Los Angeles before Calexico: Civilization before 'ruralization'?

It is difficult for hispanics to break from the cycle of working class individuals. Yes I am hispanic and my father worked as a laborer in the agricultural fields. He supplied food and shelter for my family and I which I greatly appreciate. It is now that I have accomplished a major milestone nin my family and that is to graduate from college. I always remind my nieces and nephews abou the importance of a good education and to break the cycle that limits our abilities.

posted by frank2727 on 5/13/2008 6:06 pm

I have a little trouble with the idea of being able to bring parents to the classroom to share their cultural experiences in relation to what is being studied. I have learned that everything needs to be presented to the administration and how can you do that ahead of time? You don't know what questions the students will ask, how the guest will answer and wether that question or answer will be deemed appropriate for a school setting. With the mandated standards it is hard to steer off the path of teaching to do a cultural theme in depth. It seems that teachers are able to do a tiny bit of it but don't have the freedom to do as much as they would like to. I know parents who desperately want to participate in their child's education but the language barrier is what is holding them back. Some teachers don't have the patience to try and figure out what they are trying to say, not because they don't want to but because of the time limit they have to prepare and teach the children. Sometimes there aren't any translators available in the parents native language and so they go into the background. It is so frustrating to see this with the testing that goes on and the pressure it places on the teachers and the students, practically on everyone to be truthful. It is a good thing that we have different cultural festivals or events in the Imperial Valley that we can go and experience and ask questions. 4-29-08 11:36 a.m.

posted by catwoman on 4/29/2008 1:38 pm

Practicing one's personal culture should not be an embarrassment nor be made to feel like a fool or a sell out if you don't. I love my Mexican culture, the songs, the dances, the food and most of the people. My kids, not into it as much. When they were younger they wouldn't want to ride in my car because it was "mom and her Mexican music". I had a variety that ranged from romantic, cumbias, rancheras and corridos. It was all I heard as I was growing up and so I expected my kids to like them too. No so luck. I tried to get them involved in folkloric dancing, it didn't happen. They reacted with feeling embarrassed about it. They said they weren't indians. When I explained that each dance had a reason behind it, they didn't want to hear it. I have been taking them to festivals since they were kids but it was not something they wanted to participate in. They wanted to participate in sports and that's the path we took. We practice our culture everytime we have a family get together. The older generation likes their pollo al disco, (no it's not chickens listening to disco music), carne asada, tripas, pescado, posole, menudo etc. while the younger generation likes carne asada, hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza. The older generation listens to Mexican music while the younger generation is listening to their music via their ipods. The older generation tell stories about living in poverty, working in the fields at low wages, immigrating to the U.S., experiencing the strikes led by Cesar Chavez, etc. Even though some stories get repeated it still is fascinating to hear because it is history being passed from generation to generation on a personal level. The younger generation is in their own group talking about parties, what took place, who got drunk, who got in a fight, the girls, the guys, what they wore, who they want to date, etc. It's such a generation gap but amazingly they do listen even though it doesn' seem like they do. A few days later they may ask a question about a story that had been told and it amazes me that they are listening. 4-29-08 11:14 am

posted by catwoman on 4/29/2008 1:16 pm

If we are not careful, we as parents will allow our children to forget their cultural background. They will not see themselves as an ethnic group and will blend wholeheartedly into the dominant society. Is this good or bad? It depends on how you look at it. Some parents have struggled with allowing their children to forget their culture so that they will have a better advantage in society. They will not have an accent when they speak, nor a docile character which allows others to take advantage of them. On the other hand, knowing what their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on, have experienced and sacrificed for, can help them visualize and hopefully appreciate what they have now. Knowing only what is in the textbooks, lets them see only one side of the story with the possibility of stereotyping ethnic groups. Hearing how the decisions of government affected the personal lives of their ancestors is an enlightening experience. This will give them the tool to not believe everything they read. It should make them question the real reasons behind the decisions made by leaders in their local, state, and country government.

posted by catwoman on 4/29/2008 12:32 pm

I believe that as educators we should embrace the students’ culture and particularly if we are living in an area like Calexico where Mexico is so close. There are many ways to do it such as attempting to learn the language or simply being interested by asking questions. Students with that kind of attitude demonstrated towards them would be more confident about their background.

posted by Vanny on 4/ 8/2008 6:07 pm

I am able to connect and understand that as teachers, parents need to be involve, and the community to be incoorperated to the school system. But the reality is another when a teacher is given a time line and assess on what their students are learning. The parents and community interest are tost aside. We are the teachers going into our old barrios and education our own, but in reality we are not in charge of what and how we educate.

posted by herrera on 4/ 8/2008 5:36 pm

Schools should welcome parents who want to get involved in the learning process, however most low social economic schools do not welcome parents of same backgrounds. Why? It surely isn't because they are afraid that the parnets would show them up. On the contrary these particualr type of schools do not think that the parents can contribute to their schools. I think that is ubsurd.

Most parents like mine are hard working, and provide for their families by working two some three jobs. These parents can contribute on a grand scale if schools would allow them.

If parents want to get involved and do not know how, the schools should show them and help them to become volunteers for their childrens' school.

Teachers eventually become instructional leaders. Likewise, parents can become valuable assests in the learnin community, if welcomed into schools as partners.

posted by pdawn on 3/11/2008 4:24 pm

Stories are the venue through which we pass on our cultural heritage and personal history. Children LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to hear stories. Stories about themselves, stories about their parents, stories about the people they know and people they don't know. Why shouldn't stories be used in the school setting, especially ones written by parents for their children, expressing their cultural heritage and personal history. I have learned to become a good story teller. I can drive with my children in a car, some of whom are adults now, and tell stories for as long as the drive takes. Verbal stories have a richness that the written word finds hard to copy. Inflection, tone, and many other nuisances are carried by a voice that the printed page can mimic, but not replace.I believe there is a place for both types of story telling. I simply prefer to tell my stories verbally. It is a way for our personal history to be preserved. It is also a way for our culture to be expressed and I think it brings validity to the things my children experience and believe. If I had to do my life over, perhaps I would choose to be a professional storyteller. Perhaps, it is still not too late......

posted by Buddies5 on 3/ 8/2008 2:28 am

I believe it is our responsibility as teachers to start communicating the need for students to be a part of their culture even as adults. Children love to hear stories from real people. Let's remind them of that when they are older and encourage them to return to their communities to tell stories. Unfortunately today's youth are more concerned with high tech. We as teachers must remind them that it is important for them to give back to their society. We also need to encourage parents to become more involved. Everybody seems to be so busy these days. We need to remind them as well that they owe it to the children to continue a sense of pride in their community.

posted by KathyG on 3/ 8/2008 1:06 am

I think we as adults and children alike learn more from stories our elders have told us or showed us than from any history book ever written. The written word is just that, written word. Stories are actual experiences that let us feel what was happening to that person telling the story. Depending on the story teller we can actually see and feel what was going on at the time. By allowing us to use our senses we are learning in a way we will never forget. Learning by just a book is not always beneficial. Words can be read and memorized for a test and then quickly forgotten. Words that are felt through a story will be ingrained in our minds forever, whether that story is sad or happy we will not forget those feelings as the story is being told. That being said let us as future teachers try to make a small change to how students are taught, especially those trying to learn a second language. Let's incorporate our rich culture and history by using storytelling when possible. All written word has a story in it somewhere, let's strive to find it and teach our kids how to embrace culture, community and education by feeling actual events that took place. Dodgers4

posted by Dodgers4 on 3/ 8/2008 1:03 am

Information from a text book is just information. Information from someone that witnessed the event, is personal. There are experiences that someone that can go through that no text book can ever reach. For me personally that information came from my father. He experienced the Vietnam war and there are events and experiences that he witnessed that no text can ever express the same way that he can.

Many older generations have experienced things throughout their lives that we read about in these text but definetly not the way that they are described in the text books. Culture, experiences, communities, that is education. Most of the information that is taught to you through text books is not memorable. As a child, you go through the motions and not much is retained.

posted by adominguez on 3/ 7/2008 11:59 pm

Having recently spent a lot of time observing in a classroom, I have come to notice what little influence family, history, and community has within the class. Plenty of time has been spent asking questions about characters, and various scenarios within a story, but it never seems to relate back to the students. I have started to notice how tuned out the kids seem to be, and I wonder, if they read a story that they can relate to, even just a little bit, would it make a difference?

I also notice that about 99% of the class period is instruction. What happened to allowing opinions! Why must it all be fact, and who am I to decide if what they think is right or wrong? I want to be the type of teacher that learns from the students, and gets to know the type of thinkers they are.

I also want to know about their cultures, and their family traditions! Here in town, there isn't a huge sense of community, like there must be in Calexico, but surely every child has something to contribute. If the students don't have a sense of community at home, let's create one for them within the classroom.

posted by LRE on 3/ 7/2008 9:08 pm

Reading this passage, the first thought that came to mind was that of those students that leave these areas in seek of a more intellectual education. I have come into contact with many people who have done exactly this, but most of them will not return to their community to educate their people. If they value their community as much as they say they do, why do they not give back to it? I agree that the culture of the community needs to be harnessed for the maximization of the education process of students. Who would be better to initiate these changes then the highest educated people from these communities? If the proper changes are to take place that allow the history and culture of these communities to be used in the education of students it must be the most educated people from these communities that come back to improve education.

posted by cmoore on 3/ 6/2008 11:48 pm

One of the greatest things that I have every learned is that everybody has a story. Knowing this can benefit you in every aspect of your life. Behind ever person you know is a great story full of history. As educators, it is our responisiblity to know the story of each of our students. This helps us understand where they come from, and where we can then dip into to reach these students.

posted by kmahaffey on 3/ 6/2008 9:28 pm

Ann Kashiwa states in her book MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS, "We are in the midst of a great human experiment. If this nation achieves unity through the celebration of its diversity, then we will have accomplished what no civilization has done."

If we, as educators, can achieve unity in our educational system, through celebration of diversity, possibly it can expand into the community, and beyond.....

posted by cindyandsons on 3/ 6/2008 12:31 pm

Much of what is said brings to mind Valenzuela; she explains that we learn through our culture, not just the language but also all the other facets such as music, art, history, stories, food etc. It is our upbringing and beliefs that has conformed us to who we are today thus, we need to continue to embrace and support everyone

posted by vblair on 3/ 4/2008 3:39 pm

Having a greater understanding of the lives of those from different cultures can give educators more insight into what can be done to help those who desire to achieve success. It can allow people to see beyond difference and recognize the authentic struggles people go through in order to provide their families, particularly their children, with a better life and greater opportunities. Sharing real life stories shows another side to families and allows others to relate better with empathy and understanding. I do believe that most parents desire a greater success than they experinced in their own lives for their families. Having said that I do think it is extremely important to give back to the communities from which we came but at the same time those in the communities need to strive to make an effort to change as well. A committment on both parts is vital for the progress of communities like Calexico. i also feel that the curriculum for children in Calexico should include their culture not disclude it. This gives all students the important feeling of pride within their own culture that can only add to the success of these students.

posted by nikkibaartman on 3/ 4/2008 2:10 pm

I love reading stories about people and the lives they have led. It gives me an appreciation and better understanding of where they come from, their struggles and achievements. When people share their lives through writing, they give life experiences to others that would have never had the chance to experienc them. It helps bring the readers life experiences to another level. Not necessarily higher or lower, but to another perspective of feeling life and emotion.

For instance, after my 5 month old baby died from heart failure due to a birth defect, I received numerous books from friends and family members to help me through this difficult time. The books that struck me most profoundly and helped me through the maddening depression or self defeating thoughts about what I could have done better to save him were the books written by parents who experienced tragedies themselves. They shared their deepest, darkest fears, struggles and emotions as well as their growth, appreciation for life, happiness and love. They helped me through emotions I was struggling with just through reading about theirs. The stories and ones I have journaled have helped me move on with joy in my life without forgetting. That is the wonderful thing about real life stores. Like Fernando wrote, "stories are not ephemeral episodes of irrelevant history." Stories are about life and they do integrate individuals in society and help bring about growth for the better.

posted by kspencer on 3/ 4/2008 6:06 am

My mother was born and raised in a poor small town 40 miles northwest of El Paso, Texas that is probably very similar to Calexico. She told me several stories about she and her siblings being the only pale Irish kids in a school full of kids with dark Hispanic skin. But she and her siblings got along with their classmates. I even think my mom and aunts and uncle associated more with the Hispanic culture than they did with their own Irish culture. My mom and her siblings, however, did something that few of her classmates did, they went to college. They were expected to stay in their small New Mexico town once they graduated, but none of them did. All 5 siblings moved out of state with 3 of them ending up in California. There just weren't enough jobs that would take my mom's family where they wanted to go professionally. We still go to my mothers hometown every so often. The place has grown in many ways. The population has exploded as have the job opportunities, but still not good enough to entice my mother to move back there. Every time I walk around that town I see a citizenry full of hard workers who value education. But, they can't succeed because the town doesn't have the professional jobs that allow them to move beyond their lower class upbringings.

People with college educations won't stay in a town that can only offer minimum wage jobs. The town needs to find a way to bring professional paying jobs into the community. This will in turn entice educated native citizens to stay and bring the city out of depression.

I have no doubt the children of Calexico can learn more if their culture and community is incorporated into their lessons. Hopefully they will have a better chance of getting a higher education. And once they have that education they can give back to the community that taught them. Once a person grows as an individual, then so does the community around him.

posted by MitziBerkowitz on 3/ 3/2008 11:59 pm

I find it to be very important to go back and give to your community. Often times, we hear of people who become very successful but never look back once they are "on the top." Many times when people become succesful, they forget who and where they were when they learned many life lessons that they still use today, or even who the people where that supported them when they where still trying to find their way. I know in my home city of Rialto, there are many people that cannot leave that area because of their lack of ambition or skill. I go back to the elementary schools yearly to volunteer my time to assist in the classrooms and talk to young children about college and setting their goals now. I want children to see that there is so much more to life than what is shown on television. I want to show them that despite what they believe, people that identify with their culture do more than play sports, rap, or sing. I have noticed that people, like myself, that come from the inner city, often give up because they do not see the succesful people in their neighborhoods. The only people that appear to be succesful in Rialto are Educators, postal workers, and hair stylist. Many people in Rialto do not finish college so usually they aspire to be a postal worker or work in a salon. I believe that when people live there home that they might consider "the hood or ghetto", we have to go back and show others what is needed to get out. This way I believe that society want be able to classify us into one area, one socio class, or even one type of dream.

posted by nburrell on 3/ 3/2008 4:42 pm

After reading this blog I started reflected back on how important education really is in many cultures. Growing up my dad always told us kids that education should be our first priority in life. He wanted all of us to attend college if we could and then we could get a "real job" so to say. This is very similar to the way other cultures might view education. They are able to be there for their children and encourage them to attend school. Although one thing that often holds these parents back is the language barrier, like Jose said in his comment above. They feel that they are not understood or often looked down upon because their language is different from someone else's language. As teachers we need to make sure that all cultures are being accepted and all children are being given an opportunity to be educated no matter what the culture is.

posted by cmagness on 3/ 2/2008 11:50 pm

I think these societies have been ignored for so long that I fear any solution would take time. money and patience. Lots of patience! The bad thing is that people with all the money and atthority to make decisions don't have the patience. Krashen's Input hypothesis stated when teaching others to learn a language aim higher than you expect they know(i+1). Well why don't we challenge ourselves as future teachers in the same way. Push ourselves and everyone around us to change the system that has ignored so many important attributes to learning for so LONG!!!!! Wes Behar

posted by WesBehar on 3/ 2/2008 5:59 pm

Having lived in El Centro which is less than 10 miles from the city of Calexico I can say that the families from this area have alot of pride in their culture as a strong reputation as being hard workers. Having lived in the El Centro are for over 20 years, I can truly say they truly are some of the hardest working people I have ever met. Part of what has been the most difficult obstacles for the communities of the Imperial Valley has been their remoteness of the area however the times have been changing.

While it is true that the majority of the community is largely Hispanic, there are other larger industries within that area such as a large farming community, as well as a large geothermal industry, sugar processing plant, a correctional facility (Ca. State Prison) a class one hazardous waste facility as well as various other smaller industries. Two additional factors adding to the growth of the Calexico/ El Centro area are due to having the Maquila doras right next door in neighboroing Mexacali and the opening of the port (the trade agreement) has also opened the doors to other business oppourtunities for the area.

Although progress has been slow in this part of the state, education still remains a top priority for these parents who see edcuation as the way out of for their children. Many of these folks want nothing more than for their children to become educated and to return to the area to work within their communities.

I too agree with Valenzuela in that when we build on what we inherit from out cultures not only we grow as individuals but so does our surrounding communites. This area is rich with culture- maybe thats why the communities have seen so much growth. dschaefer

posted by dschaefer on 3/ 2/2008 12:12 am

I think more than all hispanic families have alot of pride in their culture for being hard workers. Other than a history book, parents offer experiences, their countries life style, culture and much more than can contribute to a child's education. Their is no doubt parent's and communities want to help their kids in schools, but they feel useless because of the language barirer. On top of this they are ignored because they are not part of the curriculum.

We can not ignore this, for this is a big part of their history, their roots, their CULTURE. Like Valenzuela says we have to build from what they already know and not subtract their education. If we become aware of this the child gets knowledge not only from school, but from home and community. The child continues to learn and everyone is involved. A learning community.

posted by joserwwe on 2/22/2008 1:49 am

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