Identity

I am not exactly sure which stage of Pang's racial identity list I fall under. I know that sometimes I feel I can identify with the uncomfortable stage and other times I feel closer to the fifth stage, acceptance of self and group. I really like what Mrs. Ridgeway said when she described the stages she went through. In grade school we had only one racially diverse family in the entire school. When I got to high school it was much more racially diverse, but not very economically diverse. I think this is where my struggle with picking a stage comes in. I have noticed that it often depends on the situation. I was perfectly fine in high school, I never even really acknowledged race unless someone pointed it out. It never made me feel uncomfortable. However, in situations that involve encounters with people of a different race that are a different economic class, often I feel uncomfortable. I do a lot of volunteer work and I often get very comfortable with the people I encounter, but at first I feel uncomfortable. I can't help but wonder about the influence of race in the many privileges I have in my life. I know my parents had wonderful schooling opportunities and worked hard to achieve the level of success that they currently have, but how did the fact that they were white play into that?