On my first day as a social work graduate student, Professor Power, Privilege, and Oppression in Society: Implications for Social Work Practice asked students to answer the following question: Who am I? My classmates and I have asked this question many times. This exercise aimed to show that people are multifaceted beings. Aristotle once wrote: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Culturally, I identify as a Russian Jew. I am also a first generation American. I am a plus size woman and I am a recovering drug addict. All of these things are part of me and make me who I am. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay I was originally born in Minsk, Belarus, and immigrated to this country when I was two years old. Like most other immigrants, my parents left the former Soviet Union in search of a better life. We also left because of our religious affiliation. In Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other Soviet countries, anti-Semitism was institutionalized and "Jew" was considered a nationality and not a religion; a concept that I have struggled to understand for many Americans. In fact, Soviet passports specified whether you were Jewish. It was very difficult for anyone who was Jewish to be accepted into some educational institutions, and employment opportunities were limited. My parents were discriminated against their entire lives. Their religious affiliation was suppressed and they could not express their pride... My mother told me that she grew up feeling embarrassed about being Jewish and was often teased throughout her childhood at because of his stereotypically large nose and curly hair. As a result, my parents instilled a strong sense of pride in my Jewish heritage. I was taught to believe that Jews are the most intelligent and creative people in the world. I'm glad my parents taught me to be proud of who I am, but sometimes I wonder if this ethnocentric view didn't do me a favor as well. Sometimes I feel like the burden of anti-Semitism has fallen on my shoulders. Even though my parents always tell me that the most important thing to them is my happiness, they make no secret that they would prefer if I married into my own culture. I don't bring home boyfriends who aren't Jewish because I know they will disapprove. I'm also an only child, so I feel like our Jewish family lineage must survive through me. On the one hand, I don't want to disappoint my parents, but I also don't want to live my life only for them, even though they have done so much for me. When we came to America, we immigrated to Brooklyn, New York. I was surrounded by other children like me and I especially have good memories of this period of my life. However, one incident left a lasting impression on me. When I entered first grade, my Italian-American teacher couldn't pronounce my birth name, Valeriya, and I've been called Valerie ever since. when I was eight, we moved to Staten Island, New York. I was the only Russian Jewish girl in my elementary school and was often bullied. I still remember lunchtime when everyone ate sandwiches and fun snacks like overalls and Dorito chips and my lunch was filled with borscht (a traditional Russian soup) and raw tomatoes (my snack). This transition was very difficult for me andit was the first time that I, like my parents, had to face adversity. I also started gaining weight around this time and was also bullied for this reason. I was called “fat”, “shamoo” and “weird” on a daily basis. This harassment continued through my high school years and is one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. My sophomore year of high school, I lost all my weight. I was finally getting the attention I had wanted for so many years. However, even though I looked different on the outside, I didn't feel different on the inside. I had no self-confidence or self-esteem and was looking for something or someone to fill that void. In college, I was a brilliant student; I was at the top of my class and was accepted into one of the best high schools in the country, Staten Island Technical High School. However, after I lost my weight, my grades and personal relationships began to plummet. I no longer had any sense of direction. I started drinking and using drugs recreationally. I had unprotected sex with multiple partners. I didn't respect my body at all. I was uncomfortable with who I was and used drugs, alcohol, and sex to relieve my pain. My parents and I fought constantly and I resented them. I didn't care about anything except going out, having fun, and being popular. When I was 17, after a long night of drinking, I came home early in the morning and the tensions in my house had reached a fever pitch. My father and I got into a physical altercation and he punched me in the face, leaving me with a black eye, something we never talked about until this day. Luckily, my grades were still good enough to get into college and I left. in school at Stony Brook University, where I began my undergraduate studies. This freedom benefited me because I was no longer living under my parents' roof and our relationship improved enormously, but I still had no sense of direction. I wanted everything, I wanted to party and still get good grades. I started taking Adderall to compensate for my “extracurricular activities” and would stay up for days studying. The Adderall and lack of sleep made my body very anxious and on edge, so I started taking Xanax during the day to calm myself down. Many addicts have what we call a drug of choice, Xanax was mine. It filled the void left by those years of bullying. I was instantly hooked. The combination of Adderall and Xanax ultimately led to an accidental overdose and I was hospitalized in the psychiatric unit. I was weaned off meds and it was the first time I had been sober in the last seven years. Not only did hospitalization save my life, but it also helped me find my true passion; social work. In college, I majored in psychology and Africana studies, but did not have the conviction to pursue a graduate degree in social work due to family pressures to pursue a career in medicine. From a cognitive point of view, stereotypes are useful for processing information. quickly. Prejudices are therefore a natural part of life. However, as social workers, we must not impose our biases on our patients. Personally, I find it difficult to empathize with deeply religious people. I know that spirituality can be a strong basis for…, but I strongly believe in scientific facts and I still disagree with the fact that some people reject theories such as evolution and… I have,.