When I walk the hallways of my tiny high school, it’s hard not to wonder the impression I leave on my fellow students. I want people to know that I’m just another teenager, a work in progress that is optimistically unsure of the road ahead, even if I also have a high GPA and big dreams for college. I want them to know I don’t deny that, but I also don’t want them to overlook my differences. I’ve had it rough just like anyone else, as a child raised in an abusive household, a pansexual feminist in a close-minded community, a Latina confronted by my country’s negative views on my culture, and every other part of me that’s different. There are pieces of me that sometimes stay behind the curtain, but those are what have allowed me to survive and to thrive as I conquer whatever may come my way. My parents separated just before I started my freshman year, and it was not an amicable or an easy separation. My mom, a breast cancer survivor who, at the time of the separation, had been recovering from major surgery, and I have been living with my elderly grandparents ever since then. I’ve had to mature really fast in order to be there for my mom and for my grandparents. Among other things, living in a multigenerational household might ease the pain of a …show more content…
I am so grateful for the way she read me “bed-night” stories, as I called them then, did science experiments with me, and took me to plays or movies whenever we could afford them. This warm and wondrous beginning of my relationship with learning and reading, is still one of the most important influences on the hopes and dreams I have today. It set the stage for a lifelong love of going to school and discovering new things, and later for my love affair with opera, massive stories told to each and every human sense and even some that can’t be explained. I hope to carry these loves with me for the rest of my life, no matter where it may lead
“It’s Hard Enough Being Me” by Anna Lisa Raya, is an essay written about the time when Raya first discovered she was Latina and her following experiences with this realization. It’s an essay that deals with culture shock and discrimination, with expectations from others based on your culture, and about being more than a word or a place. It’s a story that shows the importance of the characteristic-defining choices you make. The essay opens with a brief explanation of Raya’s family history and her home. She then moves on to talk about arriving in New York as a brand new college student. “When I entered college, I discovered I was Latina. Until then, I had never questioned who I was or where I was from … “(Raya 1). Raya writes about the culture
As Pollock states, “Equity efforts treat all young people as equally and infinitely valuable” (202). This book has made me realize that first and foremost: We must get to know each of our students on a personal level. Every student has been shaped by their own personal life experiences. We must take this into consideration for all situations. In life, I have learned that there is a reason why people act the way that they do. When people seem to have a “chip on their shoulder”, they have usually faced many hardships in life. “The goal of all such questions is deeper learning about real, respected lives: to encourage educators to learn more about (and build on) young people’s experiences in various communities, to consider their own such experiences, to avoid any premature assumptions about a young person’s “cultural practices,” and to consider their own reactions to young people as extremely consequential.” (3995) was also another excerpt from the book that was extremely powerful for me. Everyone wants to be heard and understood. I feel that I owe it to each of my students to know their stories and help them navigate through the hard times. On the other hand, even though a student seems like he/she has it all together, I shouldn’t just assume that they do. I must be sure that these students are receiving the attention and tools needed to succeed,
Since before I can remember, I have tenaciously dreamt of receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts in New York City. Everything in my life has been geared towards achieving this goal, starting with my first photography award in the third grade. Although the thought of college can be daunting, I believe I am adequately prepared due to the education I have received and my ability to balance my responsibilities and freedoms.
This stage of my adolescent life was very memorable. This was the time when my life was becoming more complicated as I struggled to find my own racial identity, and constantly questioning myself, “Who am I?” “Where do I belong?” while facing the pressure of “fitting in” as a biracial teen in prejudicial Asian society.
In the essay "It’s Hard Enough Being Me," Anna Lisa Raya relates her experiences as a multicultural American at Columbia University in New York and the confusion she felt about her identity. She grew up in L.A. and mostly identified with her Mexican background, but occasionally with her Puerto Rican background as well. Upon arriving to New York however, she discovered that to everyone else, she was considered "Latina." She points out that a typical "Latina" must salsa dance, know Mexican history, and most importantly, speak Spanish. Raya argues that she doesn’t know any of these things, so how could this label apply to her? She’s caught between being a "sell-out" to her heritage, and at the same time a "spic" to Americans. She adds that trying to cope with college life and the confusion of searching for an identity is a burden. Anna Raya closes her essay by presenting a piece of advice she was given on how to deal with her identity. She was told that she should try to satisfy herself and not worry about other people’s opinions. Anna Lisa Raya’s essay is an informative account of life for a multicultural American as well as an important insight into how people of multicultural backgrounds handle the labels that are placed upon them, and the confusion it leads to in the attempt to find an identity. Searching for an identity in a society that seeks to place a label on each individual is a difficult task, especially for people of multicultural ancestry.
"Where do I belong?" aimlessly day dreaming about my future I disregarded my U.S history teacher as she began taking attendance.
College Admissions Essay If someone asked me where I am going to be in ten years, this would be my answer. I have a great, high-paying job, and beautiful wife and family, and a nice sports car parked in front of my lovely house. When I look into the future, I see myself being successful and happy. Even though I always pictured myself this way, I never worried too much about how I would get there.
According to Gay, culturally responsive teaching is employing previous experience, performance style of student, and cultural knowledge for the purposes of making learning more suitable and effective for students (Gay, 2000). In other words, culturally responsive teaching practice is using cultural experiences, perceptions of ethnically, and cultural features of student to facilitate when teaching. Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching practice teaches through and to the strength of students. Culturally responsive teaching practices is necessary in connecting the cultural knowledge of students, style of performance, and previous experience to the knowledge of academic with the goal of legitimizing what the students already know. Therefore,
Growing up in Florida, the prevalence of a diverse society has always been evident to me. While realizing at a young age how many differences exist in my hometown of Orlando, I eagerly wanted to become a part of each segment of my world. From a young age, my parents could tell that I had an interest in the international cultures in my life.
The challenging family situation I would like to share with you is our move from Korea to the United
As a voracious reader, she gave me the example I emulate to this day. Then, I couldn't understand how she could stand reading so much nonfiction; I preferred novels. Now I see that her reading provided the necessary tonic to life among the Orr tribe. She was also my English coach: Any time I had a paper to work on, I sketched out my draft and then she would show me how to make it coherent. All her efforts finally paid off when I received the writing award at school-she had finally taught her daughter to write!
As I began to discover myself, I discovered the power that I had to make a change in the way people treated minorities and other outcast groups. When I came out to my school, I felt like an outcast; both a person of color in a mostly white school and a homosexual in a school coated in ignorance. However, I didn’t wave a flag of
Cultural Appropriation versus Multiculturalism In today's society, there are many different cultures that individuals identify with. Culture is very important to many people and is something that helps define who we are. When different cultures are respected and appreciated, it is a beautiful thing, it can bring individuals in society closer to one another. Ideally, this understanding of one another’s cultures can lead to multiculturalism.
College Admissions Essays - Differences Do you have legs, eyes, and a mouth? Can you walk, see, and loudly shout? Do you have a nose in order to breathe? And do you have teeth in order to eat?