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El Laberinto, 1971-1987

8

The schools haven't really liften us educationally. The police -- well, they haven't been the most cooperative agency in the government either. You accept our Spanish words as long as we don't speak them, because if we do, you say they're "poor" Spanish -- not Castilian; so our language can't be very good -- it's almost like swearing. We are usually Catholics and sometimes Protectants, but in either case we have our own churches. You only say we can leave our barrios to live near you -- that is, only if we stay in our own place. When we attend your parties to meet your friends, you usually introduce us as being Spanish or something else that we are not. You are ashamed of what we are, and your attitude makes us feel that we, too, should be ashamed of what we are. When we go to school, we don't take part in your school activities; we don't think we're wanted. We seldom participate in aports; we don't run for student offices; we don't go to your school dances; we aren't valedictorians at graduations; we seldom win recognition are seldom given lead parts in school plays. The higher in education we go, the more obvious are the double standards; yet, we haven't given up.
Who are we? Some call us the forgotten people; others call us chili snappers, tacos, spics, mexs, or greasers. Some ignore us and pretend that we don't exist. Some just wish we would go away. The last U.S. Senator Chavez from New Mexico once said, "AT the time of war we are called 'the great patriotic Americans' and during elections politicians calls us 'the great Spanish-speaking community of america.' When we ask for jobs, we are called 'those damn Mexicans.'"
Who am I? I'm a human being. I have the same hopes that you have, the same fears, same drives, same desires, same concerns, and same abilities. I want the same chance that you have to be an individual. Who am I? In reality, I am who you want me to be.

*This essay was written by a student in the seventh grade.

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8 The schools haven't really liften us educationally. The police -- well, they haven't been the most cooperative agency in the government either. You accept our Spanish words as long as we don't speak them, because if we do, you say they're "poor" Spanish -- not Castilian; so our language can't be very good -- it's almost like swearing. We are usually Catholics and sometimes Protectants, but in either case we have our own churches. You only say we can leave our barrios to live near you -- that is, only if we stay in our own place. When we attend your parties to meet your friends, you usually introduce us as being Spanish or something else that we are not. You are ashamed of what we are, and your attitude makes us feel that we, too, should be ashamed of what we are. When we go to school, we don't take part in your school activities; we don't think we're wanted. We seldom participate in aports; we don't run for student offices; we don't go to your school dances; we aren't valedictorians at graduations; we seldom win recognition are seldom given lead parts in school plays. The higher in education we go, the more obvious are the double standards; yet, we haven't given up. Who are we? Some call us the forgotten people; others call us chili snappers, tacos, spics, mexs, or greasers. Some ignore us and pretend that we don't exist. Some just wish we would go away. The last U.S. Senator Chavez from New Mexico once said, "AT the time of war we are called 'the great patriotic Americans' and during elections politicians calls us 'the great Spanish-speaking community of america.' When we ask for jobs, we are called 'those damn Mexicans.'" Who am I? I'm a human being. I have the same hopes that you have, the same fears, same drives, same desires, same concerns, and same abilities. I want the same chance that you have to be an individual. Who am I? In reality, I am who you want me to be. *This essay was written by a student in the seventh grade.