Graduation Speech : The Spanish Immersion Program Essay

How are Hispanics getting help with English and what obstacles or barriers are they facing? That is an extremely good question. Everyday, more and more Hispanics are making a move to the United States in hopes of a better life. The only problem is that many of them can not speak any English at all. Since the United States is basically an English speaking nation, it is important that Hispanics learn English to be able to adjust to life within the United States. But, that is easier said than done because it is not easy to get Hispanics the help that they need in learning English. There have to be people who are willing to tutor and fund programs. Of course, there are always obstacles or barriers that stands in the way of progress.

Welcome, I am honored, as a young first generation Latina, to be speaking in front of you. Although there are stereotypes toward young Latina woman such as myself, I knew that anything was possible which brings me here today. I am not here to talk about myself but rather the future especially our future. A future where I envision that technology has advanced extremely but fear that our human interaction and compassion will be decreasing.

I’ve demonstrated unusual academic ability since elementary school. During my time at River Oaks Elementary, an International Baccalaureate school, I enjoyed and excelled in the Gifted and Talented program. My second-grade teacher told my parents at the end of the year that in his opinion I already knew all the material that I would learn in third grade. Therefore, he recommended that I skip the grade entirely. Although my parents didn’t let me skip third grade, I continued to challenge myself. I asked for extra homework and devoured half the books in the library in my spare time. My wonderful teachers let me work at an accelerated pace and gave me higher level problems to keep me interested and enthusiastic about school. Similarly, my eighth-grade Spanish teacher strongly recommended that I skip Spanish II and head straight to Spanish III my freshman year. This time, I was old enough to express my desire to accelerate my learning; I urged my parents to let me skip the class and reassured them that I wouldn’t be too overwhelmed. They trusted my judgement, and I’m so thankful that I made this decision. I borrowed my teacher’s book over the summer and pored over it for an hour every day until I was confident in my abilities. It was intimidating walking into the sophomore- and junior-filled class on that first

Being Hispanic to me means traditions. It means my home and my loving family. Being Hispanic also means being hard working. I was born in a humble small town in Michoacan, Mexico. My parents decided to come to the United States looking for a better future for our family. They had to leave the land that had watched them grow in order to come to an unknown land, where the future was a giant blur. But what they didn’t leave behind was their love for their native country. I grew up in a household where Spanish was only spoken and tortillas were always at the table. I grew up loving authentic Mexican food and speaking Spanish fluently. When I was in kindergarten my teacher was afraid that I would be behind the rest of my classmates. My parents couldn't help me learn English since they didn’t know it either. I was fortunate to have a kind teacher who was willing to tutor me for free everyday after school. By the end of elementary school my English improved. As I grew

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.

At that time, the teachers still taught bilingual classes, and I was able to understand and be understood. Most of my classmates spoke Spanish because they were also in the process of learning English; it is typical in a bilingual kindergarten classroom. Some of the students were much more advanced than others while a group of students at a time were taken apart in at little corner to be taught the numbers, the alphabet, and the sounds of each letter.

Being a Hispanic student who came from not speaking English at all to writing English essays on a weekly basis, I have learned many things that have helped me cope with the disadvantages that were brought on by my lack of English language skills and the advantages that came with being a bilingual student. When I first came to Canada in 2006, I barely spoke a word of English and had to rely on other people for help. I felt helpless and lost, as my classmates were doing things that I did not understand. Over time, I began to pick up the English language quickly and I started to take risks. I constantly challenged myself to try to speak English whenever possible and this allowed me to catch up to my classmates in writing and speaking by grade 3, which was my

I became interested in missions when my family and I lived abroad in Laos, Singapore, and Costa Rica; we had adopted my youngest brother and were in the process of immigrating him back to the United States. I believe that I can use my majors, Spanish and music (piano pedagogy) in evangelism and in furthering Christ and His Kingdom.

Education is the key to individual opportunity, the strength of our economy, and the vitality of our democracy. In the 21st century, this nation cannot afford to leave anyone behind. While the academic achievement and educational attainment of Hispanic Americans has been moving in the right direction, untenable gaps still exist between Hispanic students and their counterparts in the areas of early childhood education, learning English, academic achievement, and high school and college completion.

The day of the independence is a Mexican tradition that celebrates every year el grito de Mexico or the cry for independence. This tradition besides honoring Mexico’s independence day also honors the speech Miguel Hidalgo made on September 16, 1810, to the public, he made an outcry to the people encouraging them to rebel against the Spaniards. This speech is what helped motivate the Mexican people to fight the Spaniards. Eventually the Mexican independence was gained 11 years after Hidalgo’s speech. In honor of Hidalgo who helped stimulate the revolution, in our modern day we create a massive festivity full of joy and color during the ceremony the whole crowd shouts “Viva Mexico” to express our appreciation towards Mexico. The reason I decided

The current trend in lack of Latina/o students attending college combines a lack of college readiness with a deficiency in resources to prepare this student population. More and more higher education scholars are accepting these deficiencies as roadblocks to college access, and are looking to preparation programs and parent educational resources as a subject worthy of consideration. There are many different challenges being faced by this population, a population that is according to Oliva and Nora, “the fastest growing minority population in the country”(Oliva & Nora, 2004). Research shows that “less than 43% of Hispanic high school students are qualified to enroll in 4 year institutions”(Saunders & Serna, 2004). With the rapid growth in

Freshman year during my lunch period, I had decided to participate in technology squad to assist those unfamiliar with software applications such as PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs. Also I was responsible to assign laptops out to students who needed them. When I heard of EMT Club, I automatically joined because I wanted to learn more on what it takes to become an EMT. I handed out candy grams to raise money for the ambulance corps and got to listen to current medical technicians that provided an overview of their responsibilities. In addition I attended a first aid class and got certified, so I can lend a helping hand in an emergency. Outside of school in the Fair Lawn Jewish Center Religious School, I helped students learn the hebrew alphabet and planned activities that would keep them engaged.

When one thinks about Hispanics, all too often the image of a field full of migrant workers picking fruit or vegetables in the hot sun comes to mind. This has become the stereotypical picture of a people whose determination and character are as strong or stronger than that of the Polish, Jewish, Greek, or Italian who arrived in the United States in the early 1900's. Then, the center of the new beginning for each immigrant family was an education. An education was the "ladder by which the children of immigrants climbed out of poverty into the mainstream." (Calderon & Slavin, 2001, p. iv) That ideal has not changed, as the Hispanic population has grown in the United States to large numbers very quickly and with little fanfare. Now, the

The Spanish exploration of America brought many new foods, types of plants, and many forms of wealth to the European world. However, the wealth that was brought from the Americas came at a cost. The suffering and enslavement of the Native people and the transportation of Africans to America to be used as slaves alongside the Natives. Many motivations were used to support this extraction of wealth and treatment of the Natives and Africans, however two are easily verifiable. The Spanish colonization from 1492 to 1700 was motivated by religious conversion of all peoples in America and the desire for wealth and profit that had a significant impact on the lives of Native Americans and Africans.

A.  Hook “The most urgent problem for the American education system has a Latino face.” (Gándara)