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School Education
Reflect on diversity issues
Challenges of diversity
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Living as a Latina in the United States of America is tough. Racial stereotypes follow minorities everywhere they go, even in the classroom. The average American has a typical image of what a professor should be like, which most refer to this image as a white graduate male. These perceived images should not exist because professors come in many different genders, sexualities, and races. In “A Prostitute, A servant, and a Customer-Service Representative: A Latina In Academia,” professor in the department of Critical Culture, Gender, and Race studies, Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo uses emotional appeals and language to inform and create awareness of social and racial stereotypes, as well as how profiting is a priority amongst universities. Throughout …show more content…
She knows where she is coming from and shares with the reader what she is going through, allowing for sympathy towards her. Mentioning who she is builds an automatic lens from which the students view her. This lens they look her through tend to perceive an outlook opposite of what a white, male teacher would have: less smart and less professionally prepared. She continues on to talk about this lens and how others see her explaining that “[I] also know that in many cases, they assume these things because these were not their expectations when they walked into the classroom and saw me (a Latina) on the first day of class. They did not expect an intelligent, knowledgeable person, which is why I suspect they feel the need to write these comments, as if implying ‘she is not what I expected..”(193). Empathy is definitely created for her and the reader feels upset for the author and the way she is treated. The audience also feels bad on the way she is perceived and judged based directly on her appearance. Thus proving that she uses pathos very well and begins to build a bond with the reader. She also mentions how colleges are now viewed more …show more content…
She comes off very strong using evoking words. In the story Lugo-Lugo has an altercation with one of his students and he requested her to cancel class (mentioned earlier), Lugo-Lugo responded with, “‘I am your professor, not your personal prostitute’” (189). The word “prostitute” draws attention to the passage. These appealing words continue to arise, which allow to maintain the reader's attention. She also goes on to pursue an angry and upset tone, “Still, I wish I did not have to pleasantly surprise my students by showing them I have a brain because after they walked in my class and saw me, they were expecting me not to have one. Relatedly, I wish my students would not dismiss me because I am not white and male. I sure as hell wish they would not tell they think I am the women of their dreams” (198). She is showing sentiment and infuriation. Her emotions and feelings lead to the development of the essay’s tone and allows the reader to feel the way she feels. At times she may have used too much of a strong tone which almost scares away the audience, but still manages to come back to a more settled tone. Efficiently being able to use this heavy tone allows the reader to view the severity of the problem and the how passionate the author is on the topic. The language in Lugo-Lugo’s essay was well used and effectively established her point. All in all, Lugo-Lugo does an acceptable job
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,
The Chicano Movement was a time that pressed forth for the equal opportunity of the Latino community and proved to America that Mexican Americans were a force to be reckoned with. In the documentary Latino Americans – Episode 5: Prejudice and Pride, it centralizes on the success of the oppressed community through significant leaders in that period. Union activists César Chavez, along with Dolores Huerta, playwright Luis Valdez, teacher Sal Castro, US Congressman Herman Ballido, and political activist José Ángel Gutiérrez all contributed to egalitarianism of Latinos across the nation. This documentary reflects on the importance of equal prospects within the workplace, the academic setting, and the social and political features in society.
First, the author uses anecdotes to reveal how white Americans assume that Latinas understand nothing but sexual innuendo based on their striking attire, focusing on realities or individuals instead of stereotypes for social betterment. For instance, Cofer recalls having difficulties finding a decent outfit when students in her high school were asked to dress up as if they were going to a job interview on Career Day. A few years later, her friend commented about the impression she had on that day, claiming that “Puerto Rican girls always stood out for wearing ‘everything at once’… [as] men on the street would often misinterpret [their] tight skirts and jingling bracelets as a come-on” (Cofer 105). Clearly, Cofer writes about this personal story to show how the society believes that Latinas only understand how to sexually
The history of the United States is littered with exclusionary methods that create complex webs of structural racism that have persisted from the times of indentured servitude and slavery to the modern day. During the 1970s specifically the practice of redlining was in full swing, and many people of color were forced to work unskilled or semi-skilled jobs due to widespread workplace discrimination. These structures serve to create obstacles to the success of minorities, those not traditionally considered to be ‘white’. Generations of people of color have been affected as they are continually denied access to better education, higher paying jobs, and even legal citizenship. One particular example is Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose memoir My Beloved World details her experiences as the first generation daughter of working class Puerto Rican immigrants. Rather than being seen for her vast accomplishments in high school, at Princeton University, and as a United States Supreme Court Justice, she has had to battle assumptions made about her character and the path to her success that cause her to be racialized as lazy and therefore unworthy of achievement; assumptions that are solely based on her race, class, and gender. Despite the promises made by the United States to provide equal opportunities for all its citizens, many minorities are still subject to the ideology that they are lazy, undeserving, poor, and inferior purely because of their race, as shown in Sonia Sotomayor’s interactions with her school nurse and a shopkeeper in an upscale store. Regardless, members of these historically disparaged minorities reveal contradictions as they strive to overcome the racism they must face every day yet are still faced with discrimination in ...
Lugo-Lugo often references other people's published work to support her own work. In Lugo-Lugos article she quotes passages from AskMen.com. The quotes are comparing the actress’ Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz to one another. Her reasoning behind this decision is that she wants to show her audience how a mainstream website perceives these two women. Angelina is described first and foremost as a humanitarian. With her beauty being a secondary description of her. Angelina Jolie is a white woman which arguably has something to do with this stellar description. On the other hand, Penelope Cruz has an oversexualized description on AskMen.com. Penelope’s previous humanitarian work is overshadowed in this case. Lugo-Lugo argues that because Penelope Cruz is latina, society will label her sexy and be unable to see her other attributes. Angelina does not receive the same treatment because she is white. Lugo-Lugo has well researched credibility for her
However because of racial integration her school changed dramatically. She was forced to enter a racist society where teachers believed that to educate black children rightly would require a political commitment. Also teachers would teach lessons reinforced with racial stereotypes. After this aftermath she despised having to go to school, not being able to reach her peak with the constraint from the racist biases undermining her confidence.
The backlash that Sotomayor experiences because of her decision to apply to and her acceptance into Princeton reveals how most Puerto Ricans experienced forms of racialization, or racial classification, by Caucasian Americans. Sotomayor experiences the culmination of years of racial discrimination and oppression when her school nurse asks with an “accusatory tone” and a “baleful gaze” how she got a “likely” and the “two top-ranking girls in the school only got a ‘possible’” (Sotomayor 102). She expects Sotomayor to experience “shame” under her gaze because her “perplexed discomfort” in answering her question is “clearly not enough” (102). The nurse demonstrates society’s common expectation for Puerto Rican and other minority students to not be at the same intellectual level as Caucasian Americans.
I can personally resonate with Anzaldua is trying to convey to her audience. Although I identify as heterosexual Latino male Anzaldua sums it perfectly, in the following quote. "If you're a person of color, those expectations take on more pronounced nuances due to the traumas of racism and colonization"(65
Just as in matters of women’s rights, the plight of minorities in higher education is a matter which stems from lack of representation. On both high school and university campuses, minority teachers and proffers are scarce, and minority students make up a minute portion of colleges student bodies. This issue is perpetuated through state and federal laws, as well as the policies of universities, in a fashion highly reminiscent of De Jure segregation. For example, since California prohibited the consideration of race in the admissions process, the percent of minorities accepted into California colleges has dropped dramatically. This is an issue which impacts all, not just underrepresented individuals, as society becomes more globalized, diversity continues to grow in importance. Underrepresentation restricts all from being able to experience the true diversity of the world as creates an inaccurate portrait of society. Without adequate representation it is difficult for a groups issues to be addressed, which continues to leave behind groups that have already been disenfranchised for many years. Lack of representation leaves minority students isolated and i...
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.
Tara J. Yosso’s book Critical Race Counterstories along the Chicana/ Chicano Educational Pipeline uses a unique set of critical race counterstories focused on teachers and students in the Chicana / Chicano community. It reveals a great deficiency in appropriate U.S. education and investment but demonstrates the richness of the culture of minorities and interest in innovative approaches to education. This innovative work, in comparison to works published by many leading researchers, uses critical race theory to give stories along the educational pipeline from primary school to university. It is an absorptive work giving voices to the largest minority in the United States, presenting the latest demographic research on the status of Chicana / Chicano students’ education at the time of its publication in 2006.
In the short reading “Like Mexicans” Gary Soto is undecided about what route he should pursue when moving on into the future. In his early teens his grandmother told him to become a barber and to marry a Mexican girl, Soto’s mother told him this as well. When Soto was in his twenties he ended up falling in love with a Japanese woman named Carolyn. Towards the end of the story Soto realized that the reason his mom wanted him to marry a Mexican girl was because they are in the same social class as him. At the end of the story when Soto is at Carolyn’s house he perceived that her family was different, but they were just like Mexicans because they were poor. Throughout this story Soto crossed three life changes: Culture, food,
Before college, Toni went to all integrated schools. In elementary school, Toni was the only person in her class that could read (2). Because she attended all intergraded schools, she was friends with many of her white school mates and didn’t encounter discrimination until she started dating (1). She was very dedicated to her studies, and took Latin in school (2).... ...
My goal was to become more aware of the Hispanic or Latino/a ethnicity, which is a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American race/ethnicity college students experience in a predominately white college or institution. I have confidence in what I have learned that differences are valuable and learning about other people’s ethnicity/culture will help me in the Student Affairs Profession. I will do this by my first objective of learning about the Hispanic or Latino/a ethnicity/culture. Through self-examination and challenging my own biases and worldview of the Hispanic or Latino/a culture. Then I will share what I have learned reading the book Mi Voz, Mi Vida: Latino College Students Tell Their Life Stories how the students
At first glance, I seem to be the quiet girl who tends to hide behind everyone else. Yet, once I adapt to a new setting, I erupt with self-confidence and fearlessness. A great example of my character is shown through my journey in my academics. Essentially, my parents immigrated to the United States to obtain enhanced employment and to watch their children intellectually succeed. Being raised in the agricultural town of Tonasket has given me an understanding of the values of pertaining an education. Therefore, I took the opportunity to enhance my education at the community college where I would not only excel, but I would become a representation of my ethnicity; my Mexican background. As a Latina, I am able to gradually shatter the stereotypes