The Sunset District (1993-2004)

From the time I was born to my 6th grade year in2004, I lived in the Sunset District. From what I have seen, the SunsetDistrict is predominantly Caucasian (mostly of Irish descent) & Asian (mainlyof Chinese descent). I also attended a pre-school where most of the studentswere Chinese. I then attended K-8th grade at St. Gabriel School which did haveother students of different ethnic backgrounds such as Filipinos,African-Americans, Latinos, Arabians, and more. However, most of the students inmy class and in the whole school were either Irish or Chinese with a growingnumber of Filipinos. The people I grew up around were allbenevolent, diligent, accepting, and open-minded. The people around mewere the main factors in my upbringing. My family, classmates, and schoolstaff members were the biggest influence in my life. I saw life as easybecause of the simplistic life I thought I had.

I am who I am because of the neighborhood I livedin. Moving out of the Sunset District made a huge impact in my life. I was notaware of the privileges I had and was not aware of the difficulties andstruggles happening outside of my neighborhood. Being able to live in Sunsetbefore, I now appreciate the little things a lot more than I did as child.Seeing my grandparents and parents working hard every day inspires me to do thesame for my future children. Today, I work diligently to make my family proudand to show everyone what I have to offer through hard work. Also, I see livingin the Sunset District a lot safer compared to where I live now. My family andstaff at St. Gabriel always showed concern and care for the youth in our community.They kept us safe, protected us, and kept us away from detrimental activities. Thismade me a youth advocate, wanting a safer, healthier, and brighter future for theyounger generation. In high school, I was a youth leader in partnershipsdealing with teenage alcohol/drug abuse, pushing for a better future forteenagers. Leaving the Sunset District made me more appreciative, grateful,and made me who I am today.