Friday, April 9, 2010

Program Reflection Question #4

How have your perceptions of Latino culture changed as a result of this program?

17 comments:

  1. Before this program began, I really knew nothing about Latinos. I thought they were basically people from Latin America who spoke Spanish. I never really took any initiative in interacting with any Latinos, despite the fact that they take a up a huge percentage of our city, and it would definitely have been worthwhile to get to know my neighbors.
    Now, this program has opened my eyes to the depth and diversity of Latinos. No more do I see them as just a group of people. After my opportunities to converse with fellow Latino teenagers and through the research of my project (this blog) I've discovered a rich culture that the Latino's of this city embraces and celebrates. Also, the similarities between Latinos and Jews were astonishing, in terms of our focus on food and family. But also discovering the differences in the Latino community has in my mind now brought them down from an aloof group to real individuals.
    -Josh N

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  2. My perception of Latino cultures changed for a number of reasons. First, it was great to meet Jorge first hand as an example of a Latino Jew. Secondly, I learned that Latinos are made up of many different cultures with different socially constructed norms. It was a reminder to me that it is not okay to stereotype all Latinos as "Mexican" just as it is not okay to stereotype Jews. It was great to have the opportunity to talk with the Latino high school students first hand. In this way, I was able to ask questions and they were able to do the same.

    Mara L.

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  3. From this program, I learned that Latinos have a very rich culture and the many countries that Latinos represent a different side to Latino culture.

    -Jonathan S.

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  4. Growing up in a different country myself and making the move over here I can closely relate to many of the issues that Latinos are dealing with. Since the very first week of moving here I’ve worked on a daily bases with Latinos, most of them didn’t speak English. I’ve learned to appreciate and gained a lot of respect to those people who shared the same values I live by; family values, hard work and good morals and ethics. This program has been excellent to many of the Jewish students who didn’t get a chance to interact with this wonderful community. For myself I believe this current individual project part will be the most beneficial in better understanding the culture. My group is meeting with Latinos once a week and discussing issues like: Homeland attachment, media bias about our communities, stereotypes that bother us and more.
    To build bridges between our communities is to first create lasting personal friendships. But to me it also means that when someone outside of the Latino community will ask me or comment about a dilemma that Latino’s are dealing with, I’ll be able to answer him with the Latino point of view on it just like I am a Latino and vice-versa. If someone will ask one of my friends they will be able to describe the Jewish-Israeli point of view.

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  5. The Latino community, like the Jewish community has had its share of struggles but learning from Roosevelt students about everything that they and their families have overcome has been so meaningful to me.

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  6. My perception of the Latino community is now one I can relate to more, and I now am more aware of what they face (in a discriminated way) and how they live their lives differently than that of "American born citizens." I learned a lot about how similar our cultures are and yet how little we know of one another, and hopefully it is something we can work at fixing.

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  7. I’ve been told the two cultures have parallels in being conservative in the past although I didn’t realize how similar the struggles and values have been as well. I now see all of the great resistance both of our societies and cultures have gone through and continue to go through today in other ways.

    I have come to realize that we all have a story of our own yet we have and continue to undergo many similarities and challenges to overcome and succeed. This enables us all not only to feel for each other but better understand each others pain and grief if need be and some how do what is in our reach to help one another and support one another.

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  8. My perception of Latinos has so greatly changed. i am embarrassed to say that i did not know too much about the Latino culture and was too quick to call all the different groups as one. now i realize that there are so many branches of latinos, based on where they come from, their religious beliefs, etc. In addition, i have a much better appreciation for Latinos and what they are willing to do for their families amazes me. I can see how great their dedication is and their loyalty and that is something that i strive for

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  9. My perception of the Latino culture has changed drastically. I never knew how many different areas Latinos came from. I always used to associate every Latino with Mexico, but now I know that there are so many branches of Latinos that differ greatly. I also learned that we share so much with Latino students our age, as well as how much of our histories overlapped.

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  10. My perception of the Latino culture has changed because I never really knew how different the Latino culture is within the the culture itself. It was shocking for me to see how far Latino cultures go to keep their traditions within their families along with keeping safe and strong.
    It was also special for me to see that the Latino students are exactly like all of us, with a difficult background but rich traditions that still manage to live on.

    Doreen Gal

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  11. Gabriela BeroukhimApril 22, 2010 at 9:03 PM

    My perception has changed drastically. I've discovered how Latino culture embraces family, holidays and customs much like Jewish culture. I have also found that using the term Latino is very vague and can constitute a variety of people, much like a Jew can be Sephardi or Ashkenazi. Overall, I know that my perception was initially very naive and there is still much more to learn about the rich Latino culture.

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  12. I never doubted that the Latino culture was diverse and wonderful, but before participating in this program, I wasn’t truly exposed to the Latino culture to the extent that I have been now. Through lectures, interactions with adults from the Latino community, and meeting with Latino students, I have been able to learn about the past history of Latinos, their struggles today, and their accomplishments thus far. I have been able to grow an even greater respect and admiration for the complexity of the growing Latino culture.

    When we first met with the Latino students, I spoke with a student about my family’s struggle from Iran to America and how they adjusted to the culture here while holding on to their past traditions. She too explained how her parents faced difficulties moving from Mexico to California and in addition to adjusting to the American lifestyle, her family also has a very strong connection to their past culture and traditions, incorporating them into their daily lives. This allowed me to begin thinking about not only do the Jewish and Latino communities have many similarities that can bring them together, but also the Persian and Latino communities because both communities consist of individuals who made a new life for themselves in America in hopes of a better future. I respect the Latino culture and continue to see how they are similar to my culture, a way of bringing communities together.

    -Jessica K.

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  13. My perceptions of Latino culture have changed drastically due to this amazing program. The Latino culture has always been one the has interested me ever since I started taking Spanish class in 8th grade. But in reality, the only things I knew about Latino culture came from my textbooks. Living in Los Angeles, I have always interacted with Latinos on a very basic level, but this program changed my viewpoints about them, and also gave me a firm understanding of their culture.

    Before this program, I have had a few Latino friends and I have partly immersed myself in their cultures, but this program truly allowed me to interact with Latinos in ways that I never expected. Being apart of the the Cooking project, we have discovered the common aspect of food within our two cultures. This has allowed for a common aspect of our culture to begin the discussions regarding other components that our cultures may share. I no longer feel intimidated by a culture that seems foreign to me because I now grasp an understanding of the Latino culture.

    -Hayley G.

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  14. My perceptions of the Latino culture have altered through the Jewish Leadership for a Diverse World Program. I have never had an opportunity like this to interact with Latinos from the city of Los Angeles.I have been taking Spanish class for the past 4 years and all I really knew about the Latino culture is from my teacher's experiences and stories. Last year I took part in my school's Mexico Exchange Program and I learned about the Jewish population in Mexico City; however, this year I have been able to understand that there are many different traditions and customs belonging to each Latino culture. As a teenager in a private school I have not been given the opportunity to learn about the struggles and traditions of different Latinos until this program.

    I have learned that there are many similarities between many Latinos and me for example my family's past, my current goals, and my future aspirations. I understand that in order to better connect with another culture I must identify similar characteristics and similar interests before I am able to learn about our differences. In this program I was given the opportunity to learn about my Jewish heritage and then compare it to the Latino History. I was able to establish a rapport when meeting the Latinos based on our similar interests such as music and future plans. Then I learned about one of the Latino's family life and that she lives with only her mother. I learned about her optimistic view and love for her mother, both traits of which I carry. This program has given me lessons and new understandings that I will be able to use in my future.

    -Miriam E.

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  15. As a result of the program, I have certainly seen the richness and depth of Latino culture. I was unaware of how much Latino culture has been absorbed into the society I live in without even realizing it. I have also discovered that Latino culture extends far beyond delicious food, namely tacos.

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  16. My perception of the Latino culture is very different now than it was before. In the past I would make quick generalizations of all Latinos as a result of my lack of knowledge and interactions with Latinos. Today however, I understand that the term Latinos is very broad and it includes a large number of countries, religions, and backgrounds.
    -Daniella Golbari

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  17. This program has allowed to me to see the Latino culture in a different light. I had a set idea about Latinos and now my perception has completely changed. I realize that their culture has subcultures. Usually, Latinos are seen as one big group, but I have learned that each person has a different background.

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