To me, being Latin American and embracing the heritage I was trying to be raised in while growing in the United States has a different definition from the opinion of Webster Dictionary. According to Webster Dictionary, a Latin American is defined as a person from Spanish America and Brazil with ancestral tries to Spain (the incorporation of the Southern United States and the West into Latin America is still in debate). I would agree to this to an extend; this is only a regional description of what is Latin America, but it fails to recognize the culture of Latinos and those born in other countries who have family from Latin America. Being Latin American means having an open mind to other ideas while having firm beliefs of your own and your family. Being Latin American means having a sense of pride for your nation and your region. “Todos somos Latinomericanos”- “We are all Latin Americans”[1]. Being Latin American means trying to maintain your heritage in an ever-changing world that places labels on you and/or forces you to give your identity. Heritage and family are what we as Latin Americans honor the most and see as defining a person. But because of either assimilation or fear of being judged, many educate their children at home and “Americanize” them in schools when talking about the American dream. This is what Villa relates to when he wrote his essay, “No nos dejaremos: Writing in Spanish as an Act of Resistance”. What families are wanting and what the education system present in the United States are pressuring: English over “heritage”. I am not saying that this is the pure intentions of American education system, but it would not be wise to overlook what these systems put on high pedestals and what is considered “unwanted”. If the Latin American population is growing, why is heritage not a part of school? Why is not valued the way we see it? If American culture to blame, or is it decisions to have certain aspects over overs?
*Ps: I understand I’m ranting on Latinos in The US and there are other cultures in the US. I’m trying to connect the source with what I grew up believing and the growth of the Latin American presence in the US. [1] http://www.voicesofyouth.org/es/posts/what-does-it-mean-to-be-latin-american- , 3rd Paragraph
4 Comments
Rajit Bhandari
3/1/2015 07:57:56 am
Do you think that the dictionary doesn't include anything about Latino culture because culture can be different for each person? For example, even Latinos within the same family could think of different instances or experience to describe what it means culturally to be a Latino or Latin-American. I am an American-born Indian; although my situation is different from yours, I believe that both of our cultures have a similar sense of pride in their culture which is interesting. The culture that we grow up in does have similar ways of transforming our identities, even if we are exposed to the current American culture more so nowadays. It would be cool to learn about both heritages, and many others, side-by-side in school.
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Selwyn Hernandez
4/6/2015 03:40:13 pm
Yeah, I understand there are so many dialects and cultures that define these regions in Latin America and the Hispanic world. The phrasing of the definition was what shocked. It's not completely wrong, but there some interesting overlaps and themes that unite Latin American together (Spanish, Catholicism, a bloody history...).
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I fully understand where you are coming from. I as well was born in a different country and came to America, However, I feel as if there have been more efforts to take into account a students heritage. Although this needs a drastic push so that all students feel safe when they are in a classroom setting. Your question is why is heritage not considered a part of our school, but I would ask in what way could heritage be integrated in our school? We should apply heritage as part of our history classes if there is a demand for it. However, what about the individuals who are not from a different country or just identify as simply Americans. Will your definition of heritage apply to them? In our society today there is value in diversity and culture, however it depends on who is looking at it and in what context.
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Selwyn Hernandez
4/6/2015 03:36:24 pm
A lot of these issues I tried to explore in my essay for project 2. Yet, the answer is more complicated when taking into account on both the process and social change that would be involved in integrating schools with heritage languages. But with a gradual incorporation of languages along with the support of teachers and the cooperation of students, it's a good start. As for those who identify with one identity, it will give them a chance to explore other heritages and cultures that spark their interest. A big part of what I am saying here is focused on heritage, yet by also encouraging these languages others will have a chance to explore and branch out.
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