tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290378763228827913.post774266752968441272..comments2023-11-17T02:09:25.682-05:00Comments on All Mixed Up: Growing up MexicanLaura Maukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16015261399966730326noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290378763228827913.post-59862756544209750792011-06-03T00:50:09.693-04:002011-06-03T00:50:09.693-04:00SUCH a good point re: education, Maddy. I think yo...SUCH a good point re: education, Maddy. I think you are right. And WTF? Why is this the case? Thanks for a great comment.Laura Maukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16015261399966730326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290378763228827913.post-47886164455565632822011-05-31T11:58:18.997-04:002011-05-31T11:58:18.997-04:00Well, since my boyfriend is an American-born man o...Well, since my boyfriend is an American-born man of Mexican descent (though he says 'just call me Mexican') and teaches at a high school that is 99% Latino both to teens born here and not born here AND since I work with the public, I could go on and on and on about this topic. And what's sad is that it is so true. For example, there is a family from Oaxaca, where my boyfriend's family is from, who comes to all my library programs. The two young girls of this family have shared with me that meh, no Oaxaca for them. Do they love leche quemada ice cream, a Oaxacan specialty? No. Do they love mole? No. One of them doesn't even like chocolate! (Dios mio!) But I don't let that discourage me. I've gone on and one about the food and the places I went there, and now, after many months and finally seeing my photos, the girls have decided that WAIT A MINUTE, Oaxaca looks pretty awesome. And they talk about how much they want to visit. So many children of parents from Mexico and Central America really put distance between themselves and their heritage. I have a few personal observations or I could share story after story after story of others and how they feel about their mixed cultural and ethnic heritage in living here. But one thing that does come to mind that's less personal, but oddly enough, speaks to what is so true here, is something that a former patron brought up to me. She's studying for her PhD at UCLA, specializing in working with bilingual children and teens. And what she brought up to me is that the culture of Mexico and other Central American countries isn't part of formalized study, accessible to families. That there is such a Mexican presence in Southern California, it's just assumed that parents pass their cultural and their language to their children. But that's not really an accurate assessment. Many kids want to or just do identify more with American culture and many parents encourage their kids to distance themselves from what they perceive may hold them back. In Southern California, you can send your child to Chinese School, Hebrew School, Korean school and so on. In these schools, children can learn about cultural traditions and where those traditions come from as well as the language. But there's no special cultural school that serves the Spanish language communities. It's just assumed, oh, their parents are from (fill in the blank), so, they'll learn. But what they learn is casual, watered down and often, not even from their families. John could tell you that many of the kids he has taught don't even speak Spanish and make broad assumptions about their culture because it's what they observe through media..or hear through their friends. Of course, there are some schools that may provide classes or after-school programs that highlight a particular country's heritage for an hour or so, and there's National Hispanic Heritage Month, but there's really nothing consistent and far-reaching to give children and teens the information they really aren't introduced to until college, when they have more access to multicultural courses. I believe that if a multicultural, and I don't necessarily mean bilingual, but, definitely multicultural approach to education beginning at a very young age, there would be a more unified embrace of those cultures that are so present here in California. And, I think there should also be schools and afterschool "schools," that devote their entire coursework and/or funwork to cultures and ethnicities that represent significantly here. And, like many Chinese or Hebrew schools, these institutions are privately funded. Private institutions need to pick up and prosper where public institutions really don't have the infrastructure or ability at this time. I'm glad your grandparents gave you some memories that you have to share...and that make you proud:)Madeleine Kerrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10878497380245627598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290378763228827913.post-73004543520998705712011-05-27T09:24:26.953-04:002011-05-27T09:24:26.953-04:00Laura, how nice that we've exchanged grandmoth...Laura, how nice that we've exchanged grandmother stories . . . Like you I'm multi-racial, and my strongest sense of root and place came from my grandmothers (while my parents, for example, wanted me only to speak English). Your essay reminded me of Richard Rodriguez's (also poignant) memoir essays. Lovely.Mylènehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02115680037385496289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290378763228827913.post-42704648348937502202011-05-26T19:52:38.995-04:002011-05-26T19:52:38.995-04:00Thanks, Brianna. Good to know that you totally hea...Thanks, Brianna. Good to know that you totally hear me or identify with my sentiment. I thought the Mauk-Ramirez's were the only ones! xo.Laura Maukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16015261399966730326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290378763228827913.post-29737557628725517462011-05-26T11:02:16.894-04:002011-05-26T11:02:16.894-04:00Love this! This is definitely (being a halfy too) ...Love this! This is definitely (being a halfy too) something I struggled with as a child, in different ways. My dad is the worst Mexican ever. He doesn't even like hot sauce. But don't trip you know we still keep it Mexi at Christmas! One day Christina will realize what she's missing out on!Briannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09366471291632840729noreply@blogger.com