Week 3- Michael J Harrington

My mentee(s) and myself did not discuss prejudice.  But I can imagine the issues they face on a daily basis.  Statistically immigrants are discriminated against, often blamed for people losing jobs, for spreading bad morals and committing crimes.  Immigrants are more likely to work a dead end job or be arrested.  This will definitely be very detrimental to their lives.  I cannot even imagine how difficult it is to lie with such discrimination, being a white, middle-class, male.  But I do face a certain stigma, that although not as serious as the discrimination faced by immigrants, does make my life more difficult.  Many people think that my age makes me less responsible, or more likely to mess up with certain tasks.  But I am a very independent capable person.  For instance, I've been working as a lifeguard for the past few years at a pool called Fair Valley.  The manager they had hired the last few years was less than ideal, and oftentimes I had to take extra responsibilities to keep the facility operating well.  This year the manager and assistant manager were let go.  I was one of the candidates for manager, but despite being an employee there for several years and knowing most of the patrons personally, the board committee hired an outside manager with virtually no pool experience (none at the pool in question).  The man got it in part because he was "old enough to command authority" although I had basically been in charge of the pool for the past two years.  I did get the assistant manager position, however I have a feeling I will be doing the job of manager too, for the pay of assistant manager.  I am grateful for getting the assistant manager job, but slightly upset that I did not get manager for such a ridiculous reason.

Being born and raised in America I have some advantages over my mentee(s).  First of all I look like most of my peers, making me less likely to be discriminated against.  I also don't have an accent and speak the English language like a boss, making communication less cumbersome between me and other people.  I also grew up in this community, so I know the customs and rituals of the society, while they may be oblivious to them.

Week 3: Prejudice/Discrimination

In my life, I've experienced a good deal of prejudice. Growing up in the suburbs, attending a primarily all white school, I can't say I've ever felt like I blended in anywhere. As far as being treated differently in a negative way based on something arbitrary like skin color, race or religion, I can't say I've personally experienced all that much of it. To think of one striking example, my family is Hindu and so we(used to) frequently attend temple just to feel close to our culture, and one day the new temple had been spraypainted with vulgar words from local kids. At the time, I was in no position mentally to absorb what hateful words were even saying,or even what they were in the first place at that. Outside of a few isolated incidents though, I don't feel I've been the direct subject of as much racism as some people might expect. Yes, friends have in the past have joked about the prejudice of "brownness" and what that even means, tying into the stereotype of the immigrant parent, specifically asian parents, that seem to "live through" the accomplishment of their children because they may not have the ability with limited skills in English to rise as high in  the workforce of America. But again, I grew up mostly isolated from my own culture because my mother, the one who would have encouraged this relationship to be reinforced constantly, got stuck living in Sri Lanka for the next 14 years(to this day) without us, which forced my dad to work around the clock and basically left me to my own, growing up amongst my own friends more so than closest family. In Kevin's case, he is hispanic, a much more widely recognized race of people, so for him things might be a lot different, not that I currently know but it's definitely possible that he lives in an area among people of similar descent as well, and I saw that his friends at school, or just the kids he sits next to maybe, are all of Hispanic origin. This, to me is another reason why he seems so tied into his own culture, because he has friends to reinforce it, and so he may not be embarassed about like sadly I used to be at times, but certainly not for long. 

Nish Thiyagarajah- Immigrant Children

This week, I finally met my mentee, Kevin. To be totally honest, things didn’t go all that smoothly at first. Not only did it take me about ten minutes to realize that Kevin was a Spanish speaker, but I was actually talking with the idea that he moderately understood what I was saying. Pretty soon I found out that pretty much the entire time he had been nodding along silently to everything I was saying, smiling on cue with my smiles. It was actually kind of convincing until I asked for a response 

and he smiled and nodded. When I realized he was Spanish it wasn’t all that bad, since I’ve taken 4 years of Spanish, but it made me about 100% aware of how little I remember and just how ridiculously faded my Spanish speaking ability was, but I was able to recall enough to at least talk, and follow somewhat coherently. I found out he has one older sister, really enjoys basketball, and enjoys the Spanish culture much more than the English. I personally can relate to this in that I went through the same thing as a child, just in the opposite way. My family’s from Sri Lanka, and I lived there for about a year when I was four and learned to speak the language fluently, as well as forgot English. When I returned to America, I quickly absorbed the culture as I was so young but missed so many of the cultural aspects of Sri Lankan life and so I favored it for years, always telling people about it any chance I got and reminiscing as much as possible. Kevin seemed the same way about his family and his roots, but again, we weren’t able to connect incredibly well through spoken language, so I thought it might be a good idea to try letting him draw, since he looked like a quieter kid who might enjoy doodling. Sure enough, his eyes lit up when I mentioned the word dibuja and boligrafo, which don’t necessary fit as pen and painting, but he knew what I was saying. After that, things went pretty smoothly, and he demonstrated his enjoyment of drawing by mapping out his closest family for me and then asking about my family, which he then drew. He kept the drawing and even seemed kind of fond of it, but I would blame him for not holding on to it. Overall, I really thought Kevin was great for me especially to spend time with. He seemed like a great kid who cares about family a lot, the only concern I had was the language, which it turns out I’m able to recall but only in baby steps. Hopefully, this will be a mutually beneficial relationship we have going.

Week 3: Michelle Prinzo

I am going to bend the photo journal rules a little bit for this post and combine my self and other post into one. In all honesty, I did not really approach the subject of stereotypes (nor did it come up) at all with my mentee. We did, however, talk a lot about school. Both my mentee and I love school and both of us do well in school. What does this have to do with stereotypes? In my mind a lot. I think that our public education system perpetuates a significant amount of stereotyping. Children from suburban schools will likely have hundreds more opportunities for extracurricular and enrichment activities than children from a urban school like AMIS. Academic achievement in my school was an expectation, while achievement in my mentee's school is an exception. Futhermore, it worries me to think about the difference social and peer pressure can present in these different school settings. 

As I moved into middle school and high school, it was never un-cool to do well in school. Popular kids, geeks, athletes, and regular kids at my school did well in school. I am not as familiar with the secondary schools in CPS, but I do not believe that high achievement is looked upon in the same way. Further more, I do not think it is fair that the opportunities I had as a student are far more than my mentee will likely have as she pursues her education. 

When we met last week, we did a lot of drawing. I asked her if she like art. I asked her what she does for art and she said that she draws at home. Then it hit me, she doesn't have art class at her school and likely does not have many art supplies at home. It is a simple thing, but as a student who was lucky enough to have art class all throughout my education it upsets me that my mentee will not have the same opportunities. I am not an artist, but I do believe art education enhanced and increased my academic learning. Not only was I able to express myself, but also practice patience, take risks, make decisions, and build focus and concentration. 

My hope is that my mentee will continue to make progress in school (with or without art class) and that education for her can be an equalizer, even if it is not for some of her peers. 

Week 3: Privledge/Discrimination Thelma Hodge

Leonel, expressed to me that he felt that he has been treated fairly by his friends, classmates and teachers, since he has been in the United States. To be honest, I felt a sense of relief, to hear him make such a statement. From what I can tell, his parents have limited his interaction with others to mostly school and close friends. Since his parents “shelter” him from the world, (as best as they can) maybe he has not had to face prejudice “head on”. I do no doubt that in the future, he will one day come across an experience, that may be identified as prejudice, but for now he is truly oblivious to the concept (which, is honestly, good for him).

            For myself, I grew up in a biracial family. My father is Caucasian and my mother is African American. Growing up, many people (classmates, neighborhood children and even later in life co-workers) always assumed that because I’m multi racial that my father is African American and that my mother must be White. When I tell people, that indeed, it is the other way around, people usually gasp in disbelief. Somehow, there is widespread prejudice (in Cincinnati) that multi racial means that one’s mother must be White and their father must be Black. Many people that I have encountered in my life share this misconception, which only illuminates their close-mindedness and ignorance.

            One stereotype of my identity circles around the idea that because I am a single mother, I must be not value or support the “traditional nuclear family myth”. Indeed, I do believe that two parents are the ideal family for children to grow up in but I created my family on my own terms and I feel no shame. Society really puts down single mothers and portrays them as failures or financial burdens of the welfare state but that is simply not true. I work hard, volunteer in the community, church and fulfill my school obligations, while raising my children. I pay taxes and donate to good causes, I am a good person and a proud American, and so for people to look down on me and my family, shows that they are ignorant because they choose to believe inaccurate stereotypes about single mothers.

            I was raised to accept people for who they are and judge individuals by their actions and never their skin color. Not everyone was reared in that way of thinking and I can’t change that, but what I can do, is educate others. It is only through education can we open others minds to see the fallacy in their way of thinking. I believe in giving people facts and from there let them decide what they believe.

            The privileges I have (that Leonel does not have) were ascribed to me at my birth. I am an American citizen. I have a social security number and I am protected under the Bill of Rights and Constitution, which grants me voting rights, habeas corpus, and the right to have a gun. I am also a native English speaker, with no foreign accent, which of course allows me to communicate easily in Cincinnati.

            On the other hand, I would argue that I to do not share some of the “white privileges” afforded to my fellow classmates. I do not have the luxury of seeing many persons of color on TV, teaching at U.C., or working in highly specialized fields of engineering, medicine, and law. I do not have the privilege of going to restaurant and asking for manger, and having 99.9% that the person will be the same color as me or the comfort and privilege of being in a classroom where there are more person of color.

            Even though I am an American I do not have all of the privileges afforded to me, and so clearly, Leonel I are in the same boat. I am optimistic, that over time many minorities will gain higher SES in American and then fully gain all of the privileges afforded to them.

Week 2: Michelle Prinzo

My family life growing up was relatively stable. Most of my family and extended family lived comfortably and shared similar values. Many of my relatives live close to one another or a short drive away. As I grew older, some of my relatives moved to different parts of the country, but we are lucky enough to have the means to travel back and forth to see one another. When my dad got sick, my family really came together. I do not think I realized how lucky we were to have the financial means to come together and celebrate like this. At many points in the readings I found my self reflecting upon this idea. Many of the immigrant families are leaving their countries and  families to essentially solve a problem--whether it be persecution, job opportunities, or an unsafe environment. In solving their problems they are often forced to split apart--for days, weeks, years or even permanently. This is a contrast from how I grew up--as a part of a family that had the means and opportunity to come together during difficult times. 

I really enjoyed meeting my mentee. She is a very articulate, hard working young woman. The teacher in me was excited to hear her say that she could not wait for tomorrow.Why? Because report cards were being sent home and she knew that she had all A's. In many ways she reminds me of Alice in The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. It is easy to see that she is a diligent and careful worker. Her notes are very neat and she knows exactly what assignments she has and what needs to be done to complete them. On the other hand, it is clear that she is unsure of herself in some ways. When we were drawing together she was very careful to replicate a drawing a friend had made. She wanted it to be exactly the same way and was hesitant to do the actual drawing--she asked me to do most of it while she did the coloring. 

We drew a very 4th grade flower and peace sign first and then a picture of a house. As we were drawing the house she told me that she lived in a house with her dad, mom, sister and brother. She also mentioned that her parents were from Mali. She did not give many details, but I got the impression that her parents still had relatives in Mali and that someone in her family had been involved with war. This was a startling contrast from my own life and was a startling change in the conversation as up until that point she had described the life of what I would consider a well-adjusted, bright child. I look forward to learning more about my mentee in future weeks!

Week 2: Immigrant Children

Meeting Leonel was a wonderful new experience for me. I knew before we met, that I was going to meet a person who has an interesting story to tell about how they came to America. Writer and teacher, C. Igoa, strongly believed that all children regardless of their age are individuals who have allot to express, whose thoughts need to be heard (1995, p. 5). I agree with Igoa, so I tried to convey warmth to Leonel, so he could  feel at ease and become comfortable to talk to me.

  Leonel was very open about his current life and his former life in Mexico. Leonel tenderly and fondly described his former life to me, in Mexico and his feelings of loss for his family, friends and school. Leonel not only shared his history with me but his ambitions for the future. He initially was quiet and a little reluctant to speak but after 15 minutes of me asking questions he gradually took over the entire conversation and began to talk about all of his interests. I was very inspired to hear him speak about his dreams of going to college and getting a good job.

Leonel told me that in Mexico, his family lived in a small house that had a big back yard. He missed his back yard in Mexico because that was where he and all of his friends would play soccer. Now he lives in a house that has no backyard and there is no place for him and his brother to play soccer so his father takes them to a local park so they can kick the ball around. Leonel also, expressed, that school is different in America form the one he attended to in Mexico. He said that that was very hard for him to adjust to the long school days and the longer academic year.

I am very different form Leonel in regards to immigration. I lived in the same on the same street for over 17 years of my life. My mother was definitely a “creature of habit” so leaving the country, let alone, the Pleasant Ridge area, was just out of the question.

On the other hand, Leonel, and I shared many similarities. He was very protective of his little brother and she shared with me many stories about how he has saved him from getting into trouble. I also had a baby brother, that I was responsible to look after, so I could relate, with him. Leonel also, loved learning and school, which, again was something that I enjoy also. Leonel also enjoyed being with his family and friends in his free time, which, is something, I love also.

Week 1- Dominique Lawson- About me

Dominique Lawson; studying Psychology and Spanish at UC. (Audrey on left is my god-daughter, Gabby on right is my little sister)

Week 3- Dominique Lawson- Prejudice and Discrimination

Prejudice and Racism 

There are many different areas in which prejudice and racism can come into contact with a person. The most common are by religion, race, gender, and sexual orientation. In two of these categories I am a minority, in the other two I am not. The United States has gotten much better at keeping their prejudices in check but there are still times where I, or someone that I am close to are victims of prejudice or racism.
One minority group is in womanhood. As a woman, I am not expected to have muscles. Many expect me to be helpless and dependent. That is not the case with me. I was raised to be strong and independent both physically and in my mentality. Although I am a minority in race as well, I do not witness too much prejudice. I have gotten a few strange stares when I pull up to a gas station in the country at times but I don't believe it is meant to make me uncomfortable. I truly think it is because they are not used to seeing people of my color at their gas station, not because they do not want me there. I do remember I specific time where I was discriminated against by color. It was a few years ago, my friends and I decided that we wanted something to eat. We decided to go to Applebee's. The sign said "please wait to be seated." My friends and I had three waitresses walk by and one waiter. No one said anything to us. About ten minutes later a couple walks in. They waited next to us. Within one minute someone came over to help them to a table. My friends and I exchanged looks but said nothing, we figured they had a reservation or something. Five more minutes passed and a group of 4 Caucasian males walked in. They were seated almost immediately as well. I asked the waitress how long it would be until my friends and I could be seated and she said that she wasn't sure then walked off. At that point we were fed up and walked out. I had never experienced a situation like that before, nor have I since then, but I have not eaten or entered an Applebee's since then. This taught me that we are not fully evolved as a country just yet. There are still people out there who are stuck in closed-minded beliefs and have not yet opened their eyes to the way society lives yet.
Being an immigrant, Alina will probably experience more problems with racism and prejudice growing up than I did. I remember playground days. While they were full of laughter and fun, sometimes it was at the expense of other children. I recall hearing racial slurs a couple of times but not much. I really began to hear racial slurs in Jr. High and High School. I doubt that Alina will experience much in her elementary days but I wonder what will happen later in her life. Most slurs that I heard were directed at those of Hispanic descent more than any other minority. It pained me then just as it pains me now. Many Americans discriminate against Hispanics because of the common stereotype of illegal immigrants associated with them. And while Alina is young, her mother probably deals with a lot of the issues associated with her race. The Suarez-Orozco novel talks about the concern for immigration when the economy is bad but the disappearance of this concern in times of economic prosperity (p. 41). It is sad to say, but I doubt that the issue of prejudice for immigrants will slow any time soon. 

Week 3 : Sarah Arriola

I felt like this sign was hanging in that grocery store.

       Although I have not been discriminated against often in my life, I can unfortunately say that there have been a few times in my life that I felt as though I was discriminated against. The first isn't a specific time in my life, but more of an overall thing that I have dealt with throughout my life. I am about 1/8th Hispanic. I don't really look it, especially compared to my father and brother, but people do find out that I am part Hispanic. I am not ashamed of this, but sometimes it was hurtful when in school kids would make fun of me, calling me such names as "bean," or "Mexican." The older I've gotten the less other people's comments bother me. 

       Another time in my life when I have felt discriminated against was my junior year of high school when I was not hired by a grocery store in my hometown. I was told that there were no open positions, but three days later I found out that they had hired two guys after they had told me that. Guys are stereotypically stronger, so I guess they didn't think I'd be capable of pushing carts and stocking shelves. Personally, I find this offensive, and wish they would have been honest with me and said that they only had "heavy lifting" positions open, rather than saying that there were no open positions.

Hwah's parents were born in Africa and she's spent much of her life there.

       I feel as though these examples of discrimination probably don't even compare to the ways that my mentee, Hwah, has possibly been discriminated in her life. She, although born here, has spent several years of her life in Africa with her African-born parents. She speaks English and French. She lives only with her mother, because unfortunately, her father is still in Africa. I don't know for sure if she experiences discrimination in her day-to-day life, because that was not something she and I got a chance to talk about in our first meeting together. She is a fun-loving, dynamic 10-year-old and I hate to think of the idea that people would discriminate against her or her family. Sadly, that's probably not the case. 

       Because I was born in the U.S. to parents that are also U.S.-born, I feel as though that automatically gives me privileges that Hwah may never have. Simply because she has parents that were born in a different country and don't speak much English, she will probably be discriminated against, which is an issue that I will never have to deal with.

Week 2 : Sarah Arriola

My mom, brother, and I.

       I grew up in a small, predominantly white, town. Before coming to college, the only diversity I really experienced was when we would visit my dad's side of the family in Illinois, who for the most part are Hispanic and live in an area which is primarily Hispanic. I visited that side of the family on a semi-regular basis, but didn't often think about the diversity that I experienced while there.

My dad and I.

       After coming to college, I realized how little diversity I had experienced in my life. I met people from all over the world and from all walks of life. Suddenly, my life seemed rather sheltered.

       I lived in a small, white town and went to school with mostly white kids. I have always lived with both of my parents, and even though we moved around several times when I was younger, it was always within the U.S. and we were usually in white areas where English was the primary language. I didn't really struggle in school, and was able to communicate with all of the kids that I went to school with.

A picture of Hwah's obsession--High School Musical!!

       My mentee, Hwah, has had a very different childhood than I had. She was born in the U.S., but lived in Africa from the age of 4 through about the age of 7. She actually thought she was born in Africa until her mom informed her otherwise. Hwah, who is now 10, lives with her mom, twin brother, and one sister. Her father still lives in Africa with some of the rest of her family, including another one of her sisters. She often spends part of her summer vacation in Africa. Her situation is similar to Andre's situation in Suarez-Orozco (x2) book, "Children of Immigration." Andre, similar to Hwah, was initially separated from one parent, and is now separated from the other (p. 18). I can't imagine having to be separated from my parents like that, especially at such a young age.

       Hwah speaks English and French, and would like to learn how to speak Spanish as well. She likes school, but really struggles with social studies. She LOVES "High School Musical" and Flaming Hot Cheetos.

       Hwah and I do have some things in common. We both have siblings that we don't live with and therefore don't get to see very often. We both have brothers that we sometimes fight with. We both like mashed potatoes and we both dislike the color orange. I didn't have a chance to take her picture this week, but I plan on taking one next week!

           

   

Week 3: Allison Miller

Representation of sexism

Since I am part of the dominant group in many aspects of my identity (race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.), I am fortunate to experience less prejudice than people who are members of more oppressed groups.  That being said, I do tend to feel prejudice when it comes to my gender.  As a female, some stereotypes are that I am not as smart as men, quiet, sensitive, etc.  Sexism still exists in society due to men’s feelings of superiority.  I’m not saying that all men feel as though they are above all women—that would be ridiculous—but some men do feel that way, thus oppression lives on.  One particular example of this that comes to mind is my brother’s sense of humor.  He is always the center of attention, making everyone around him laugh—usually at the expense of others.  He frequently objectifies women, or makes comments that imply that women are subservient to men (i.e. “Where is my sandwich?”)  While I know that he is just trying to be funny, part of me still gets very offended by what he’s saying.  I feel like his jokes stem from his actual perception of men and women, and it’s kind of upsetting to know that my own brother is reinforcing sexism.  

sign expressing anti-Mexican sentiment

My mentee, on the other hand, probably experiences more prejudice than I could ever imagine.  On top of being a female, she is Mexican and English is her second language.  Many Americans discriminate against Mexican immigrants because there is an erroneous notion that the majority of them are illegal.  According to Suarez-Orozco (times 2), “undocumented immigrants make up roughly 10 percent of the total foreign-born (immigrant) population.” (p. 31).  Americans tend to jump to ignorant conclusions when it comes to people who are different from what is considered “normal”.  Lizbeth mentioned to me that she keeps a journal in which she writes down bad things that people do or say to her.  She then reads her journal to her mom, and her mom helps her deal with her problems at school by talking to her and taking action when necessary.  The bad things that happen to her may or may not occur because of her ethnicity and gender, but they certainly could have something to do with it.  I’m sure that Lizbeth and her family experience prejudice when they are out together more so than when Lizbeth is at school with many other multicultural students, which is an unfortunate reality. The privilege that I have over my mentee has mostly to do with the fact that I was born in America to English-speaking parents.  I have not had to go from living in one country to living in another, learning a new language and culture after being completely submerged in it, or translate or read for my non-English speaking parents.

Week 2: Allison Miller

My mom, 2 brothers, and me last Easter
(not really sure why Kyle has his head bent)

           As I get older and reflect upon my childhood, more and more I realize how lucky I am to have grown up in the way that I did.  I have always had a stable household, somewhere to sleep, eat, and play, and I never knew anything else.  I attended a decent school system, always received adequate healthcare, and never had a problem making friends.  Most of my teachers were of my same race and gender, and thus it was easy to relate to them.  I haven’t experienced any language barriers with teachers (until college that is), and things seemed to come easy to me academically.  I played on all kinds of sports teams growing up, and my school didn’t have a problem affording things like gym equipment.  My school was predominantly white and Christian, so diversity was always a rarity for me (again, until I got to college).  The biggest change I remember experiencing around my mentee’s age was moving houses and therefore school districts, but I did not face much trouble in making friends at my new school.

AMIS

           Meet Lizbeth, a vibrant, eight year-old immigrant child from Mexico who currently attends AMIS (unfortunately I haven’t gotten the chance to take a picture of her yet, but I definitely plan to!).  Lizbeth and I share many commonalities as well as differences.  As far as similarities go, Lizbeth and I both enjoy playing sports and attending school.  When I asked her what her favorite class was, she told me that she really liked math because it comes easy to her; math (and science) are also my favorite subjects.  We both also love broccoli and ice cream cake. 

On the other hand, Lizbeth was born in Mexico and her family speaks Spanish at home.  Her mother doesn’t know how to speak English at all, much less write English or Spanish.  I cannot imagine growing up and having to translate or read for my parents in order for them to understand everyday language.  Lizbeth also started school in the first grade, simply bypassing kindergarten because of her age.  Igoa mentions in her book that she was sometimes placed in an “age appropriate grade level” as an immigrant child regardless of her actual academic ability (p. 6), and this seems to have been what happened to Lizbeth.  She mentioned that she has a really difficult time in her reading and writing classes because she’s not very good at English (it is, after all, her second language).  She has endured many changes in her life as well—she has moved from Mexico to America at the age of five, leaving behind much of her extended family.  She told me that she and her family make trips in the summer to visit, and she hates driving in the car for 3 days straight (and I thought driving to Florida was bad…).  I hope to get to better know Lizbeth and her unique story as the weeks go by!

Week 3 : Prejudice/Discrimination - Emma Shreve

Mentee Post:

As I explained in the post for week two, Dayana does not speak English very well so one of the biggest difficulties for us was getting over that barrier. As far as prejudices go, I’m sure she sees it more when she’s out in public with her family. I really hope she never experiences any prejudices at all, but people are not always on their best behavior. I think most Americans assume that if someone is speaking a different language they are an immigrant and, in the case of Spanish, that they are illegal immigrants. This just makes Americans look ignorant and frankly, stupid. Spanish is the second most-commonly spoken language in the US and its sad that more Americans of non-Hispanic origin do not know it. Granted I am nowhere near fluent in Spanish, but I know enough for basic conversation. Now that Dayana lives in the United States, I hope she can pick up English quickly. This will not only help her, but will also help her mom, who will probably struggle more with the language. On the other hand, I definitely don’t want her to lose her Peruvian roots. She is in a tough spot, but I hope having us there will make it easier…

Mentor Post:

One of my favorite movies is Legally Blonde, surprised? Probably not, I mean it is a great movie. In case you haven’t seen it (yeah right!), the main plot of the movie is Elle Woods trying to overcome stereotypes and succeed as a law student at Harvard Law. Her biggest nemesis is that classic idea that all blondes are dumb. Herein lies the problem. I’m not going to try and say that I’m the smartest girl around, but I’m definitely not the dumbest, either. People are generally surprised when I tell them that I’m in the honors program here at UC, which is a little insulting to me. Granted, I do say some very stupid things sometimes, but generally I keep those comments to a minimum. I can’t help it that a majority of blonde girls are dumb – mostly bottle blonde by the way. There are smart blondes too! It’s a rough life I lead, I know. But in all honesty, this dumb stereotype is so much easier to live with than ones that someone, like Dayana, who was born in another country has to deal with. I hope people here in America and all over the world can overcome these stereotypes and prejudices and accept each other for who they are, not who they are assumed to be…

I always hated this outfit in the movie..

Week 2- Michael J Harrington

I grew up in a relatively small town in the shadow of a larger town, Dayton.  In my immediate surroundings there was never any diversity.  I went to a predominately white, middle-class school in a predominately white, middle-class neighborhood.  I met some people that were weird, or different, or not your average Joe, but not many people that one could think of as in a different socio-economic bracket.  My closest real brush with diversity occurred when I joined the FIRST Lego league and met one of my best friends to this day.  I was on various teams for two years, and then most of my friends quit, so my team dissolved, and I had to find a new one.  Well, turns out that there were two people who were only described to me as "Very, very odd. Nice, but odd."  Well I met the kids (there were actually two, I'm still very close with both) and yes, they were really weird.  They both came from families that were definitely a few income levels down from mine, their families were the kind that take in every stray cat and dog, making their houses a menagerie, and they were both home-schooled.  I had never met any home-schooled kids before, and low and behold these kids were crazy cool.  The boy is my best friend to this day, and I know I can always count on him, and I see the girl whenever I see the boy, because they are engaged.
YAY for happy endings!

On to my mentee(s)
I was assigned with Alex to two mentees.  One had been in America for only four months and did not speak any English, whereas the other had been here nearly six years.  Most of the conversation revolved around the English speaker, simply because communication was much easier between us and them, and even when his friend translated for him he was a very quiet individual.  But our English speaking friend had many interesting stories.  He had been to San Fransisco and seen the zoo and the giant sequoia trees.  I also love the zoo and traveling to other states, seeing amazing things.  He said he enjoys playing video games, playing sports, and did not like school work.  I also like my video games and could comment on his favorite games.  I play sports, and my favorite to play are soccer and baseball, just like my mentee.  I don't think I need to comment on the last one.  Neither talked much bout their childhood, but I can assume it contained much more diversity than theirs, especially in their current school environment.

Week 3: Prejudice/ Discrimination-- Jamie Nickell

Everyone can be discriminated against. Whether it deals with you race, sexual orientation, religion, culture, gender, occupation or all of these together. We all have stereotypes that can be labeled on us. Being a middle class woman, white, and christian, I have not experienced much prejudice or discrimination directly. That being said, I find that this is probably because I fall into what Americans view as the "normal" or "average" person category. If I was to be stereotyped or discriminated against, people might say things such as "snobby", or stuck up. I guess coming from such a sheltered environment in the sense that my community was all similar in these aspects listed above that I do not have the knowledge of what discrimination would even feel like if I was to experience it. This sounds pathetic but its true. Our society is so quick to judge people by the smallest things that don't even matter. We don't look at people for who they truly are, instead we discriminate against those who are different from us.


                                               


This is a whole different story with Jenny, my mentee. She might be discriminated against everyday by people who are different from her. She could feel outcast from others because of her ethnicity, culture, citizenship, and gender. Although, I feel that AMIS is a wonderful opportunity to mix children of similar backgrounds, language, and cultures together to eliminate that sense of prejudice and discrimination amongst the children to help build friendships without the constant stress of being "different." When I compare the privilege I have compared to my mentee, I notice how different we actually are even though we both are U.S. Citizens. She has to struggle daily to learn English to be able to communicate to other people and even myself. Why do I not take the time to learn Spanish if she has to learn English? How does that seem fair? It breaks my heart that I automatically gain the privilege of expecting others to speak my language just because I am an American. America is supposed to be the "melting pot" where we accept everyone for who they are. Except we don't, we expect them to change and form themselves to live and speak like other Americans do. No wonder immigrant children feel such prejudice and discrimination on top of the other issues of being an immigrant that comes along.

                                             

Week 2- Dominique Lawson

Alina moved here from Costa Rica about three years ago with her mother. I'm glad that we were paired together because she is a good match for me. We share similarities but we also differ. The first thing that Alina said to me is that she does not like to speak Spanish very much. This really surprised me because I thought that most immigrant children would prefer their home language. In Igoa's book she speaks about making a good environment for the child and helping them see that you take an interest in their culture. While I did speak some Spanish with Alina, she expressed that she does not feel connected with Costa Rica. After talking to her longer, I realized that a reason for her not wanting to speak it is that her only family tie to Costa Rica is her grandmother. Her father and siblings still live there but she does not speak to them or have connection with them since she moved to the states. Similarly, I did not speak with my father or any of my siblings as a young child either. They were not in a different country but they did live many states away. Here in the states she is an only child, as I was with my mother; her mother is remarried, as mine is. The difference here is that I was not taken from the rest of my family and required to start anew with others. My extended family was in reach whenever I needed them. 

In my childhood I did not show an interest in sports, Alina is similar to me in that aspect as well. She spends most of her time with her mother having girls nights out and bonding. I did that with my mother as well, but I also had cousins to hang out with when my mother was at work or needed time away from me. She does not have the same access to children her age that I do. We are both studious, she told me that she does all of her homework at the beginning of the week so that she can have time for fun later. I do the same. Being a first generation immigrant differs from my childhood in other ways as well, like the sense that I did not have to learn a new language as Alina did. She speaks very good English now but has forgotten her Spanish so, strangely, we are both learning Spanish right now. She likes to draw pictures, do her nails, do her hair, and play on the computer. I enjoy doing all of those items as well (minus drawing pictures but I did it for her can you tell who drew what?).  

Week 2 Immigrant Children--Jamie Nickell

Myself:

I come from a small town, Franklin, Ohio where change was not as common as what an immigrant child might experience in moving to America. I went to school with the same friends through 12th grade and stayed involved in the same activities as my friends were in. My school was mostly middle class, suburban people and most had similar beliefs in common. So its easy to say that diversity did not exist so much in my hometown. I never experienced moving a lot, having to make new friends, or even having to learn new languages to get by. This, however, is a different story for an immigrant child who experiences most if not all of these culture shocks and changes in their lifestyle. My childhood seemed difficult while I was young. I worried about things like playing outside, whether my mom would let me hang out with my friends, or would my mom buy me candy when she went to the store. Seems ridiculous to think about thoughts like that know that I am an adult and have a child of my own. On the other hand though, these worries are nothing compared to what an immigrant child has to worry about. And for that I am truly blessed I did not have a rough childhood and I am able to have compassion for those children who do struggle, whether it be homeless children, immigrant children or children from abusive families. I have that desire to want to reach out to as many children as I can and just be there for them to talk to and get things off their chests. I feel this mentor program is an excellent opportunity to do just that!

                                                    

Other:

My mentee, Jenny, is a recent immigrant child from Honduras who has only been in America for about 9 months. I am already familiar with her from tutoring her at AMIS during the school day in Math. She struggles with her English but does what she can to get by. From what I have gathered her family consists of her mom, dad, and younger brother. They do not have a phone or computer. So communication with her outside of AMIS and our mentor program will be challenging. However, I will be able to talk with her on the days I am tutoring her in her schoolwork. Besides having the barrier of communication, she is excellent and excels in her work at AMIS. She gets her work done without any distractions and always asks questions when she does not understand something. I have noticed that she often seems overwhelmed by the constant struggle in communication that I have to help her calm down so she does not get frustrated. I feel that she probably deals with other issues from being an immigrant and having difficulty getting by in daily life.