Blog Post #4

PART I

Last week Julian started off our class by putting us into group and giving us a note card with a specific situation. He asked us to discuss in out small groups and describe how would we confront this situation. Our group got a situation that said something like, “You have completed a difficult  task you are proud of but yet others do not seem to have interest in your hard work nor congratulate you. What do you do
?” I personaly responded that if am proud of something that i have accomplish im going to be proud of myself no matter what people think. At the end i didn’t do it to satisfy them but to satisfy myself and keep up my hard work. Some answered that they would argue with the negative person or just brush it off the negative compliments and keep going like it never happened. And i agree with that, we shouldn’t let a negative comment stop us from doing what we think is right. I enjoy these activities that Julian makes us do, because it makes me think much more about the little stuff that we don’t put mind too. Like for example, this activity that we did, every group got a different situation, and every one expressed a different way to handle it. Hearing everyone out, gave me more ideas of how to handle things and not feel bad about negative comments or people who dont support us.

PART II

I found this weeks readings very interesting. Especially the second article, Mi casa is not like your house by Torres, I felt like I was reading my own story in that article. The article Creating a Climate of Inclusion and Mi casa is not like your house, have some similarities but yet a different point. It is similar because both talk about Latino students and their struggle for education. But in contrast, article Creating a climate of inclusion focuses more and statistics and all types of Hispanic and Latinos students. It compares Latinos to each other regarding from what Latin country they come from. For example, it stated that Mexicans are more likely to go to a two year college, when Cubans and African Americans are more likely to go to a four year college, and Puerto Ricans are more likely to go to a trade school. Huarto’s statistics showed us the diversity in between out own ethnicity of Latinos. He assures that Cubans are four times more likely to go to college than Mexicans. I was surprised. And in part where i agree, is in his conclusion where he says that Latinos are more successful when faculty show interest for their students and personal problems, interact with them, and considerate of their education. In Mi casa is not like your house, Torres really explained the situation most first generation Latinos go through. She also explain four types orientations, Bicultrual, Latino, Angalo, and Marginal Orientation. I think i fall in between Bicultrual and Latino orientation because i am a proud Latina who represents my culture with pride and follow our traditions and values. But at the same time i am also proud to be an American. In this article she mentions that first generation students struggle more because of our parents that have strict believes and expectations. My parents are like any other parents that wont allow me to move out of my home until they day i am married. I was planning to move out to dorm in campus and my dad was having a hard time accepting my decision. Luckily for him i didn’t have enough financial aid so i did not end up moving from home. Another thing i agree on, is that us Latino students have this pressure about pleasing our parents to get educated. I know my parents went through many hard situations, working like animals, not having enough food to eat, an it was all to give me a better future that they never had. I appreciate everything they did because without them i wouldn’t be in school. So i do admit that i am in school to make them proud and pay off their hard work, and to get myself a better future as well. And lastly, reading the last article about Asians being discriminated did shock me. Growing up, in my schools the few Asians that attended our schools were always the smartest ones in our class. I had an Asian friend in my math class back in high school, and i passed because he would tutor me until i understood. I feel that if i were in their shoes i would feel even more pressure because we stereotype them as brilliant people, when in reality they struggle like every other student trying to understand the material that is been taught. And it is sad to think that they are not helped out because they are expected to do well without any guidance.