“The Bronx is the worst borough.”

“We could do without the Bronx.”

       Don’t tell me that you haven’t seen the endless memes circulating around about The Bronx. You know, the memes that are trying to portray our borough in a negative light? I’m pretty sure that you have came across them. Don’t tell me that you haven’t heard someone from another borough portray this dark image about The Bronx. You probably have. Why does this happen? I don’t know. I don’t have an exact answer. I mean, after all, we are the only borough with “The” in front of it.

       I have created a theory. Many people tend to run away from things that hold the most truth. Why? Because the truth can be scary. And, at times, the truth isn’t that pretty to look at and definitely not easy to swallow. Authentic things aren’t always the prettiest. They have depth, history, culture, and areas that need great improvement. For example, the education system in The Bronx needs a lot of improvement. The fact that we don’t have any bookstores in The Bronx needs improvement; changes are currently being made.

       However, you can’t forget what The Bronx has offered us. Hip Hop was born in The Bronx. There is still a certain culture in the Bronx without the gentrification aspect. Edgar Allan Poe lived in the Bronx; you can still visit his home on Grand Concourse. The Bronx was previously home to many Native Americans. But besides these interesting facts, there is plenty of other things to learn from The Bronx. There are plenty of creators from The Bronx. There are many artists from The Bronx. There are many intellectuals that came out of the Bronx. I mean, Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, was a product of affirmative action and came from the South Bronx. Why, then, is it the most underestimated borough? Why, then, do we attack it instead of learning more about this huge part of New York?

       Some people are embarrassed to say that they grew up in The Bronx. Some people hesitate to answer when they are asked if they are from The Bronx. I refuse to hesitate. I will never hide my identity. I will answer it proudly. I will say it with a smile on my face because I know what is behind that smile. Many tears. Many things that I was too young to see. Like Jay-Z said, “I came. I saw. I conquered.” So when I am asked where I am from, I will say: I have Albanian roots and I am from the Bronx. Without the Bronx, I wouldn’t have the kind of thinking that I currently have. Sure, I was taught to have careful thinking because the Bronx is an urban area. But, in that careful thinking, I was taught the knowledge of life. I was taught struggle. I was taught love. Sometimes, that love was tough. I was taught protection from those around me. I know what it is like not to have much, but to have this hunger that took me to more places than privilege ever could have. I took my disadvantages and turned them into advantages because I stayed focused. I had books. But, that was not all that my mind had inside of it because I saw harsh realities more than the average person. I’ve learned so much from being from The Bronx. It has taught me so much. So, before you think about bashing The Bronx, I suggest that you do a little more research. You’ll probably find so much that you didn’t even know. And until you know something well, you can’t hate or love it.

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