Growing up I excelled in every educational aspect of school. However the stereotype for someone of my skin color did not allow for me to be both Mexican and smart. My Hispanic peers began to exclude me; the most common way they did that was by taking away my identity as a Mexican. I heard “Diego you white” an uncountable number of times throughout my schooling. I noticed that my grades and vocabulary would trigger that comment so I began to change the way I acted in order to fit in. It was not until recently that I realized the fault in changing and found a peaceful merge between the two speech communities.…
It was Nine O’clock, Pedro Juanito and his family had just arrived at their new house located in Woodgrove, California. As soon as they got in the driveway everyone began to feel relieved after eight hours of flying and driving from Mexico. Before Pop could turn the engine off everyone opened their doors and ran inside to see how astonishing their new house was. Everyone except Pedro was excited because Pedro had just got used to life in Mexico and he didn’t want to move. After everyone looked around and assigned rooms, everyone went to bed for school and work except Pedro, he just sat there wandering what his new school would be like and if people would like him. After around 30 minutes of thinking Pedro finally got tired and went to sleep…
Last summer I went on a cruise to the Bahamas and this has been a very good memory that will stick in my mind for as long as I live. I had such a great time and I wish I can go back again and have an adventure of a lifetime and make more memories with my family and friends.…
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.…
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.…
The place I grew up in could be considered above average. I had my friends that I would see every day and my family back at home. However, everything that any of us did would be over the top in every way possible. This became especially evident when my family and I would begin to plan a party or travel, this improvement of activities would be known as the “Mexican Way”. To be more specific, my family and I turned a normal New Year’s Eve party into a colorful and explosive fiesta. At first it seemed normal, we bought all the fireworks, started getting all the food ready for the party, and all my cousins and uncles started to arrive at my house; but as soon as it got dark everything started to get out of hand. As the first bottle rockets went…
At around 10 years of age my family and I were coming out of a store when we heard an individual yell out, “Go back to Mexico, America houses no aliens!” At that moment, I felt as if this wouldn’t be the last time I would hear these words echo through my life, and I was right.…
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?…
The year I turned six, my mom decided to migrate to Mexico. However, she was not able bring my one year old sister along. While my little sister stayed with my grandparents, my mom and I flied out to Mexico. I still remember the feeling in my stomach the moment I stepped out of that airport. I was an ocean away from my hometown. My first day of school was chaos. Everyone in the school was speaking in Spanish. I did not understand the customs and mannerisms. It was difficult to not feel as an outcast. The most complicated part was expressing my feelings, and my needs to the teachers. I lived in Mexico, Tijuana for six years, after becoming adapted to the environment, my mom came home one day and told me that we are moving to the United States.…
I was raised in the small town of Hidalgo, Texas, just on the side of the Mexican Border. Living there made me grow up thinking that possibilities were limited and there was not much offered to us. Although, along the years, I realized that this town did not define me , and it actually made me strong enough to take on life elsewhere in the future . I remember being in this town ten years ago, and there was only local businesses . The town has grown along with me, and it has opened up opportunities to its community and myself.…
Me and Roberto are hauled into a Border Patrol van and drive to the immigration headquarters. Me…
The tapping on the wood door was enormous in the silence. Shocked out of my solitude, I pushed myself up from the couch and heaved open the door. Silhouetted against the light was a dark-haired woman with a girl clinging to her skirt. I knew who she was. My landlady had told me about the woman I had seen picking up mail at the post office. She'd called her "The Prize."…
One time my family and I we were moving to New Mexico in the way I was looking how my new house was going to be and my new friends.When we were going we saw my uncle and he said, “Let go to there new house”.Then my dad said,“Where is the house”,Then my uncle said,…
America, land of the free and home of the brave, a country strengthened with rights, equality, and justice. For Americans it’s just a regular country, with regular rules and laws, nothing special about it. Although, to immigrants it’s a country to reinterpret their lives, a better life, a life where they’re free to pursue their happiness and follow their dreams. Even though America is a great country, adjusting to a new culture isn’t easy. It took patience, support, understanding, and passion in order for me to balance two different cultures.…