Ethnic diversity, ranging from African American to Muslim to Native American, was more common than hearing about people moving. New Yorkers all seem to have a connection through knowledge of cultures, sites and encounters. New Yorkers become a family, bigger than me and my parents. My family had become a generation of college graduates. My parents could only afford to go to community college and were fortunate to be able to go to college and both earned master's degrees. Because of my family's relationship with attending college, I was always expected to go to college right after high school. Since both my parents were educated at community colleges, they also seem to be headed toward the same career field: law enforcement. This didn't surprise my father's side of the family since most of his brothers, my uncles, became police officers or correctional officers. My grandparents on both sides of my family worked for the government as they lived in Puerto Rico. I became aware from a young age that both my parents worked in law enforcement. My father showed immense dedication to the NYPD by helping out in Times Square over the New Year's holiday and when one of the worst events happened, 9/11, he helped and