42 people were murdered in East Palo Alto, California in 1992. Although the number is relatively low as compared to most major U.S. cities, it was those 42 murders, in combination with our population of 24,322, that helped make East Palo Alto the murder capital of the United States. This is what our community is known for to the rest of the country. It is upsetting to know that the city that I live in is synonymous with murder and crime despite the fact that our crime level and murder rate has decreased significantly and are at an all-time low. I am not a product of my environment.
I will admit that my surroundings played a role in my upbringing but it is not solely responsible for making me who I am today. For example, the friends, enemies, and acquaintances I’ve shared relationships with were factors in my development but it isn’t guaranteed that the same factors couldn’t have been possible had I lived somewhere else. I developed the majority of my character through family and no matter where we lived, my family would still be there for me to learn from and grow with.
I am eternally grateful that I grew up where I did because I do believe it triggered discussions with my father, conversations with my mother, and camaraderie with my brother, all of which helped strengthen our relationship. When we make the best of any situation that our neighborhood brings to our doorstep we develop a bond that is unbreakable. I do, however, believe that this bond would still have come to fruition if we lived in another city, another state, or even another country. The challenges and benefits we experienced were unique because of where we were but there are still challenges and benefits to be experienced everywhere else. My character and my personality were destined to be what they are today, regardless of where I grew up. This was simply just the path chosen for me. I have no regrets.
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