Gender Struggle

While reading The Barbershop by Vershawn Ashanti Young, I couldn't help but empathize with him on the matter of fitting in. First, I feel that people in society as soon as they are in kindergarten make friends with people who are the most similar to them in an intellectual way, or in other ways other than race. As soon as these kids in society grow to be teens that is when I feel some people start to affiliate with people who are still similar, but more in racial ways. Being Asian I couldn't help but surround myself with Asian friends most of the time because I felt that in that circle I would be the most comfortable, but it turns out I was wrong and I participated in thing my conscience would never approve of and I wasn't happy at all. Much like Young who felt as if he was "split in two" I felt that way but on a lesser level compared to Young. People should have enough confidence to ignore the forces of society that coerce them to ditch their conscience.