the color splashes everywhere, on the shoe, on clothes. Chemical spilled on clothes will leave irremovable stains. I have seen lots of manicurists wearing nice and expensive clothes go to work. I’m sure that they have to be very careful not to let these kinds of accident happen ever. For me, as long as I am comfortable workings without any stress about protecting clothes, pretty clothes don’t matter. It would be very weird to visit a salon where manicurists and hairdressers wear formal evening dresses or Armani suits? Lots of people, included my some of coworkers, question me about my casual and cheap clothes at work. In my opinion, I am working to make my clients’ nails beautiful; I am not competing to be a fashion model here. I remember one time I went shopping at Nordstrom in San Francisco with my then-fiancé to buy him a suit for our engagement ceremony. . We were just wearing casual jeans and T-shirt. No body came to offer help but they were standing around and watched us cautiously. Then we came to a man and asked for help in choosing the size of an Armani suit. He looked at us from head to toe and told us that these suits were very expensive for us then just walked away. We were really shocked. My fiancé was so pissed that we left the store. The next week, we came back the same place. This time we wore nice clothes. Just as we stepped that area, sale people came and offered to help us shopping. What a reversed experience! Since then, I choose appropriate clothes depend on where I go. Sometime, I feel so funny when people perceive and treat me differently. Clothes should not be used to measure one’s class. People wear appropriate clothes for a certain occasion. So people please don’t perceive others by their appearance. Beyond those clothes, everyone is equal.
Last but not least, people also perceive me based on my economy status. Being just an average below-medium person in America, I know that lots of people look down on me. The funny thing is that they are “my people,” the Asian people in general or Vietnamese people. These people judge me by the car which I am driving, the place where I am living, and the job that I am working. By all of these things, they assume that I am poor, I am worthless. Not too long ago, I would really concern and curious about their perception. I scrambled on success to change their view. Time goes by, it seems like I have passed that stage in life. I don’t really care how people perceive me. Yet I am poor but I have a big heart. I am poor but my friends, my coworkers and many people respect me for who I really am. I am not a spoiled and rude person. I work hard to live my dreams.
These perceptions remind me of who I really am. I am not trying to bring myself to the same level as others. I would not let these perceptions undermine me. I want to prove that I am capable of my success.