The Importance Of Language And Identity

My own cultural/ethical background explains a lot of who I am, and the values and beliefs that I have developed throughout the course of my life. I was born in Chile, however, all my ancestors were from Italy. Both of my great-grandparents emigrated to Chile during the nineteenth century after the Spanish Civil War, leaving the rest of their family members behind. They spoke little Spanish, and as a result, my grandparents were taught to speak Italian as a first language. As the family began to establish their roots in Chile, both sides of my family went through a very difficult time trying to adapt to the new cultural expectations, and adjusting to what was considered to be “normal” for Chilean people. As my grandparents recall, my great-grandparents

At this particular moment in my life, and considering the fact that I only spoke like English, for the first time I felt discriminated and victimized by the American society. Even though, I already had my degree in Educational Psychologist, once I moved to the states I was not able to provide services due to the lack of communication skills, and poor understanding of the American culture. I felt discriminated and part of the minority group of Latinos. I was thought to be Mexican, and compared with illegals, criminals, and bulgers just because I could not speak the language, and my Hispanic physical traits. We left Chile for a better life in America, however we stood up to terrible stereotypes about and discrimination of the American to the Latinos. I began to realize how other people had felt in my own country, and how Latinos, and other minority groups might have felt oppressed and discriminated in this country. This was one of the reasons why I decided to become involved in different cultural activities that could allow me having a better understanding of the American society. I did not want to forget or reject my own European and Hispanic heritage, however, I knew I had to begin adapting to this new way of