Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz: A Personal Analysis

“Yo no estudio para saber más, sino para ignorar menos,” was said by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a female self-taught Mexican poet from the sixteen hundreds. The quote translates to, “I don’t study to know more, but to ignore less.” As a Hispanic girl growing up in the United States, Sor Juana’s words have a very deep connection to me. I was seven years old when my family made our great return to the Unites States. I had moved back after spending 4 years of my childhood in Panama, growing up next to my family and learning about my Hispanic culture. I excelled in Panamanian school, spoke perfect Spanish, and had an abundance of friends. Returning to the United States after being risen on a completely different lifestyle was a scary thought to my seven year old brain. Starting American school was one of my biggest fears. I always questioned if I was going to be able to make new friends, or even understand the curriculum. I started the second grade in January, which meant I was entering the school year already half way over, making me the odd ball in class. Nonetheless, my classmates were very welcoming and I made friends quickly. I had been worrying about not being able to fit in, but it seemed like I was perfectly with all the great people I had met.
I would always leave the class to go visit my speech teacher, and my peers had taken interest on why I needed help. One of the simple words I had trouble pronouncing was “the,” the t-h sound messed me up. Some students started teasing me, mocking me, because I couldn’t pronounce such a simple word. I never let these students get to me, I just thought I need to be smarter than them. From this moment on, I told myself I would try my best in school, for myself, not for my parents, my classmates, but for