Essay On Being Latina

I was once told I had the world in my hands by my vice principal. The reason for his statement was because I was a Hispanic young woman with above average grades, and my involvement in extracurricular activities. Why was being a Hispanic young woman so much more special? This is where the harsh reality set in; Hispanic women have the tendency to not achieve their goals.

Growing up in a Latino household is hard. My parents only spoke Spanish therefore my first language was Spanish. For the first few years of my life this was not really a problem, I enjoyed life as any normal little girl would. I got to talk to all of my cousins and all of the neighbor’s children. It wasn’t until I got to school that it became real that I was going to learn English. Don’t get me wrong I always knew I had to learn English my parents always talked to me about school and helped me as much as they could. It was also around this same time where I started to understand that it was not only hard for me it was hard for them as well. My parents had to live in this country not knowing the main language spoken.

Becoming Mexican American is George J. Sanchez’s document how Chicanos survived as a community in Los Angeles during the first part of the twentieth century. He goes into detail of how many thousands of Mexicans were pushed back in to Mexico during a formal repatriation. Those that survived in Los Angeles joined labor unions and became involved in New Deal politics.

Hispanics or Latinos are defined as a people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish speaking culture. This term “Hispanics” was created by the U.S. federal government in the early 1970’s to refer to Americans born in a Spanish speaking nation or with ancestry to Spanish territories. Hispanics people are vibrant, socializing, and fun loving people. Among various facts associated to this culture is that they have a deep sense of involvement in their family traditions and cultures.

Section A: I am a Mexican-American woman, born to Mexican immigrant parents, and by birthright an American citizen. In my phenotype, I do not look like a stereotypical American, with blonde hair, blue eyes, or a light complexion. I have black hair, dark brown eyes, and a light brown skin complexion. While exploring my identity and my sense of belonging in my Mexican-American, or Chicana identity, I can relate to the growth and development described in the Model of Death and Dying. For, I have the privileges of an American, but have witnessed discrimination against my fellow Mexicans counterparts.

As a first-generation Latina in college, I could not be where I am without the help of multiple individuals. My parent’s sacrificed so much coming into this country. They left behind their family, their home, in order to one day provide a better future for me. Initially, my parents planned on staying in America for five years then they would go back to Ecuador. However plans changed once my mom became pregnant with me. The decision to stay in order to give me the best future possible greatly affected both my parents. They suffer greatly and lament leaving their family everyday. Only my mom has the slight possibly of returning to her home country but unfortunately, the only thing waiting her is her mother’s grave.

In this essay that's about cultural awareness titled, “I am Latina wherever I am,” author says: I believe my role as an artist is to build Bridges ,To unite us with the world and fellow beings. Taking a moment and thinking about a bridge as a symbol, I think that “Catch the Moon” accomplishes Cofer's goal of building bridges between cultures. I think that the short story expresses the universal concerns and themes in the story. The story shows a very clear image of its theme that follows up with the experiences of how teens are growing up here in the United States today and from Puerto Rican. For example, I think that the author, Cofer, does accomplish her goal of building bridges between cultures because in the short story it quotes, “Luis

“Wow...there is no way you’re Latino. You’re way too white!” was the ignorant remark made by a one of my peers during my school’s annual Latin-American Fest. Initially, hearing this claim made me look into the mirror. I began to stroke my face and examine my physical features. Was this true? Was I not Latino enough? Did the amount of melanin or lack thereof deem me as Latino?

Latino/Hispanic Americans cover a much wider demographic then believed. Latino/Hispanic Americans consist of; Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Guatemalan American to name a few. Latino/Hispanic Americans are the largest ethnic group in the United States. The Latino/Hispanic culture is very different than ours. Their culture differs in economics, politics, family traditions, family structure, religion, education, language, fashion, art, music, dancing, and food. As natural born Americans in the United States it is important for us to learn about the different cultures migrating into the United States. Many United States citizens have a hard time understanding other cultures; being culturally insensitive is a common theme in the United

Latin America represents 1/10 of the world's population, and geographically can be located from the land extensions of Mexico, until the Patagonia at Argentina. Some of the most relevant elements of today's culture in Latin America are; Religion, Values, Attitudes, Social structure, Social stratification, Language and Gift-giving hospitality. The predominant religion throughout history in Latin America has been Catholicism. From big cities to small villages, churches, basilicas, and cathedrals are found. Catholicism left its mark, from customs and values to architecture and art. During many years in many countries the Catholic Church had power over all civil institutions, education, and law. Nowadays religion

Latin America and the American colonies were “tamed” based on completely different ideologies. From a Latin American perspective, the most important of the European explorers were of course, the Spanish and the Portuguese. These explorers arrived in Christopher Columbus’ “new world” with the express goal of bringing glory and prestige to their homeland. In stark contrast, settlers came to the colonies seeking freedom from the religious persecution in Europe. The different approaches used in each area affected how well and to what extent the African, indigenous, and European cultures combined and shaped the characteristics of the regions today.

As I got older, I was blessed to have met the right people in high school who end up being my longtime friends till this day. They were able to assist me during my hardship struggles of my double life I lived in. Because of them, I was able to be process myself through individuation, where I can separate more from my family and established my own identity now. My outside experience was able to open my mind and perspective more, and let go off high expectations that held me back to attempt other

Not only do they impact my life, but they show me some of the most important values life has to offer. Whether it's a friend I just met or one I’ve had for years, each one brings something to the table. With that said, my closest friends, both guys and girls, teach me everyday the true meaning of friendship; that everyone needs to laugh, to trust and be trusted, to be that support system, and to understand that everyone has their own story. Each day is a journey that begins with ourselves and the people around us. We then take it upon ourselves to grow and develop to whom we become. As the Captain of my lacrosse team, I’ve learned the importance of being that friend and leader. For example, I find that during our toughest games, it’s my job to help each player trust and believe in one another, to encourage and challenge each other, bring excitement, and sometimes even throw out some funny jokes to loosen up the air. It makes us powerful, memorable, and an unstoppable team. It may not be about winning or losing, but instead the ability to embrace what we love, learn from each other, or the effort we

Being part of a minority as being a female Latina, I have learned that many people still try to feel superior to others especially those that are part of a majority group. I have often felt like I am less or inferior to others because of where I come from, my olive skin tone, and my gender. However, I want to be a role model to others that sometimes feel the way I do, especially females from minority groups, and show them that sometimes we just have to try harder than everyone else around us that makes us feel inferior, so that we can one day prove to them that we can accomplish what they can, and we can be whoever we want to be. I want to be an orthodontist, and I know that I will get there because I am determine to represent the minorities

My anxiety morphed into fear of my parents’ dying if I wasn’t with them. With this fear, I distanced myself from my friends because I refused to leave my parents’ sides. I was convinced that I was the one to protect them from everyone and everything. Without me to protect them, it would be their demise. Not only did I not have many friends, I had this anxiety gnawing at my chest during school. The same obnoxious thought ran through my head, “your parents are going to die.” Each word beats me harder and harder until I couldn’t take it anymore. I started calling home sick frequently. I needed that relief from the monster. This was the only way out. This continued until my mother found out. She then decided that it was time to get help. She took me to a therapist who helped me get over my anxiety after three long hard years. I was the smiley elated girl that I used to