Testimonios In Precious Knowledge

Testimonios, the spanish equivalent of testimony, are declarations of facts and can include personal experiences. Testimonios are important because they are not sugarcoated and demonstrate real experiences with real results. The testimonios of Crystal, Pricila, and Gilbert throughout the film, Precious Knowledge, displayed the large impact the academic program had on the students. They all came from different families with similar issues such as, dangerous neighborhoods and an uninterest in school, but were united through their desire to improve their academics by taking “La Raza” studies in their school, Tuscon High School in Tuscon, Arizona. Most of the students were unaware of the opportunities presented in the classroom and how their lives
I believe these were factors that drew them to “La Raza” studies. The opportunity to learn about their parents culture and their own roots was a great way to gain an interest in their education. Considering that over 50% of the Mexican-American students at Tuscon High School dropped out before graduating, this program was needed as a part of the solution. The problem that needed attention of the school district was the uninterest in education the students had which caused a huge dropout rate- especially with hispanic students. The graduation rate rose to the 90th percentile after this program began. In the testimonios of the students, they made statements on how their academics were not of much importance for them. For many students such as Pricila and Gilbert, school was not very interesting and they had personal and family problems to worry about other than school. For students like Crystal, she did not know of her opportunities and had a hard time transitioning into high school. When the students began to learn about their culture, they found a passion for learning and doing work because the material mattered to them and focused on topics which they could relate to. If a program lights up a passion for learning in the lives of many students, then that program is
By repeating the past mistakes, people are not moving forward. La Raza studies introduced an engaging way for students to become interested in learning and offered an opportunity to learn about their own culture. Once a program sparks up an interest, then teachers will begin to see an overall improvement in the rest of the classes and the enthusiasm in the students. If the program is cut out because it does not fit typical “American” values, then we are back to square one. In order to make a difference, a community must be radical and willing to