"This is what it means to say The Bronx"

Puertorican, Dominican, Cuban, Black, White, low income housing, bodegas on every corner and bad schools. Yeah, that's The Bronx for you. Notice is THE Bronx and not just Bronx. It's The Bronx, 'cause we make a statement. Even in spanish we say 'yo soy de El Bronx. ' Although I was born in Jersey, I'm a Bronx girl at heart. Been there since I was about six. Public school is the best school I believe. And I've always lived in neighborhoods where everyone knew my name. Where I spent most of my time growing up, 174th and Boston Road everyone knew I was Marla's daughter which kind of meant ''watch your step 'cause I'll tell your mom.'' The Bronx means home. It's loud and fast paced and I love it. It's not as fast paced as Manhattan, it's perfect. To me, The Bronx means trying to move up and make a better living for yourself. People always say, "Yeah I gotta get out the hood." The Bronx is big, but it is small in the sense that a lot of people know eachother. Whether they met at a party, went to the same middle school or grew up onthe same block. When people hear you're from the Bronx you see their expression change. They think you walk around dodging bullets and running from cops. That's not always the case. I'm a Puertorican girl from the Bronx and I'm proud to say that at 17, I am a high school graduate, I am employed, and I am going to college.
The Bronx means doing what you gotta do to get ahead.
 -Melanie Ginel