In my Hispanic neighborhood of Little Village, you don’t see many teens succeeding to their highest potential. Students are known to drop out of their high school, get pregnant at a young age, or join a gang. I come from a community where only one out of hundreds of students are chosen to attend a selective enrollment high school. Few of those students are interested in pursuing STEM fields, such as computer science or mathematics. My plan is to follow my interest in science and work in biology and the physical sciences.
My ultimate motivation is to go above and beyond the stereotypes and assumptions about Latinos, even when I am surrounded by a society of negativity. It is often a struggle for undocumented immigrants to get the full benefits
of citizenship, which is why I’m thankful for the opportunities I have today as a natural born citizen with naturalized parents and a stellar education. I would love nothing more that to make my parents proud and let them see me become successful, especially after having no prime example in the family to guide me. Being a first-generation student, I hope to set a key example for my nieces, so that they know they can achieve anything from hard work. My life speaks for itself, I am not a deadbeat or pregnant gangbanger from the Southwest side of Chicago; I am a budding scholar of science and a thriving student of Whitney Young.
As the economy evolves and the job market continues to get more competitive, it’s becoming harder to have a successful career without some kind of college degree. This creates a belief in many young students that college actually is a commodity, something they must have in order to have a good life. There’s many different factors that influence this mindset, high schools must push the importance of the student’s willingness and drive to further their education. College isn’t just a gateway to jobs, but it is an opportunity to increase knowledge and stretch and challenge the student which in return makes them a more rounded adult and provides them with skills they might lack prior to
A question that every high school student is faced with is: “What extracurricular activities so you participate in?” Some can answer confidently while others are slapped with a moment of sudden realization. These people are just floating along with the crowd, with no driving force or motivation. What I believe differentiates me from my peers and gives me a sense of uniqueness, is what I do outside of my academia. Out of the deluge of activities that are available, Latinos In Action is the one that I feel the most passionate about and shapes my persona the most.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most severely affected groups because the current immigration system disproportionally affects Latino/as. Recognizing how the experience of Latino/a immigrants have been both similar and different in the past from other immigrant groups and dispelling common misconceptions about Latino/as today bring an awareness how Latino/as are affected.
Since before I was born, my Hispanic heritage played a huge role in who I am and what I have achieved. My great-grandfather immigrated to this country with the desire to provide his family with a better future than his own. My grandpa grew up in Texas on the boarder of Mexico and traveled to Blue Island, Illinois as migrant crop worker. This desire passed down by my grandparents and my great-grandparents has played a tremendous role in propelling me to where I am today. Each generation sought to make the the lives of their children better than their own. My grandma received the opportunity to live in the country of opportunity from her father, and my grandpa paid for my mom to get an education. My mother pushed me to do my best in school and
In today’s world, diversity is the highest point and people of many different backgrounds, races, gender, or religion. This diversity can provide better performance in real world situations. In the article, “Diversity in STEM: What It Is and Why It Matters,” Kenneth Gibbs, Jr., an author who has a Ph.D. in immunology and trains the next generation of scientists, discusses why he believes diversity is important in the real world and how a lack of it may result in some issues. Gibbs, Jr. proposes how diversity influences and benefits the STEM fields and other fields by providing testimonial evidence. The author argues that diversity will enrich the STEM field and provide it with a great deal of problem solving. Gibbs, Jr. discusses the meaning
When we have dreams we do everything possible to achieve them. We are sometimes faced with barriers that prevent, or make it harder for us to accomplish our goals. Latinos in the United States work hard to give their families a better life. Latinos all have faced many challenging circumstances in order to accomplish their dreams. Latinos look up to other Latinos and when they see other Latinos that have succeeded then they feel that they too can succeed in whatever they put their mind to. George Lopez is a Mexican American comedian and actor. He serves as a great role model for every Latino. He went through a lot of tough situations that made his life hard. George Lopez has not only served as a great example of a Latino accomplishing his goals through hard circumstances, but he has never forgotten where he comes from, he has always given back to the community and has also represented the Latino community in the United States in a positive way.
The Latino community is considered the largest demographic minority in the United States and is expect to increase by approximately 15% in 2050 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2002). The Latino population is comprised of many subgroups from many different regions that have developed unique beliefs, norms, and sociopolitical experiences. Although the term Latino is used throughout this paper, it is important to underscore the great diversity found within the Latino community to avoid the development and perpetuation of stereotypes. In clinical practice, it is important to evaluate the individual in terms of their racial identity, acculturation, and socioeconomic status among other factors to create a more individualized and effective treatment
Internalized racism has hit the individual level where half of all Hispanics consider themselves as white. One Mexican American asserted that he felt “shame and sexual inferiority…because of my dark complexion.” He also described himself with “disgust” loathing his appearance when he sees himself in the mirror. Stereotypes play a huge role in the Latino culture in the U.S where often the usual stereotype is that Latinos are job-stealers, uneducated, poor and illegal. “Envidia” or jealousy sabotages the Latino community because Latinos begin to question the qualifications of other successful Latinos. No one has the positive thought that Latinos can achieve and triumph in any field; they just can’t believe that. Latinos just stamp other Latinos with those stereotypes Americans say. Because of internalized racism, Latinos and Hispanics distance themselves from the Spanish language to support the English only movement. They are embarrassed of their inherited language and rather choose English to complete assimilation. “Almost 40% of Latino/a respondents prefer English as their dominant language…” (Padilla 20). Where I currently live, I always see on the day to day basis Hispanics and Latinos that immigrated to the United States from other countries sounding “white.” I speak to Hispanics; even Latinos in Spanish and they respond
Latinos have struggled to discover their place inside of a white America for too many years. Past stereotypes and across racism they have fought to belong. Still America is unwilling to open her arms to them. Instead she demands assimilation. With her pot full of stew she asks, "What flavor will you add to this brew?" Some question, some rebel, and others climb in. I argue that it is not the Latino who willingly agreed to partake in this stew. It is America who forced her ideals upon them through mass media and stale history. However her effort has failed, for they have refused to melt.
I want to become a pediatric doctor because I enjoy seeing children healthy and happy. I know that college will not be easy and not to mention medical school, but I am determined to make it. And I know that I will because I am the proud daughter of two undocumented parents that risked everything to give my sisters and me a better future. However, my parents are no different from other parents living within our Hispanic community. Many of these parents want to see their children go to college and make the best out of their future. I am not a parent, but I am a member of our community, and I want to see more Hispanic students in college. I also want to be able to interact with my Hispanic community and stress the importance of a higher education. The number of Hispanic students in college is not as high enough, but I have no doubt that we can change that. I want to be able to educate my community that with good grades, high scores, and determination anyone can go to college, without the worry about the expense. We are Hispanic, which means that we are strong, brilliant, risk takers, humble, but most importantly, hard working, and because we have all those qualities and much more, I am certain that we can do anything and everything that we set our minds
A substantial part of the enjoyment that will come from pursuing a STEM degree is knowing it is something that I have always wanted to do since I was a young girl. When I was about 10 years old, I started to watch the Discovery Channel on television. These shows captured my attention and my love for science, and ultimately led me to want to pursue a career in the science field. Then, when I was a freshman in high school, I realized my true love of science from honors Biology and being introduced to the microscope. Now, three years later as a senior in high school, I am continuing my love of science by taking AP Biology. Throughout my life, my experiences have only strengthened my love and enjoyment in this field.
America now faces a future of intense global competition with a startling shortage of scientists. Less than one out of every five high school seniors in the United States is proficient in ...
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that a majority of secondary students in the United States do not graduate with a proficient level in the content area of science (Kuenzi, 2008). Students without proficient skills in the content area of science will not be able to pursue careers in the scientific field. Careers in the scientific field such as medicine and engineering are higher paying careers in our country and students without science proficiency will be at a disadvantage in pursuing these lucrative careers (National Research Council, 2010).
“Almost 20 percent of Latino males dropped out of high school in 2008…” says the National Center for Education Statistics. Dropout rates for high school have changed drastically over the years. There are dropouts due to family related motives, economic reasons, and lack of attention. Latinos graduating and moving on to college is a major part of the Nation’s success. Having Latinos dropout will affect everyone in one way or another. It benefits us as Latinos because of where we come from. It’s time to make a change for the better.
Students of senior high with strand in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) should find themselves well prepared to obtain positions or enter higher education in such diverse fields as a pilot, an architect, an astrophysicist, a biologist, a chemist, an engineer, a dentist, a nutritionist, a nurse, a doctor, and a lot more. Students preparing for careers in industry or business may consider participating in the department’s Cooperative Education Program. (Harris,