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Throughout life, I have always been told to put in 110% in whatever you do. Being in a family that is a first generation immigrant, I have observed the hard work and effort my parents to this day put in. Their main motivating factor is to provide me and my family the best life and to have as much opportunities as possible. Personally, if it was not for my faith, it would be difficult to put in a one hundred percent effort in everything because there are just simply some curriculum, homework, and work, we as humans find boring. However, Jesus Christ teaches something else. Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:7 writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men.” This verse really pushes to me reevaluate how I approach
some problems or work that I have to do. To really put my whole effort and heart behind it because it is being done unto the Lord and not for someone. Being in the Honors program demonstrates exactly that. I do not wish to just merely get by in college with passing grades but graduate, knowing I put in my whole heart and effort behind my education. Participating in honors classQes means that my curriculum becomes more challenging compared to the regular class. It allows me to push beyond the comfort zone of what some students wish to be in and to stand out. In all honesty, many people do choose this because it looks great on resumes and will help you transfer to “better” college or to assist financially. This as well is taken into account as one of my dreams and passions is to become an orthopedic surgeon. When I chose this profession, I was surprised to hear from my parents that they as well wanted to be in medical field either as nurse or doctor. However, due to financial reasons and the need to raise a family they were not able to pursue their passions and were forced to go into other areas of work. This motivates me even more because I see the work they put in to sustain me. My effort that I put into my education is the least I can do because their toil is mainly for me. There are many other motivations in my life that led to me to apply to Phi Theta Kappa, however this would be one of the main sources. This scholarship will help me attain this passion of mine to become an orthopedic surgeon and being able to help out in my community and in any given situation that I am placed in.
The Latino Generation: Voices of the New America is a book written by Mario T. Garcia. This book tells the individual life stories of individual Latino Americans all attending the same class at University of California, Santa Barbra. The book discloses stories and events told by 13 students each who narrate from first person and give us a brief description of their life. The book is composed of 13 sections with an additional introduction and conclusion (Garcia, Kindle). Within this reflection I will describe the key points within this book and compare the stories within this book not only to each other, but also to additional stories of Latino Americans and how Garcia’s book rids the general public of misconception of Latinos.
By the late nineteenth century the economic lines in America between the upper and lower class were quickly widening because of the boom of urban industrial expansion. Moreover, during the 1800s, America witnessed an influx of immigrants coming from many parts of the world, they made tenement houses in New York’s lower East Side a common destination. One person witnessing the living conditions of these tenements was journalist Jacob A. Riis. For several years, Riis, with camera in hand, tooked a multitude of photographs that depicted the atrocious working and living conditions in the New York slums. Riss reported that the tenements were severely overcrowded, unsanitary, and a breeding ground for crime and disease. Riss also claimed that the “slum” landlords of these tenements exploited immigrants by charging them more rent than they could afford. As a result, every member of the family had to work—even young children. Subsequently, in 1890, Riis wrote a book entitled: How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York, which included his horrifying photographs and sketches, as means to expose to the middle class the chaotic environment of tenement living. Although Riss’s book exposes a myriad of social and economic problems regarding tenement housing, one of the more prominent ills his photographs and prose reveal is the harsh and distressing reality that immigrant families from the lower class must treat their children as a form of labor in order to survive. With this in mind, by describing and analyzing three of Riis’s photographs, I will demonstrate the validity of my argument which portrays the exploitation of child labor.
The immigrant’s journey to America, as depicted throughout history, transports culture, language, beliefs and unique lifestyles from one land to the other, but also requires one to undergo an adaptation process. The children of these immigrants, who are usually American-born, experience the complexity of a bicultural life, even without completely connecting to the two worlds to which they belong. Potentially resulting is the internal desire to claim a singular rather than dual identity, for simplicity, pride and a sense of acceptance. Jhumpa Lahiri, an Indian-American author and writer of “My Two Lives” could never classify herself as.
The articles I am going to look at are “Second-Generation Decline or Advantage Latino Assimilation in the Aftermath of the Great Recession” by Van C. Tran and Nicol M. Valdez, and “The Case of the Disappearing Mexican Americans: An Ethnic-Identity Mystery” by Richard Alba and Tariqul Islam. One question the research is evaluating is the social mobility and assimilation of second-generation Latinos. The research also brings up the question of how Mexican-Americans identifying, or no longer identifying, as Mexican-American has to do with their assimilation into American society.
My grandmother has a certain look in her eyes when something is troubling her: she stares off in a random direction with a wistful, slightly bemused expression on her face, as if she sees something the rest of us can’t see, knows something that we don’t know. It is in these moments, and these moments alone, that she seems distant from us, like a quiet observer watching from afar, her body present but her mind and heart in a place only she can visit. She never says it, but I know, and deep inside, I think they do as well. She wants to be a part of our world. She wants us to be a part of hers. But we don’t belong. Not anymore. Not my brothers—I don’t think they ever did. Maybe I did—once, a long time ago, but I can’t remember anymore. I love my grandmother. She knows that. I know she does, even if I’m never able to convey it adequately to her in words.
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose”
I have to introduce you to three individuals, not random individuals, but siblings - two brothers and a sister. They may seem just like any other people, but they have a secret that isn’t easily realized unless you know them. They belong here in the sense that they were born here, but their hearts belong to another land. They are the children of immigrants; the first generation to be born in America. It is a unique experience that to others may seem odd or exotic, but for these three is just as normal as learning to ride a bike.
We don’t realize how hard it is for immigrant parents to get their children education, and we judge and hate on something we have never been through. I guess it’s true you never know someone’s pain unless you go through it. Not everyone has the same privileges as others, some have to work twice as hard to try to give their children an opportunity towards an education on the contrary some American families have it simpler. I not blaming people who have families who were born here or say it’s wrong, but many people tend to affront children of immigrant parents and feel like they have the equitableness to say they aren’t suitable to receive public education.
Throughout the context of the Bible, the Lord stresses the importance of what we do with our time here on Earth. He wants all of his children to obey their masters through Him, regardless of how tiresome the task becomes. Several books within the Bible illustrate the importance of sacrifice and discipline in the journey to salvation and everlasting happiness. God enforces that believing in Him, having hope, and putting in fruitful work is the true path to a righteous life and acceptance into Heaven (1 Cor. 15:58). The strength to endure any obstacle comes from your relationship with God and the integrity you have for it; exhibiting the significant relationship between His word and your work.
"Many of us expose ourselves to unnecessary pain, grief, and problems by not studying, learning, and going to God with your problems, needs, talents, diet, and weaknesses." ~ Jon Barnes
Today, in most cases, people don’t spend very much time thinking about why the society we live in presently, is the way it is. Most people would actually be surprised about all that has happened throughout America’s history. Many factors have influenced America and it’s society today, but one of the most profound ways was the way the “Old Immigrants” and “New Immigrants” came to America in the early to mid 1800s. The “Old Immigrants were categorized as the ones who came before 1860 and the “New Immigrants” being the ones who came between 1865 and 1920. The immigrants came to the United States, not only seeking freedom, but also education. Many immigrants also wanted to practice their religion without hindrance. What happened after the immigrants
At a young age, my teachers and parents taught me to believe that I could do and accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I grew up thinking that I was unstoppable and that the only limit to my achievements was the sky. However, during my second year in high school, I began to realize that I was not as unstoppable as I had thought. I began to experience the consequences of my parent’s decision of bringing me to the United States illegally. Among those consequences were, not being able to apply for a job, obtain a driver’s license or take advantage of the dual enrollment program at my high school, simply because I did not possess a social security number. I remember thinking that all of my hard work was in vain and that I was not going to
The coexistence with the environment of the community is something very important for us, because this will person to coexistence with different communities and maybe the person will move from one country to another country and we know each country has different culture. In “Then and Now: Creating a self Through the past” Engel discuses “we work hard to create and maintain a sense of inner cohesion and consistency in our self-concept. This is, to a large degree, what cognitive dissonance theory is all about” (199). That means how a person can present an idea that think is truth. What Engel says applies to Vargas, in “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” Vargas explains everything happened
It was early July of 1992, just four days right after the United States Independence Day, my arrival to the “land of opportunities” was a mixture of excitements and worries. After fifteen long years of not seeing my family, I was reunited with them and the long wait was finally over. After three days and two long nights of traveling, the plane finally arrived to the Los Angeles airport; I was feeling so nervous but at the same time, I was very happy to see them. As I approached the arrival station, I immediately saw my family and I started running towards them and gave each other warm, big, and very tight hugs. Warm tears started pouring down both my cheeks without me realizing that this was even happening. Suddenly,
Focusing in on the commitments that I have made will place order and hierarchy in my life so that God may work in it as He pleases. I want to fully commit my life and vocation to God so that His glory may be seen in every aspect. Since the most important thing to God is building His kingdom by constantly bringing home His children, I plan to order my life in such a way that allows me to be a blessing to others. To live a sacrificed life means giving up things that this world labels as riches. Living for others and with others is the way lived His life and Jesus knew that He was modeling it for the generations to come. We cannot do life or ministry alone as we do not and are not able to possess all of the spiritual grace gifts. This sacrificed life indeed requires a disciplined life and a genuine commitment to fulfil God’s will in our