It was Monday, May 30th, 2011. My family was driving home from a hotel we were staying at in Virginia, after going to Kings Dominion for my birthday day the day before. On the way home, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. During our meal, we got a call from my aunt telling us that my uncle, my mother’s brother, was in the hospital. Only a few days before he had moved back to Guatemala without saying goodbye to me. Once we were back on the road, my mother continued to get phone calls updating us about what was happening down there, as each call came through we all became more and more anxious wait for the answer. Then it came it just wasn't the answer we were hoping for, my mother began pushing on the walls of the car as if they were…
Per Reporter: “Marshall lives with his Unknown Grandmother. Marshall is intellectually disabled. On today, while out seeing my client Marshall, his grandmother became upset because after having a discussion about who should be the overseer of Marshall’s disability check. I stated to her that if she really wants to care for Marshall, it shouldn’t matter whose overseer of his check. Without warning, she suddenly jumped into her car and started backing up with force and an aggressive look on her face. I told Marshall to move to the side and I jumped in my car, backed up and left. I had to drive at high speeds to get away from her because she was chasing me in her car. I later called Marshall to check on him, he admitted that he felt as though…
Last Summer, I visited Costa Rica on a kayaking trip with Falling Creek, a summer camp in Tuxedo, NC. Every year, 20 or so kids get invited to the program called HUCK, where you go kayaking in places around the world. Last summer, all of the kids that were invited went to Costa Rica where we would have a great time experiencing new culture and great whitewater. The First few days were great and those were some of the most powerful, best rivers I have ever kayaked.…
I have a rather large family but my aunt Arlene is definitely my favorite relative. She’s a loud mouth 50 something year old woman whose personality is bigger then life. From her jet black shoulder length hair to her black lipliner and gold lipstick to her sweet perfume and plump physique she's definitely not hard to miss. My aunt Arlene is super outspoken and has a carefree attitude with a hint of sass which everyone enjoys about her. If you ever have a problem she's the one you would want to talk too. She's the person who will hand you the truth on a silver platter but wont crucify you for any of your faults. Although we love her for her great advice my aunt Arlene is known as a party animal and knows how to have fun and thats what I love…
The line sounded rehearsed, as if he had spoken these words multiple times a day for many years. His glossy brown eyes penetrated my startled blue ones for as long as I let them until I turned away. His dirtied innocent face was one that came straight out of a UNICEF commercial, the sort that caught you off guard during a commercial break of your favorite TV show. Wistful faces of impoverished children flick before your eyes as a concerned voice insists that if you donate your unused pocket change every month, you could support the life of this poor boy.…
When people ask me, “What’s your favorite country”, I start to think about many places in the world France and Eiffel Tower, Italy Coliseum and about Brazil with many beautiful thing. I would probably say BRAZIL! In my entire life I have never went to Brazil but if I have the chance to go my dream world become true! You may be asking Brazil is my favorite country if you want to know the answer reads and find out.…
The population of the country of Chile is almost 16 million people. The majority of the people live in the dense cities that lie in-between the two mountainous regions. Only 16% of the population brave the rural mountains of this narrow natural resource rich country. The indigenous people (7% of the countries population) make up almost half of the portion of the mountainous population. This section of the population is extremely culture rich in comparison to the rest of the country which is Mestizo (a mix of indigenous and European decent). They have had lots of culture mixing as it includes European culture from more than ten different countries. This has caused…
Alex, and that tree. I’ve lived in two completely different places. For the greater part of my life, in Ecuador, and for the last 4 years, in California. Moving away from the place that I spent my entire life at, has really changed me. I had to leave all of the people I love and everyone I ever knew, and move to a strange place where I had no one except my mom, dad, and brother. Moving to California made me become a new person, a different person than who I was in Ecuador. In the following Vignettes I talk about what has made me into who I was in Ecuador, and what made me into what I am today. I talk a lot about the trip to California, and the first few months here because it was a very traumatic experience for me that pains me to think about even to this day. I’ll always miss the person I was in Ecuador, even if I don’t remember who I was. But I will always love the person that I am today and will continue to better myself and live the best life…
I came to the United States from Colombia when I was just 3 years old. I was brought into the country of bright opportunities because like every other parent, my mother and father wanted what was best for me. My mother had to give up her dream job in Colombia, which was being an accountant for an essentially important company, in order to facilitate my well-being and open up the doors for my future. As the years progressed, I began to acquire both languages, English and Spanish, but there was a point where I became tongue tied and had to assist in speech therapy. My parents would talk to me in Spanish at home but in school all I would hear was English, my mind was extremely confused to the point that I made my own language by using both tongues in one sentence.…
let me introduce to my family the Garcia Family. what we like to do is go camping every summer and go to Madeline Island that's where we camp. we like to play board games together like monopoly so here we go I will introduce you to the Garcia Family.…
Sounds of familiar voices dying and deafening causes me to wipe the crisp sweat off my forehead. Though I must act on my gut and escape to a place where half the town isn’t after my family’s head. Pedro, my trusty childhood friend is on the same page as me and is desperately trying not to crack under the pressure than is pushing down upon us. Both of our families are heavily involved in drugs and gangs, specifically our fathers, and after we heard Donald Trump won the election against Hillary Clinton; we took in his words and tried to attempt an escape from this hell before a wall is built. I feel my hands for my antique ring that has been passed down my family, I’m not going to be the one to break the chains. If I’m going to die early in Mexico,…
Imagine starting a race twenty minutes after the other participant, this gives them a head start hence lowering your chances to vanquish your opponents in the race. This example applies to real-life issues like the people born in high and stable economic situations. Their probability to succeed in life is higher than those indigenous from third-world countries. Panama faces this problem and I have no doubt a change can be achieved and I can be the one who does it because everyone deserves the chance to succeed if they try hard. During last year, I had the chance to be elected as coach and teach a group of teenage boys, the fundamentals of soccer; what I did not realize was that this experience was going to change me completely.…
I would like to say I know Spanish, after four years of studying in high school and multiple trips to South and Central America, yet it seems every time I leave the States, I find myself in a frantic struggle to process the words I know and figure out the meanings of the ones I do not. Sometimes this simply means missing out on a few insignificant details, other times it can seriously complicate life.…
With my heart beating out of my chest, the only thing I could think of was that I did not want to die in Mexico. It was a warm sunny day as we started our ATV adventure outside of the comforts and security of the resort walls. There were 6 of us and we planned to take turns driving. When it was our turn, we could go anywhere we could get the machine. The rental guy was nice enough to loan us his personal iPod, as the machine had a stereo. The iPod was filled with Mexican music of all sorts. How fitting, we realized. What would a Mexican adventure be without the music?…
Growing up in a community that is mostly Hispanic creates a type of shield, not allowing for different cultures or ethnicity to diversify the community. A Hispanic family living in such an isolated community takes a toll on the way we view the world. This environment has indulged my curiosity. Being the second youngest sibling of my family of seven has allowed me to learn from my older brothers, and have the privilege to be a leader to my little brother and serve as a role model to him. Though none of my family members went to college, and my parent’s highest education being a high school diploma, it hasn’t discouraged me to follow their footsteps, but rather give the encouragement to dedicate myself to be the first generation and in my whole…