Count on your fingers how many students you see of color-for example, Bellevue High. I believe the total is three (3). As a matter of fact, if the students want to find out what it is like to work with other cultures/colors, they spend money to go outside of the country. God forbid, if they ever spent time in Seattle through some civic programs helping the underprivileged locally. Do they even know parts of Seattle outside of the shopping district?

Bellevue is privileged town. Most of the kids that grow up have never had to do without the essentials-food, clothing. Maybe as part of the expensive graduation gifts, these young people could give a gift back to the ciy of Seattle-community service. That medans that you would have to walk through the streets on foot and not see it from the deck of your boat.

I’m not going to deny that I’ve had a privileged childhood in Bellevue, and that a lot of people in Bellevue are privileged. I’m not worried or ashamed about the “stigma” associated with being from Bellevue. Most people I meet around the state have never been to Bellevue outside of an occasional trip to “the Mall”, and so I can’t blame them for having some real misperceptions about Bellevue and the people that live there. Yes, a lot of wealthy people live in Bellevue, but a lot of other kinds of people live in Bellevue too. Some of the wealthiest people in the world live in and around Bellevue, but there is also real poverty in the city too. There are dozens of unique neighborhoods. Some folks live in lavish waterfront mansions and other people live in apartments that were built in the 1960s. And you don’t have to look hard to find the occasional homeless person too.

I would never say Bellevue is as “cultured” as Seattle, and I don’t want Bellevue to be like Seattle. I love that Seattle’s a bridgespan away, but I’m happy to call Bellevue home. I do want people to know that there’s more to Bellevue than BMWs and brand-name clothing, and that those things don’t define the people who have them. In all my years living in Bellevue (attending the wealthiest schools), I have met many kinds of people. There are a lot of good people who are not materialistic and superficial, and I have learned that things like materialism and superficiality are completely independent of actual wealth.

I love that I’ve grow up in a city that is safe and clean. Bellevue really is a beautiful place, whether you’re looking at the rapidly growing downtown, or the numerous sloughs and parks, or the views of the lakes, the Cascades and beyond. I like how nearly all the neighborhoods are still “in the woods”. You look around some places in the midwest or California or wherever and they are completely barren of greenness. Bellevue may be unique but it’s also very pacific northwest and that’s something I appreciate a lot. I like how the people seem to value the things that make communities stronger – like our public education which is fantastic. I regret not taking advantage of it when I was a student, but like many kids I felt “stuck in the ‘burbs” and spent much of high school partying and doing drugs. I like that Bellevue is a place where people understand that if your kid smokes a little pot, they aren’t going to be a failure because of it. For being a center of wealth and business for the region, Bellevue is surprisingly liberal and I think that’s why it’s unfair to compare Bellevue to the “east coast” style, “old money” Stepford suburbs. I like how people in Bellevue are forward thinking regardless of their background or ideology, and I think that’s reflected by the enormous amount of diversity. Measuring diversity is more than just demographic numbers, but when I see people from literally every corner of the globe being incredibly successful in moving up toward and passed the American dream, and I see their kids doing amazing in school, it makes me real proud.

I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy growing up in Bellevue. I know some people who would share much of your feelings. I agree that Bellevue isn’t perfect (nowhere is), but I think its important to think of all the real great things that Bellevue provides to its citizens, and all the great things its citizens provide for their families, for their city, for their region and country and beyond. I just think of the 350 or so kids in my graduating class and know a lot of them will be and are doing some amazing things with their lifes, opportunities they may not have had not growing up in Bellevue.

Rebellion wasn’t the norm at least at the school I attended, but it is nothing unique to Bellevue and places like it. I never rejected Bellevue or became bothered with my classmates, a lot of them were ripping bongs and guzzling parent-bought booze alongside me, and maybe that was our way of “rebelling”, although for many of us our older siblings and our parents had done similar things growing up. Regardless, most of us turned out just fine. There’s a handful of kids I can think of who are still going down the wrong path, their futures are questionable, but I figure it’s just them, not their environment – these kids are rich and poor, white and Asian and black, etc. Does Bellevue churn out less of these sorts of people in the long-run? Yes, and while it bothers me that this happens a lot more in other places, I’ve learned that its inevitable to some degree and am thankful I’ve grown up in a place and mindset that has allowed me to, so far, be pretty successful.

And just saying… International School is a very exclusive public school. I remember in 6th or 7th grade being asked if I wanted to put myself into the lottery to attend the school. Ultimately, I am glad I didn’t because I probably would’ve transferred back to “regular” high school like a lot of your classmates did. I wouldn’t say you were ashamed of the normalcy of going to school in Bellevue, just as I wouldn’t say I am proud of the normalcy of going to school in Bellevue. You are very lucky to go to such a great university, clearly it wasn’t Bellevue that go you there but your own drive and action. Bellevue isn’t for everyone and at least you figured that out at a good time. Hopefully you come to appreciate Bellevue as more than a cultureless suburb, because it really is more than that. I for one, look forward to raising my family in the region, be it Bellevue or the Eastside or anywhere nearby. Beyond Bellevue, I think growing up in the Pacific Northwest is an awesome experience. People from here are openminded, intelligent, appreciative and independent and those are values I want my kids to have.

There is this stigma that goes with being from Bellevue and I hate it. Honestly, I’m glad I don’t live there anymore. Granted, I do end up in Bellevue two and three times a week (work-ish). I love that I don’t have to explain where I live anymore.

Vanessa you are an incredible writer and I really enjoyed reading this opinion piece!