Personal Narrative: My Life As A Young Hispanic Female

The sweet smell of tres leches cake baking in the oven, the overwhelming odor of tamales being made in the kitchen, the destruction and cracks of the piñata, the laughter radiating from the adults enjoying their beers. If there was one keystone that holds together my identity and life, it would be my Mexican culture. This culture has an extensive history and tradition that unifies people together. There exist many stereotypes and stigmas recently about Hispanics due to the ongoing War on Drugs. Some people are afraid of us. There is plenty of hateful rhetoric spread around, and I am here to prove those assertions wrong. There is a certain degree of pride in being Hispanic. What many fail to realize is that wherever I go, whoever I encounter,

As the first and only child in my family to attend college, I represent “Diversity”. My Hispanic heritage and culture has shaped my life by instilling the strong values and principles that Hispanic families and community’s share. Furthermore, my cultural roots have greatly influenced my current journey and have helped me learn and develop as a leader. The professional, academic, and career opportunities I am learning now is what sets me apart from everyone else, and I believe my strong leadership potential and commitment to my fellow peers are essential to becoming an innovative leader.

My parents always wanted to give their children the life they never had. I am Mexican-American, both of my parents immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. before I was born. I have numerous relatives, including my older sister, who do not have the same opportunities I have to achieve success because they are undocumented. For them, college was only a dream that could never be attained. Being the first U.S. citizen out of my entire family affected the way I thought about life. It was expected that I would attend college because I was the only one who had access to all the resources granted to American citizens. Although, I agreed with my family, the pressure to succeed and be a role model to my younger siblings was overwhelming.

Leaving home at the age of 18, loving on my own, figuring how to become an adult, and moving out to college, there were many things being thrown at me in which I was not fully prepared for them. Moving out at 18 is normal for any high school graduate in The United States. Being a Mexican American women it was more than just the net step to life , but a huge accomplishment. Being ascribed into a poor family increased the desire to move forward. My parents did not want me to follow their footsteps into the world of low waged labor, they wanted more. Growing up all I heard from teachers and family members was to go to college. For many it’s the normal thing for a high school graduate to do. For me it was more than socialization it was the path

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.

“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?

I am a first generation Haitian-American college student. I recently left you my place of employment to return to college. Both of my parents have a high school graduate level education, and some trade experience. Also, my parents both work two jobs and it's still extremely difficult to make ends meet and have the finances left over to pay for tuition and books. Without the aid of financial aid and scholarships, I am not sure if I could afford to continue my education. I have worked diligently to get the funds to pay for classes, and got my grade point average high enough so that I could be considered for such awards. I am confident that my hard work will pay off in the

Criss-cross applesauce I sat upon the rock with the Froggy book upon my lap. The afternoon sunlight hitting upon the pages and illuminating the text. Eyes wandering left, right, up, and down as I see the boy running through the grass and getting on his bike to roam through the rocky driveway. I dare not leave my spot for the sake of his safety and remain seated, opening my backpack to start on the vocabulary words assigned for English class that week. The words of my mother from the morning are in the back of my mind, ¨Llegó pronto y cuida mucho a tu hermanito, te quiero mucho.¨

I identify myself as male and my parents have raised me in a Hispanic household. As a child I was taught that men should not show any weakness by smiling. My dad did not enforce this at home but my uncle did. Every time I would go to his house I would get criticized for being weak just because I love smiling. On one occasion I remember he was talking to my Father and he told him that he could not raise a son. He claimed that just because I was always smiling I must be a homosexual and that my Father failed because I was different. As we arrived home my Dad told me what my uncle said about me. I was very offended I look back to this occasion and I think “wow I will never judge a person by how they look dress or react”. On another occasion I

Have you ever been followed around a store? I have realized I'll always be viewed as the bottom notch in American culture, probably in the world. Being a black girl in America makes it hard to ever forget 2014's year of lessons, surprises and series of reality checks.

Earning my Bachelors Degree in psychology is one of my greatest achievements thus far. Out on my own at the age of sixteen, moving from a small town to the city, I experienced many hardships, but more importantly, many accomplishments. Determined to graduate high school, I began taking classes at the community college of Rhode Island my senior year. After successfully earning my high school diploma, I continued taking classes toward my Associates Degree. Although it took me many years to complete, I earned my Assicotrs Degree from the Community College of Rhode Island while working at an independent pharmacy in my hometown. During my 8 years at the pharmacy, I met a wonderful man, we were married, have two beautiful children, and have purchased

I was born and raised in Philippines. Last December 2013, my family and I moved to the United States for better opportunities. I am a current freshman at California State University, East Bay. I’m striving hard to attain my desire to finish college level education. I’m applying for College Scholarship to support my educational expenses because I am not capable to support my education by myself due on I’m from a low-income family.

All (but one) of the courses I enrolled were conducted in Spanish. Each of the courses were 3 credit hours and required formal Spanish. Also, I was able to enroll in courses, such as a 2nd philosophy and a Spanish literature class, needed for graduation. As a pre-med student, I was able to take General Physics I and the lab, which were both taught in English. I learned about the Mexican culture through my interactions with the people and the community through school, homestay, and cultural excursion. Moreover, I learned about the Mexican healthcare system and traditional medicine through shadowing Mexican doctors in the public hospitals and during the cultural excursions, which some involved shadowing doctors in rural

I have had many experiences in my life that led me to study psychology as an undergraduate and to now pursue a Master’s degree in counseling. As a child, I was raised by a drug addicted mother and grandmother. Through observing and being around individuals suffering with this type of mental illness, I gained firsthand experience of what it was like to live with individuals suffering from a psychological disorder. My childhood sparked an interest in human behavior and what a person's line of thought is when dealing with challenges such as substance dependency, depression, and anxiety. My home life experience developed into an ambition to work hard for everything I had and to someday be able to work in an environment which helps people. Before I started college, I wanted to be an educator. I initially wanted to work with children like me, who didn’t have support at home and who struggled in school academically. These types of children need that extra support to have success in school, and I wanted to be that line of support for those struggling individuals. Just weeks before I started college, tragedy struck. My grandmother and mother passed away due to their addiction just days apart from one another. During this time, I was unfocused and unmotivated. Therefore I didn’t have interest in my courses and lost that drive to succeed inside the classroom. It took years of self reflecting and time away from my schooling to get my drive back. Taking time off to work was the best

I was raised in a single parent home with four children. So college wasn’t an option after I graduated high school. I was the oldest. So I was essentially my sibling’s mother as well. This put a strain on my education in high school, as well as stopping me from going to college. I had actually always dreamed of becoming a doctor. But I knew I lacked the grades, and funds to do so.