When I look at myself and see the things that I have accomplished and have yet to accomplish, pride runs through me as I see the harvest of what I have cultivated. My story is somewhat different from those of many Latinos because of specific struggles that I have faced throughout my life and still do. I do not discredit those Latinos that I see in college today who are also furthering their education because it makes me appreciate what we Latinos stand for. Although as a Latino not born in the United States, my life has taken on a different role because of the many circumstances that have come my way.
My life began in Mexico City where my parents moved after facing the many hardships of living in a town in Puebla, Mexico that did not provide for them nor the family that they were trying to raise. Once my elder siblings were born as well as I, was when my parents knew they had to set a strong foundation for us, and it was this that forced them in search of the “American dream”. This is where my grasp for a better education began. It was a result of feeling left behind by my parents that created my motivation to submerge myself in education when I was just six years old and it continued even after I rejoined my parents in the the United States after two years.
Once here I was able to dedicate myself to (1) acquiring the language and (2) to assimilate into the culture of the United States. I do not refer to the culture of the United States as the American culture because the American culture is an open spectrum that includes North, Central and South America. It is a term that has been overlooked and under-credited because of the power of the United States. Going back to my acquiring the language and assimilation I was quickly engulfed in the education that I was being offered.
Continuing from second grade I picked up the English language and after three years of hard work I became the valedictorian of my elementary school, which was a great reward for my parents whose wishes were coming true. My post education continued in the same pattern throughout my junior high school and high school career. Though the experiences that I encountered in between is what shaped my appreciation for education. These experiences comprise of my involvement with gangs, violence and drugs. Of these acts I do not repent nor am I ashamed of because it allowed for my choice of two paths that I had in front of me, which was getting and an education versus following a path that would end in jail or death. This I appreciate because it exposed me to a reality that many Latinos face in their adolescent years.
Any study can show reasons why Latinos drop out of high school or do not continue onto college, yet they cannot fully understand our reality because they are not in our place. In my life, I have seen people drop out of school because of personal reasons such as money, family issues, or their affiliation with gangs have cost them their life. In a way it has served as an example of why I should not pursue that avenue, but my logic comes from much more than that. My family is the justification of why I deserve, as well as they do, better than that. My parents came here in a life threatening
experience to secure my reach for an education and this is what I am not willing to throw away.
I am an undocumented student who cannot afford a huge effort to go in vain because of the common hardships that a Latino adolescent confronts. My situation is a representation of how education has changed my life. I am not able to receive financial aid, get a legal job, nor travel to seek opportunity. Yet, it motivates me to not look back rather endure and go beyond what little is offered to me. In order to understand my feelings of a Latino acquiring an education my past and present reality must be taken into consideration.
When I look at other Latinos who do not pursue an education I know I cannot pass judgment on their decisions. Rather it disheartens me to look around and know that the majority of the Latino population will not make it this far as a direct result of the discriminatory systems in place. It goes beyond the misfortunes of dealing with language barriers, inadequate school structures due to the fact that they are funded by local resident’s taxes, so when the community is impoverished our school systems and resource allocated toward education are greatly hindered. The solution can be found in the community itself where the many distortions begin.
I am able to allocate for this solution because of the current involvement that I have through Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Inc. that I joined a few months ago. Their mission is to empower and unite young Latino men in education through the community and it is dedicated to “developing in its members an awareness of the common values and traditions of the nations of Latin America and to preparing them to become active participants in the process of advancing the social and economic conditions of all Latin Americans”. I am not allocating for everyone to join Phi Iota Alpha rather presenting a possible solution that people should look into these type of organizations as well as educating themselves in the social issues that surrounds them. I am also trying to accomplish this and it is one of the reasons why I am a part of the executive board of the Dream Team club at Brooklyn College, which is a club that creates a space for undocumented students and their supporters and provide them with viable information, resources and emotional support. It is an opportunity to help myself and those students who are also affected by such unjust immigration laws. At the same time it serves as an example to give back to the community and support a movement that has a bigger cause than gaining citizenship for high academic achieving students. It is taking a stance against the unfair opportunities that are offered to young Latinos and non-Latinos furthering their right to an education.
Acknowledging and understanding my motivation for the pursuance of an education I have concluded that it comes from the negative aspects that I have confronted throughout my life. Exchanging them for a positive actuality has set me in the correct direction. This means that in order for us to truly appreciate what we have we should not have it to begin with. It sets our standards and goals at a higher perspective, which in turn generates us to work callously. I do not mean to say that people should begin with nothing, but to comprehend that there are others who are less fortunate and for such reason we must appreciate what we have and what we can reach for.
A few weeks ago I went to the protest at Wall street because I felt that I had to be involved in society. After marching and chanting “we are the 99%” I had a realization; I am NOT the 99% because I have made it this far through my experiences, paying for college out of pocket and reaching for higher goals in education and in the community. The words of motivation that I say to myself every time I feel an obstacle or situation is preventing me from proceeding are, “Be determined, whatever situation that you are in now, be content with it because it can be worse”. With that said, I am proud to be a struggling undocumented Latino student in college that faces reality every step of the way.
-Cesar Ventura
