Racial Identity Theory

I believe that the Racial Identity Theory is a great way of viewing the changes that one may feel when they are dealt with racial oppression. Although it is not the only way of viewing racial identity and how it is dealt with, it is incredibly insightful as it does offer a perspective. I believe this is so because my past self would have been able to identify with many of the stages. My current standing can also identify with the final stage. 

As I grew up, I found myself learning and changing, just like the many stages of the racial identity theory described. I currently find myself in the integrative awareness stage, allowing me to explore other facets to my personality and life. As a 21 year old college student, I find myself firm in my racial identity. I feel that I no longer have to spend time trying to understand what I identify as anymore. 

I have recently started taking more social ecology classes (I am a biological sciences major), and I find myself being surrounded with a much different world. In the physicals sciences, addressing racial issues is a very rare thing. However, in the field of social ecology, I'm suddenly surrounded by it. This quarter, I'm taking my first anthropology class and one of the topics we are currently covering is that of race. I've come to learn that it is a social construct (never really thought about that before), and that it is a prison cage that humans have put on ourselves that limits our capabilities. I strongly believe in this concept. I currently identify as an Asian-American because I feel that in order to allow myself to be who I am, I must identify with all my roots, including my blood as well as where I am born (America). However, I think there is one more liberating step above being able to identify as a hybrid. The final step is to truly identify as a human, no longer imprisoned by race, but by one unified species.