Never have I taken my culture into consideration, but I would more than likely classify my culture as Latino/Hispanic. For starters, I was born in a lovely place called Chihuahua, Mexico. This place is the reason I consider myself a Latino. Why is this my culture you ask? My whole daily lifestyle revolves around this Hispanic heritage.
For most of my life lived in Wisconsin. I graduated from Mahone middle school and had mostly A's and B's from my class. Most of my classes were not honors and it never appeared to me that I would go far in life. So when I enter Glen and Fike High school, everything changed dramatically in my academic.
Even though I am Mexican I never had to speak Spanish because
In sixth grade I failed a Virginia history quiz. I sat quietly as my teacher indirectly talked about my grade. She ranted and raved about how as sixth graders we should know simple facts about the Powhatan Indians and the Jamestown Colony. However, I had no idea what she was talking about. I had learned about the Kumeyaay and Sutter’s Mill in California.
As a member of a working class community, my life has been a struggle between resources and opportunities available for me. Having sparse resources has lead me to the constant push of working towards the things I’ve achieved. Social identities have become a guidance for my future goals and abilities. Being working class Latina, raised in a Catholic family has created many barriers and pathways into the future I wish to hold. Furthermore, taking all the social identities I have grew into have become the bases for my educational goals and identity.
From as early as I could remember I noticed I was not like the others kids. I had an interest for things most kids would not be interested in. I liked interacting with people, knowing about people and their life stories; I wanted to help in anyway that I could when I would hear everyone’s problems. I thought outside the box throughout my whole childhood and I wanted to make the most out of my knowledge. I told myself that I was going to dedicate my life to helping my community.
I am very proud of my Hispanic heritage. Even though, I am an United States citizen, I am always going to belong to my Hispanic backgrounds. There are so many reasons that I am proud to be Guatemalan and American that I could write a whole book about it. However, I regularly participate in my Hispanic culture and community through my family, traditions, and by being bilingual.
Growing up as a first-generation Mexican American was a huge advantage for me in that it allowed me to grow up in a culturally diverse community. I learned how to work well with people of all backgrounds and empathize with people from all walks of life. However, while being the first in my family to go to college was a momentous accomplishment, the lack of instruction and guidance lead me to commit many mistakes that could have been easily avoided during my first years at college. My timidity and downright arrogance lead me to believe that I did not need anyone’s assistance and thus I found myself denial that there was a problem in terms of my grades during my first semesters. I have since addressed this issue and have worked diligently to
I believe the term, hispanic, itself does not define who I am. I define who I am and who I want to become. However, I do come from a Mexican heritage. Coming from a Mexican heritage has influenced and deeply impacted my life. My heritage has taught me a lot.
Spanish was my first language and neither one of my parents knew english. I would go to school and just listen and try to learn every little thing I could get my hands
Although some of it was bad it was a start, and overall I could have conversations more easily, but just in case that I forgot a word I had to think a while to translate the idea of a word because the way would have conversations was known as Spanglish. Where it would be a combination of Spanish and English, and as I learned more and more English the ratio of English to Spanish gradually became greater and greater until the ratio fully disappeared and I became fluent both languages by the age of
If I spoke to you it would all be in Spanish. I guess if you were to ask my old elementary teachers they would tell you that I didn’t know how to speak till I was in 3rd. and even then didn’t speak it all too well. I remember coming home bawling to my parents and telling them that I didn’t want to go to school because I didn’t understand the other kids. Teachers would take time with me and teach me the simple things that you learned when you
Some of the kids I observed only understood or spoke Spanish and some others only knew sign language. Since I only speak English I found it challenging but so rewarding
It has been proven that it is much easier to learn a language when you are younger, but practice makes perfect. In order to do well in the class, I had to study frequently to help understand and remember words, which is normal. I think learning Spanish helped me understand the culture. In class, we learned about holidays they celebrated, such as, Cinco De Mayo and the Day of the Dead. This helped me understand what they valued.
Despite this around second grade, I began to read and write. Now with confidence I don't find myself in a language barrier. As a high school junior I love to read books and feel as if English is now my first language. My knowledge of both languages has definitely impacted my academic development.
