About four years ago I went to an unfamiliar hospital to get some routine x-rays. I was born with hip dyplasia and the x-rays were to make sure things were running smoothly (and they are). As I hopped up on the table and put the huge lead apron over my chest to protect me from radiation, the technician took the x-rays and nonchalantly asked me where I was from. When I replied, “Renton,” he responded with surprise: “Oh? You look like you’re from Kirkland, not Renton…”

In doing so, the man prompted me to think about Kirkland in a way that was different from my home in Renton. What part of me signified Kirkland? The way my hair looked? The brand of my clothing? The color of my skin?

As the last thought lingered, my first impression of Kirkland began to form. If I look like I belong to Kirkland, what did people from Renton look like?

The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau bluntly states it: 79.3 percent of Kirkland residents are white. And those statistics didn’t change much with the annexation. (Inglewood-Finn Hill has 82.1 percent white people and Kingsgate has 73.1 percent white people.)

While Renton is far from the most “balanced” city, its larger population has 54.6 percent white residents.

Now, as a beginning reporter, fresh out of college, 22 years old with a hunger for life, I reflect on the moment with the x-ray technician and all of the moments in between.

It is now my job to report, observe and document the goings-on of the Kirkland community and I can safely say I know more about the Kirkland City Council now than my own city’s council. I have a lot of places to go in Kirkland and a lot more people to meet. But I love it here! The downtown buzz on a sunny day and the small-town feel in a modern era are delightful. Even its disastrous Totem Lake Malls are hilarious despite the strife they’ve caused. The city and its people, while more homogeneous than Renton, have a tight community that has been very welcoming.

But it prompts me to bring forth a very real discussion on an everlasting setback. Kirkland, for the most part, is an affluent city. There is relatively low crime compared to other Washington cities and even less compared to other U.S. cities. Clearly, Kirkland is a great place to live but with the pros, come the cons. When the majority of people are the same, it is possible that important and unique perspectives may be ignored or buried.

And this is where I come in. As long as I am a reporter for the Kirkland Reporter, I will strive to be equal to all ethnicities by allowing voices and opinions to be heard in the stories I write. My job as a reporter is to be fair, not just for credibility’s sake, or even for those who get left behind. But to be fair for the good of a society and the population’s minorities, no matter their economic or cultural background, so that readers can learn, grow and prosper equally.

For more statistics about ethnicities in cities please see the U.S. Census Bureau.