Perez 1

KatherinePerezDeleon
ProfessorBeadle
English113B
9May2016
TwoWorldsinOne
Anordinarydayasmy19yearoldselfconsistsofnotone,buttwocultures.Growingup
inaHispanichousehold,IbecameveryfamiliartotheGuatemalanculturethatmyparentshad
introducedtome.ThathasbeentheonlycultureIknewthatIwasapartofforthefirstfour
yearsofmylifeuntilthedayIwasenrolledinpreschool.ThatiswhenIcametorealizethatI
hadbecomeapartofanothercultureastudent.Sincethatday,Ihavebeenapartofthe
Guatemalanstudentcultureandithasbeenanoverwhelmingimpactonmypersonalityand
myselfasawholethatIcarryoutonmydailylife.
IntheGuatemalanculture,itisverysimilartoanyotherHispanicculture.Myfamilyand
friendslovetogettogetherontheweekendsandhavebarbecuesorasweliketocallthem,
carneasadas. Igreeteveryonewhocomesthroughthedoorwithakissonthecheekandask
howtheyaredoingTheseeventsconsistofSpanishmusicandmyfavorite,dancing.Whenitis
timetoeat,thegrandmotherisusuallytheonecookingandmakingsureeveryonehasaplateof
foodandisthelastonetoeat.InmycasemymotherisandmysisterandIhelpherwith
anythingsheneeds.IhavecertainrolesthatIdointhesefamilygatherings,asafemale.Iamthe
onewhomakessureeveryonehasutensilsandIamalwaystheonewhoplaysourGuatemalan
musictoliventheroomandstartdancingwitheveryone.

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Atthedinnertable,Iamsurroundedbyfamily,love,fulloflaughterandpositiveenergy.
Inthisenvironment,ImakesureIamalwaysspeakinginSpanishandshowmygreatrespect
towardsmyeldersandbehaveasbest.Theseeventsarerelatedtothearticle,SelfIdentityand
Culture byRonaldJackson,CeriseGlennaandKeshaWilliamsinthequote,Thesignificance
ofplaceforidentityifoftenconnectedtothememoriesorculturalunderstandingsthatare
attachedtotheplaceratherthantheplaceitself.(119)Thesegatheringsaretakenplaceatmy
houseandthespaceisaspecialonebecauseeveryonesharesstories,makesjokesandinforms
oneanotherofneweventsthathavetakenplaceintheirlives.Myfamilyandfriendscreate
beautifulmemoriesandafriendlyspaceatmyparentshomeanditsexactlywhereIbelong
whenIamthere.
EventhoughIhavebeenmainlyfamiliartotheGuatemalancultureovertheyearsasI
wenttoElementary,Middle,Highschoolandnowcollege,Inoticedachangeinmyself.Ispent
themajorityofmytimeinschoolduringthedayformorethanhalfofmylife.Ihadbeenvery
involvedinmanyschoolclubsandsportssuchasWomensChoir,AcademicDecathlonandKey
Club.Ialsoheldimportantroles,suchasSecretaryofHabitatwithHumanityandCoCaptainof
thegirlsvolleyballteam.BecauseofmygreatinvolvementwithschoolactivitiesandclassesI
hadtaken,Imetalotofpeopleandcreatedmanyfriendships.IntheschoolenvironmentIfelt
morefreedominsayinganddoingwhatIwanted,especiallyintheroleswhereIhadsome
authority.IrealizedIhadtakenadifferentapproachtosituationsbecauseitwouldbesomething
newtome.Incollege,IknowIspendthemajorityofmytimeoncampussomedaysandIact
differentinthisenvironmentthanIdoathome.IhavemyclassesinthemorningandafterIgo

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tothegym.ImalwaysinthestudentmodebutwhenIgohomeintheeveningmyinner
Guatemalanshines.
AlthoughIactdifferentlyatschoolthanwithmyfamily,InoticedthatIdothesame
whenIamindifferentspacesatschool.Whetheritsinabiologyclassoraspeechclass,Iwould
feelmorecomfortableinonemorethanIdointheother.Iwouldbeshyinonebutmoreopen
andconfidentintheother.IcouldrelatethiswhenIamwithmyfriendsatschoolandathome
withmyparents.WhenIgohomeafterclass,itisadifferentspaceandsomethinginsidechanges
likealightswitch.IstillgreetmyfamilymembersinthehouseandtherulestotheGuatemalan
culturecomebackintoplay.IstarttotalkSpanglishwhichiswhenyoutransitionbackandforth
withSpanishandEnglishintoonesentence.ItisabadhabitfromwhatIhavebeentold,butI
choosetocontinuedoingsosinceIhaveadaptedtothiswayofspeakingforsolongtowardsmy
parents.Whenmygrandfathervisits,ItalkstrictlyinSpanish.Iusuallygoabouttellingwho
everisathomeaboutmydayandifanythingexcitinghappenedduringdinnerifpossible.Idon't
interactwithmyfamilymembersthewayIdowithmyfriends.Imakejokeswiththem,butnot
thesameonesIdoatschoolbecausetheyprobablywouldnotgetitandwouldgivemea
confusedlook.IalsobecomesomewhatmoreawareandalerttowhatIsayanddonotsay,only
becauseIwouldnotwanttosaysomethingaccidentallythatwouldoffendanyone.Itryto
behaveandrespectjusthowIdoatourfamilygettogether.
TheGuatemalancultureissomethingItakeprideinbutovertheyearsbeingHispanic
andastudenthasmanydifferentviews.Someproblemsaboutthesedifferentviewsarethat
manyarenegativeandaffectHispanicstudentsandfemales,likemyself.Ihavelearnedthe
differenttypesofnegativeviewsthroughouttheyearsbecauseofschoolandhaveexperiencedit

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formyself.Inthearticle,DiversityandInquiryink12PhysicalScienceTeaching:Defyingthe
FemalesHispanicStereotypeThreat bySandraB.Davis,CarlaJ.ThompsonandGiang
Nguyenindicatedthatstudentsinfluencedbythestereotypethreatmaydemonstrateself
handicappedstrategies,suchasreducedpracticetimefortasksandareducedsenseofbelonging
tothestereotypeddomain. (49)IhadexperiencedthisbecausewhenIwasinmiddleschoolI
wouldspeaktomyfriendsandteachersandmyaccentcouldbeheard.Ibegantohearnegative
commentstowardsHispanicstudentsandthatdidnotmotivatemetodowellinschoolandI
slackedoff.
Forquiteamoment,IhadbelievedinthestereotypesaboutHispanicstudentsandIdid
notbelieveIwascapableofbecominganyonesuccessful.Inthearticle,ClassicContemporary
TheoriesofLatinoIdentityDevelopment byWiley,saysthatFamilymembers,coethnicor
diversepeers,andculturalstereotypesaffecthowLatinostudentsseethemselves.(34)People
wouldtellbeIsoundedlikeachola andafterawhileIdidnotlikeit.Ibegantostartusinga
widervocabularyandmadesuremyaccentwouldnotcomethroughmywordsmainlysomy
peerswouldnotthinkIwasghetto andnotsmart.BecauseofthewayIbegantochangeinthe
schoolenvironment,itchangedtherelationshipsIhadwithmypeersinapositivewaybutmost
importantlywithinmyself.
IhavelearnedmanystereotypestowardsHispanicsandthatupsetsmeandanyotherwho
takespartinthisculture.Hispanicsarenotusuallyknowngreatlyintheacademicworld,instead
theyareknownforbeingingangrelatedactivitiesandbeinginverylowincomefamilies.Asa
Latina,weareusuallyjudgeduponourbodyfiguresandunfortunatelyinthescholaracademic

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lifeithasstoppedsometopursuetheirdreams.Thearticle,MyHips,MyCarderas Alisa
ValdesRodriguezsays,WhenIwanttobelovedformymind,Iflocktoliberalintellectuals,
usuallywhites.(75)ThestereotypesthathavebeensaidovertheyearstowardsLatinashavehad
anegativeimpactonsomecareersbecausepeoplethatarenotinthisculturebegintobelieve
them.Becauseofthesenegativesideassomebelieve,Iamdedicatedtoshowthatmy
GuatemalanstudentculturewontletmyeducationbelimitedtcertainextentandIwillstriveto
besuccessful.
IrealizedsinceIspendmostofmytimeplayingaroleintheGuatemalanstudentculture
andtheenvironmentthatIaminmostofthetimeaffectsthewayIacttowardsmyclosefriends
andpeers.TheGuatemalanstudentculturehastakenovermylifeforthemajorityofitanditis
whatItrulyknowbecauseIgrewintoitforaslongasIcanremember.Itismycomfortzone
becauseIfeelconfidentandIknowwhereIbelong.Ispendmoreofmytimeandenergyasa
studentbecauseIwanttopushandbettermyselfandworkonmycareerforthefuture.Iwantto
becomesuccessfulandtheonlywayIknowtocreatethatformyselfistobeingthebeststudentI
possiblycanbe.IwillalwaysbeGuatemalanandstillpracticemycultureathomeandatschool
aswellwhenitistherighttimeandplace.TheGuatemalanstudentculturehashelpedmegrow
todiscovermyidentity.

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WorksCitedPage
"Classic And Contemporary Theories Of Latino Identity Development." ASHE Higher
Education Report 39.1 (2013): 27-37. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
Davis, Sandra B., and Carla J. Thompson. "Diversity And Inquiry In K-12 Physical Science
Teaching: Defying The Female Hispanic "Stereotype Threat." Journal Of Intercultural
Disciplines 14.(2014): 45-61. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
Jackson, Ronald, Cerise Glenna, and Kesha Williams. "Self-Identity and Culture." Inter/cultural
Communication: Representation and Construction of Culture. By Anastacia Kurylo. Los
Angeles: SAGE, 2013. N. pag. Print.
Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa. ""My Hips, My Carderas"" Writing: A Guide for College and beyond.
By Lester Faigley. 3rd Ed. ed. Pearson: Boston, 2012. N. pag. Print.

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