Today was my first day in Tenochtitlan. While I was at the market buying food for myself, an old woman came up to me and asked me if I was a tourist. I said yes. She told me that she would take me to her house, and tell me all about the Aztec culture and the city, when I went to her house I saw a pregnant woman sitting on the couch. She looked up at me, then quickly looked down and ran out of the room.
Day 2 Immigrant. That word gives me a label here. I am crossing the border to the U.S because my parents think it will give us a new beginning and a better life. I think they’re wrong. Our life in El Salvador was fine: We had a nice house and we were healthy.
If you are feeling a little confused that’s okay, this is judgment free zone. I am twenty three years old and on the verge of graduating this December, And my interpretation of messages changes every day that I mature and grow as a person.
El Paso and Ciudad Juarez lie side by side, but are separated by the Rio Grande. The border’s way of life relies on the dividing line. As a resident of Ciudad Juarez, I experience a blend of cultures on an everyday basis. However, in 2010 the unique culture of the city was darkened by the shedding violence in Ciudad Juarez. Ciudad Juarez came to be known as the deadliest city in the world.
Growing up, I never believed I had an identity. When I delve back to my earliest of memories, both English and Spanish made an appearance in my dialogue. Because my life had always remained constrained in a blend of American and Mexican culture, it was difficult to distinguish exactly which group I resonated most with. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, it is an internal war that is fought constantly. Whoever could predominantly show their Mexican heritage would be held at a great regard for not neglecting their roots.
I am not white, but I am not Mexican either. I am, however, a first generation Mexican American with parents from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Perhaps I do not know what it is like to cross the border that refrains me from being Mexican, or the color of my skin that refrains me from being white, but my own personal experiences make me the Mexican American that I am today. Growing up I celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks, and the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe with matlachines.
was born in a small town in Texas known as Laredo. It was a poor city and was basically the border town to Mexico, it was always a mess, always hot, and only snowed once in 2002. Even though the city I was born in was harsh place, I had a great family that raised me well and taught me how to be respectful to my elders. Home was always different, every 2 to 3 years we always moved around so I really didn’t have many friends, until I moved to San Antonio is where I found a great home in 2007, the neighborhood was filled with nice people and each house actually had a lawn and not just broken cars or dried dirt in the front porches. The community was fantastic as well, the people and atmosphere we lived in when we moved to San Antonio was so much better than Laredo because people were actually nice to you and everyone didn’t look like they were going to cause trouble.
I have always had a very long passion for Hispanic culture, mainly being because of my heritage. My Mother, Gina, was born Gina Patricia Valdes in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Therein lies the humor behind it all because most people would not believe by my full name, Sean Patrick Monaghan, that I have a mother who was born and raised in Central America. This sort of disbelief of my heritage is what has given me such a strong desire to know about my own culture and the culture of others. Growing up solely speaking English in my home made learning Spanish just as new for me as it would be for any other student.
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.
Can you guess where my first trip was to? In May 13, 2003, I had my first trip to El Paso Texas. I woke up at 8am I was super excited and nervous at the same time, because I knew this trip would be a great experience for me. I was going to take a plane for the first time.
Two years ago I lived in Mexico, I am from Irapuato Guanajuato where I lived with my family in one of the most dangerous colonies. for me is not, I am so accustomed to everything that seems normal, my mother said “ I would not be home late” because someone could hurt me, almost every day I walked from my friend’s house to my house in the wee hours of the night and among our colonies. there were many gang members, people who used to steal. One day i was walking to the pharmacy because I needed something for high school, while crossing the streets a man approached me and said “these bastards do not let us pass” I just kept walking and I realized that he started to follow me, he asked me the time I answered I did not know and I kept walking, the man started to ask me if I wanted to have sex with him and let him give me oral sex.
In my life ive had lots of memorable events , but the most unforgettable one was my graduation trip to Cancun Mexico. when I first found out I was going to this trip I thought it would be so easy as in just get up and go, but no this trip took tons of planing, the most important part of this trip was getting my passport that took about five weeks to arrive, once I received my passport then I was able to start booking my flight, that's when the excitement started,then I booked my hotel. I took care of all the important things then I started looking into placing and things I would be visiting such as beaches,water parks, entertainment shows,shopping centers,restaurants,etc The day arrived off we go to Cancun my boyfriend,friends and I, We got to the airport early that morning went thought security then we grabbed are tickets found are gate number then took a sit while we wait for the plane
My father, Chingachgook, my brother, Uncas, and I were visiting our friends on the Frontier. Life on the frontier was hard, and days were constantly filled with fear and hard work. People living on the frontier grew their own food, and lived in log cabins. The French and the Indians constantly would attack because they wanted everyone to fear them. While we were on the frontier, we learned that John, the father of the frontier families, did not want to volunteer in the war because he feared Indians would attack his family.
When I was about 7 me and my family went to Mexico to visit family, for Christmas. It was a long 4 hour flight to Dallas, Texas to respite, then another 3 hour flight to the airport. After that we still had to get in a taxi for an hour long from the airport to my grandparents house. On our way to my grandparents house there is a lot of dirt, livestock, stores, and houses. It was about midnight when we left the airport so it was about 1 when we got to my grandparents house.
