So I got to a private school for my graduate program. The only way to get a guaranteed good parking spot near the building where I have class is to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before 3 PM and wait for the the custodial/grounds keeping staff to clock out. Let me give you a demographic of my school before I go off on my rant. So there are 8,349 students at my school. Of those students, about 250 of them identify as Black or African American. Thats 3%... Additionally, 1251 or 15% of students identify as Latino. I am part of that 1251. The percentages of Black and Latino students has remained stagnant since 2002 in accordance to the population... ok so back to the custodial staff that I see. Mind you, I dont have the official numbers for this part but bear with me. The other day when I was waiting for my spot I counted the number of men walking to their cars. There were 15 of them and 13 of them spoke Spanish (I was eavesdropping for anecdotal evidence). Most of the people who work in the grounds keeping, custodial and food areas are Latino. While most of the faculty and staff who work in the beautiful buildings and offices are... well... not Latino... This reminded me of something... when I was a little girl I didnt think I could work where there were many white people because I believed those jobs werent for me. Its not that I had a defeated mindset but at age 6, I internalized racial and gender inequality gap... so much so that my biggest aspiration was to be a house mom. I thought that was the greatest job ever. Granted, I still hold parenting at a high esteem and not because of the prescribed role but because I understand all it entails. Nevertheless, I didnt see people like me in white jobs so I concluded they were not for me. It is difficult, and for many children unfathomable, to picture themselves in a position where they dont see someone similar to them. As soon as we are born, little human beings begin to imitate everything around. Behaviors, gestures, expressions, coping mechanisms. etc. Notice when you get mad, what do you do that your parent does? I, for a fact, purse my lips and clench my jaw. I also yell the most creative verses of profanity and get real cynical. When I was a little girl and talked back to my mom I knew I had to get ready to duck outta the way from a flying shoe or dodge a smack or two just by the way she pursed her lips. Lemme just say that my mom is freaking awesome and anyone who says or thinks otherwise is getting ready to get these hands. But in all honesty, who the heck likes a smart-mouthed kid...? And I had a mouth... still do. Anyway, the point of this story is that I imitated her behavior, both negative and positive. I also imitated her habits. She is unconquerable and resilient. And my dad, my dad does what he knows is best and is always doing the right thing. I like to think that although they were not these stereotypical highly prestigious Latinos in the US, their hard work and diligence fostered an enduring and headstrong daughter. I think that to a great extent, they understood that I needed me to be a role model. And I dont consider myself the epitome of what a successful woman is. However, I do think that when I talk to the middle school girls who have immigrant parents, who are raised in difficult neighborhoods, who dont have a traditional household or whose brown skin and accent resemble mine, theyre mindset changes. I know this because they tell me. My mom was a single mom and she came from Mexico They reply with So did my mom! Ms, where did you say you went to college? Did you get straight As? That curiosity brings so much promising hope to my heart. Because I know that their parents, much like mine, are hardworking and humble who want better futures for their sons and daughters. So when I see these Latino men, tired and sweating from a long day at work, clocking out and giving me my parking spot close to the SOLES building, I see my parents. I greet them and ask how their day went. I speak to them in Spanish. I make it an effort to show them that the generation that follows them is making it. Representation is so so so important.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:03:49 +0000