Oakland - The Town

Oakland: Dangerous City, Negative Influences, Failure, my home

I was born and raised in East Oakland and even if I could change that fact, I wouldn’t dare to do so. Oakland is known for its bad “rates” but the town is much more than just that.

I remember when I was in 10th grade, a couple of students from my school and I went to Stanford University for a Student Summer Program. Students from all over California came together to discuss how we can become true leaders, improve our public schools and many other topics. We stayed in campus housing for 3 days, therefore we were paired up with another person to share the dorm with. My roommate was an Asian girl from LA. When I introduced myself, she asked me,” So, where are you from?” When I said “Oakland” she looked scared and she asked me, “Do you have a gun with you?” I couldn’t believe she was actually serious. I didn’t take it seriously though, I just laughed at her. By that, she became more frighten, actually.

To some extend it does bother me that people think so badly of Oakland. I have lived here my whole life and I have never been jumped, shot, or served time. Although there are negative things in Oakland, there are also many powerful and positive aspects that make this city very unique. Oakland has made history. Not only has Oakland changed hip hop and rap music, but also it has changed the dictionary. Of course, people that don’t live here only focus and mention the negative things.

Another thing that I hate is the low expectations that people have for the youth in Oakland. I feel like people don’t expect teenagers to do go in school, if any they expect them to fail. People that don’t live in Oakland, and even some that do live here, think that we (teenagers) can’t become a success in life because of where we come from. I am very proud to say that I am proving those people to be very wrong about all of us. I believe that it doesn’t matter where we come from, as long as we have our mind set to our goals. Just because I was raised in Oakland, I don’t feel like that is a disadvantage, or that other people have it better than If anything, Oakland has showed me how powerful we all are, and has giving me a sense of strength and endurance.

I will have to leave Oakland to go to college, but I know I will come back here because there is no place like home. I will come back to my community and prove that anything is possible. I know that there is no place like this. In Oakland we have many cultures and ethnicities that are not seen in other cities or states in the U.S.


To the teeens of Oakland: You shouldn’t fall into believing that what other people say about you is true. Only you know what you are and what you are capable of doing. Prove them to be wrong!

-Danni♥