My 5 questions for task two

1.      Where were you raised as a child?

2.      Was you refused education growing up?

3.      Was you able to graduate high school?

4.      How was your school experience growing up?

I would ask these questions because I don’t know much about my subject and if their school education was denied or allow. But I also don't know what esle to ask my subject.

Response to “Casa: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood”

Response to “Casa: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood”

       The cuenots in her memoir are women stories because she was a women herself growing up in a Puerto Rican home. In addition, women found telling stories kind of like an outlet. Their grandmother was the main storyteller in the family.  They also found it like bonding time for them without the men being around. In addition, women are more open to tell about things that have happened to them.  The women stories are like warning signs to tell the younger what to watch out for, as they get older.

            The equivalent for the boys in the family would be the grandfather would be the main storyteller. Instead of them sitting around a room in rocking chairs, they might outside playing a game of football or catch. As they, play they would tell stories and the younger men would listen to the stories. They would give advice to each other. The uncles and grandfather are the main ones to tell the stories while the younger boys just play and listen.

           

Task two questions

I'm interested in writing about one of my two grandmothers.

Why are you interested in these subjects?
    I'm interested in writing both of these subjects because of my grandmothers grew up in the 1950's and early 1960's. Around this time was segregation.
     
What makes him/her interesting and unique?
        What makes one of my grandmothers interesting is that she grew up in Mississippi and had to pick cotton and go to school.  And my other grandmother had to teach herself her homework because her mother past away when she was 12 and she had eight other siblings and their Big Mama had to raise all of them.

What sort of questions would you ask and why?
        I would ask both of my grandmothers how it felt not being able to have other friends besides their own race.

What sort of problems do you think may arise for Task Two?
           I think the sort of problems I might have is coming up with questions to ask my subject.

What do you anticipate? Why?
      I anticipate that this will be a hard but interesting paper. Because I never had to interview someone for a paper but also it would be interesting because both my grandmother's tells interesting stories.

What questions do you have for Task Two?
            I don't understand how to turn my interview questions into a story for the paper.

My Self Evaluation for task one

What is the thesis for your paper?

      My thesis for my paper is my younger cousin and how she's been through a lot since her mother past away but she still tries to be strong.

List the main points you make in your paper.

   The 1st main point is how my cousin changed after my aunt past away.

   The 2nd main point is how my cousin and her father don't get along.

   The 3rd main point is how my cousin is a victim of child abuse.

   The last main point is how my cousin been moved from school to school.

What was the most helpful advice you received from your peer evaluation?

       The most helpful advice was for me to look at the organization of my paper.

What was the most helpful information you received in class for your paper?

       The most helpful information I received is to read my paper aloud to check for errors.

      

Task One

My significant Cousin


She’s actually gone. We will never be able to see her again. July 31st, 2001 is the worst day of my life. My aunt Kelly has past away leaving her husband and 5-year-old daughter. How will this affect Montae, my cousin? Does she remember her mother? These questions run through my mom, dad, and grandma’s heads.

Ever since my aunt passed away, my little cousin has not been the same. She is quite, doesn’t say much to anyone. When school started, she would cry when the teacher talked about mother’s day or anything that has to do with moms. I would have to leave my class to go comfort her. My cousin and my aunt were close. Every time you see my aunt, you saw my cousin. My aunt dressed my cousin up in little cute outfits. My cousin is a very closed up, she doesn’t tell people her feelings. I think that with my aunt gone my cousin hasn’t been able to live her childhood like she should be.

For the past nine years, my cousin has been through hell. Her and her dad hasn’t been on the same page since her mom passed away. They fight over everything. Her dad has been in many relationships that he sometimes forgets that my cousin is his daughter. My cousin never gets along with his girlfriends because as she grows older she realizes that her dad wasn’t treating her right. He has been keeping her mother’s social security check from her and not taking care of her. He would take the money and spend on himself or his new girlfriend. He would have my cousin in clothes that were too small for her and shoes that hurt her feet. This was a reason why they fought.

My little cousin witness domestic violence and has been a victim of child abuse. He dad is the reason behind this. The abuse has been growing with every new girlfriend he gets. At first, he was just abusing his girlfriends. Not all of them stayed around afterwards but the last girlfriend has been staying around for about 4 years now. She had two of my cousin’s half brother and sister. Her and my cousin doesn’t get along at all. However, ever since my cousin’s dad n his girlfriend got together is when my cousin started to get abused. Her dad has beaten her for the littlest things. One time he almost broke her ankle. Every time that has happen, my mom goes and saves my cousin and she lives with us for a week or so.

Ever since my aunt has been gone, my little cousin has been to a minimum of seven different schools. She is now in her freshman year in high school. My cousin has lived in almost every apartment and house in Kansas City, MO. Her dad would move in either his girlfriend’s place or his own place but could never pay bills on time. For about two years, my cousin had lived with us. Then she moved back with her dad. My mom wasn’t too happy about my cousin always moving from school to school. It wasn’t until this past two years my mom has decided to fight my cousin’s dad for custody. In addition, it hasn’t been an easy two years for my mom or my cousin.

My little cousin who is now 14 years has not had the easiest life. She has been through more than people know. However, she is the strongest and most outgoing teenager I ever know. She still gets emotional when we talk about her mom but she doesn’t let it stop her from living her life. My mother has soul-custody for her, now she’s in a stable home. My little cousin is now enjoying her life as a kid. She still keeps in contact with her dad and half-siblings. My little cousin is now my little sister.

Response to "Becoming a Chicano"

Response to “On Becoming a Chicano”


My racial identity is Mixed-American. It is not an actual name, but I’m not full African-American nor am I half-white and black. I’m mixed with Black, Indian, Irish, and Italian. When I tell people, what my racial identity is they laugh and tell me I’m a mixed-breed, like I’m a dog. The struggles I face are being made fun of because I’m not just one race. When I was a kid, I use to get teased about not being just one. At the time, I didn’t even know what I was. However, as I got older my grandmother on my mom’s side became to explain to me what race is and what I was. She helped me see that people shouldn’t judge off what other people look like.

My experiences are similar to Rodriguez, by when he said he forgot what he was when his teachers was forcing him to change the way he spoke by telling him he had to speak English. When I was in school, I was forced to mark on state test that I was African-American. I couldn’t put everything down that I was mixed with. My mother told me that the test didn’t care about what people’s racial identity was. Therefore, I had to live with just marking that I was African-American. That was the only experience similar to Rodriguez.

Response to "How it Feels to Be Colored Me"

Response to “How it Feels to Be Colored Me”


I label myself as a social, outspoken, fair, and honest person. I been in a mixed school, also in an all dominate white school. I never knew the difference in colors because in my home we were never taught, you’re the black girl and the neighbors are white. Everyone was the same and all people are equal. I treat everyone the same no matter their colored. In my day-to-day life, I don’t find myself running into problems like other colored females. Some judge people before they get to know others. I don’t judge people because I know what it’s like to be judged. I find myself in the middle of some arguments. Because I been on both sides of arguments. My self-identity as showed me that it is better to be yourself and don’t let others change who you are just because of you color.

Zora and I are somewhat like. She doesn’t see color in her own town. She sees everyone as the same. It wasn’t until she was forced to move into a different school when she seen that she was colored. I didn’t realize a difference in me being colored until I went to another school. Still I wasn’t treated different from the white children. I was just a little darker than they were.