When I think of my community I think of my home, a place where I find comfort, pleasure, and a welcoming environment where most share the same values, ideals, and experiences. My "home" however is far from reach I am thousands of miles away from my comfort, pleasure, and community.
I think having a community is vital because it gives you a sense of belonging and reminds you of who you are. Coming to USD I knew that it was important for me to create a community for myself and be around people who shared similar goals and experiences in order to feel at "home". When you are constantly reminded of how different you are you have no choice than to create a community for yourself and that is exactly what I did.
When I think of my community I think of the Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID). The CID is my home away from home. It is a place in where I feel welcomed, respected, cared for and acknowledged. A place where I am not afraid to be myself and be judged. A place where people understand my experiences and accept me for who I am. I consider this community as Ernest Boyer defines, a just community. Prejudice and arrogance are the enemies of a just community and "is a place where diversity is aggressively pursued".
Unfortunately, one is not always going to be received with open arms or welcomed the way we wish to be welcomed. Therefore, I have learned that you must create a space for yourself, you must be proactive and take part in a community that will make you feel welcomed, respected, and cared for. We must be willing to search for that space, that community we have desired and wanted all this time.
Si se puede!
