Every minority living in the U.S. should own an AR-15. Not only is it one of the most reliable platforms, it is also the most easily available in the States. Spare parts are incredibly easy to find, every gun shop knows how to fix em, and they are incredibly modular and able to suit your needs with a few minor adjustments.
The .223/5.56x45 round that most ar-15's are chambered in has the least chance of overpenetrating through walls. This is ESSENTIAL if you are living in an apartment, crowded suburb, or basicallly anywhere that isn't 12 acres of land in the middle of nowhere.
The price point is remarkably cheap. For a good AR-15. you are looking at somewhere in the range of 800-1000 american dollars. Smith and Wesson and Ruger sell "budget", beginner friendly ar-15's. By far the cheapest way to get a rifle is to build your own. It's actually an almost incredibly simple process that can be completed with a few tools and some youtube tutorials. I have built my own rifle using a pre-assembled upper and a completely disassembled lower, and it was fairly easy. Palmetto State Armory sells the cheapest build kits, and Aero precision sells ones that are slightly more expensive but with a much better reputation.
If you do not want a rifle, there is a plethora of pistols available for purchase. Brands to look for include Sig Sauer(I carry one), Glock, and Smith and Wesson. Brands to stay away from are hi-point and Taurus. They are cheap guns for a reason. However, hi points do not suffer from reliability issues like Taurus guns have been known to.
Pistols also give you more options for having a gun on your person.