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Cultural identity: I always live as a Guatemalan for the last 15 years, it was hard when I had to move from my country to another that was very different than mine and find out that in this new country is a different languages and different cultures. Maybe for the first time that I was walking to the school, I feel like I was in Guatemala people with the same skin color as me, but when I heard them talked I heard a new word, different accents and I realized that everything was chance.
Notwithstanding it was my first day at the school, I felt rarely. My aunt took me to my first hour because I was lost. This school is the double of my school in Guatemala, I remember the first teacher that I met her name is Ms. Brunelle. When I was there I heard that the whole guys in that class were talking in Spanish something that make feel do comfortably. Then the teacher told me where my chair was then I took a seat. Someone who was next to me asked me, de que parte de Mexico eres? I was like confused because I’m not from Mexico. I replied, no soy de México soy de Guatemala. He laughs and told me, pero si tienes el nopal en la frente, something that I didn’t understand at that moment. Later on that day, the same guy heard
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The most important for me is that all Latinos are Mexicans. I don’t know why the people will think about this because is stupid to think about it. Our culture is huge in the United States. This country was made for different cultures like Italian, Mexicans, Puerto Rican, etc. it’s annoying when they say that all of us are the same because it doesn’t the matter that our skin is the same our tradition, our accents are different. In my opinion the people that judge us they are just afraid of us because we are different but, we still being humans, we feel like they feel. I’m a Guatemalan and I am always going to be proud of
“Se habla Espanol” wrote by Tanya Maria Barrientos. She is growing up in Texas, but she was born in Guatemala. That causes she cannot speak Spanish like Latina. In the article, she talked about what the feeling as a Lantana without the ability to speak Spanish so well. Her parents give her a few of knowledge about speaking Spanish. Because, she grew up in a special era, which Mexican Americans were considered dangerous radical. Nowadays, this theory is politically incorrect. The author wants to find some people that like her, does not fit in Spanish culture and help them, giving them a big mental supporting. I’m from China, growing and living in different places, which have different language and culture habit.
I was born in Guatemala in a city called, called Guatemala City. Life in Guatemala is hard which is why my parents brought me into the United States when I was eight months old. Some of the things that makes life in Guatemala hard is the violence. However, Guatemala has plenty of hard working men, women, and children who usually get forced to begin working as soon as they are able to walk. However, unlike many other countries, Guatemala has a huge crime rate. I care about the innocent hard working people that live in Guatemala and receive letters, threatening to be killed if they do not pay a certain amount of money at a certain amount of time.
Growing up in a Mexican-American family can be very fun and crazy. Having two different perspectives on two different cultures almost daily really shapes you to become a certain way as you grow up, which is what happened to me. Ever since I was about three months old I have been taking trips to my parents home town for a month time each time we have gone. Practically growing up in both Mexico and the United States for six years has really helped me understand my cultural background and the different parts of my whole culture, such as the food, heritage, language and culture.
The Central American country of Guatemala fought a bloody civil war for over 36 years. The internal conflict began in November of 1960 and did not end until December of 1996. The key players that fought where the Guatemalan government and the ethnic Mayan indigenous people that where extremely leftist compared to the Guatemalan government. The indigenous persons where joined by other non-government forces known as the Ladino peasantry and other rural poor. This civil conflict would escalate to a bloody series of events that inevitably would see the Guatemalan government regime held responsible for acts of genocide and other human rights violations.
In response, a girl questions, “What about Mexico?” suggesting that because of my mexican background I had visited Mexico. All the girls began to giggle and I remember thinking that I could not last an entire week amongst those girls. The hour went by and all I learned about my floor mates was that their school and town offered so much compared to mine. Every conversation started during that first hour was a battle about who was the best. I realized how I did not belong but had to make myself stand out and use my differences to my advantage.
The Mayan Genocide was a result of a civil war concerning communism and democracy between corrupt leaders and the people of Guatemala. The Guatemalan army carried out the genocide under the self-proclaimed name “killing machines”. According to the article Genocide in Guatemala “the army destroyed 626 villages, killed or “disappeared” more than 200,000 people and displaced an additional 1.5 million, while more than 150,000 were driven to seek refuge in Mexico”. The army murdered and tortured without regard to age or gender, men, women, and children all alike. In an attempt to end the conflict Peace Accords were signed, in spite of the fact that there was little change. Directly following the Mayan genocides, Guatemala faced physical and emotional
Immigration has always been an issue in the United States, which is often portrayed as harmful and as major threat to American culture. As a result, various anti immigration policies have been aimed against immigrants in order to prevent and preserve the miscegenation of American culture, such as English only policies. Among the largest minority groups in the U.S, are Latinos who currently compose of 15% of the U.S population (Delgado and Stefancic 3). Unfortunately, Latinos have been accused of taking American benefits, jobs, and have wrongfully been depicted as a result of not assimilating to American culture. Latinos are often accused of resisting assimilation, but what has failed to be acknowledged is that there are obstacles set in place that are preventing Latinos from completely assimilating. Among those greatest obstacles there is discrimination. Institutional as well as individual discrimination have prevented many Latinos from feeling a sense of belonging. As a result Latinos have been reluctant to assimilate. Another major component is proximity. Many Latinos are native to nearby countries which allows for easy communication with family members as well as their culture. Moreover, it also allows for a constant influx of immigrants that replenish and preserve Latino cultures and traditions in the U.S. Lastly, Latino movements are working diligently to promote unity among communities for the purpose of creating a sense of identity and pride amongst Latinos, such as the Chicano movement.
When I was a toddler, I had blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, and still presently do. My parents are Guatemalan, however they fit the stereotype of a Guatemalan, small, a bit chunky, and tan. My siblings also carry the same genes as my parents, but yet I stand out like the moon in a night sky. But just like the moon, the public looks at me different. Growing up in a hispanic community and having a Latino family I gained numerous titles for my abnormality. “Canche” is the George Clooney of my nicknames, it means white boy.
A hispanic background is important to me because it is an aspect of my life that defines who I am and allows me to have a closer connection with my family. I identify myself as a hispanic american since these are two heritages that I grew up with. Being hispanic has provided me with many experiences, both good and bad, which have contributed to my personality and values. For example, being hispanic has allowed me to see the benefits and value that having an education can provide and also allows me to experience the support that a family can provide. As a result, I am a motivated student and a committed family member and community contributor. Furthermore, I have had many opportunities that allowed me to grow personally and one of things that
I felt like I was in this big messy bowl of guacamole. When you are in this big mix-up you are looked upon like a “gringo” in Mexico and like a “beaner” in America. This only makes it more difficult. The older I grew the harder it became. I would get closer to the Mexican culture as I was also getting closer to the
Throughout the experiences I have been through, such as meeting proud Latin kids in school and reading about the experiences of other Latinos, I am proud to say that I am Puerto Rican. I will teach the future generation about our culture, including traditions and customs. My children may not have the opportunity to read about well-known Latinos in school, but I will make sure they learn about prominent scholars, such as Jose Marti and Rigoberta Menchu. Also, speaking Spanish is very important because our culture is based on the language. After all, one day the official language of Puerto Rico might change to English. However, we can't forget our roots, or where we came from. Even though I was born in America, I am Puerto Rican.
Racial divisions are evident in societies across the globe, and have been for centuries. While there are distinct differences between these relationships of class and race, many similarities are clear. History has shown a long list of tactics to exploit, terrorize, and manipulate racial minorities and lower class citizens. For the indigenous people of Guatemala and the American Indians, the inception of racial and class discrimination occurred during colonialization and continues to show its impact today.
Both my mom and my dad were born in Ciudad Juarez; they both grew up there and as a result, they embraced the Mexican culture. I was born in Roswell, New Mexico. We lived there for about two years, but my parent decided to return to Juarez. If we think about it, this probably was the beginning of my ethnic identity. While I grew up, I attended school in Juarez, and as any person that had the chance to attend school might understand, education is a powerful tool that shape people through the years. Though I was legally American, my parents taught me to talk in Spanish, have respect for the Mexican flag, the anthem and the different ceremonies, in addition of the Mexican holidays.
Latinos face a lot of discrimination when they come to the united stated or they try to assimilate to the American culture. Most immigrants have to deal with the police investigating them because they think they are all drug dealers or are in some type of illegal organization. They also have to deal with people calling them names because of their skin color. Americans also accuse Hispanics of stealing their jobs (Ramos, 53). They also face seeing racist graffiti on homes or wall of a building and they have to face hate crimes (Plunkett, 15). They sometimes get excluded from white communities (Plunkett, 39). Latinos are also blamed for serious problems the country faces (Ramos, 195). There are reasons for Americans to discriminate Latinos and reasons why they shouldn’t discriminate them.
To conclude, I do see myself agree with some of the authors’ view and disagree with some. I see Gracia’s view since my family has been in Mexico for a long time and how Moya categorizes the requirements to be Latino. I do not see the views with Davis and Alcoff and how I must be just one heritage. I also see Frye’s view and recognize in order too be fullfilled and be Mexican I must give up things that may resemble being white. Raised in a heritage of Mexican culture, it is my right to be known as Mexican American. Taking on this identity is what really makes a person who they truly and not based off looks. I am more then just then what I may represent physically based on my ideology.