Letters to the editor (Fall Jobs 2003)
These are letters we received in response to our September 2003 issue.
Don’t Judge My Style
I was reading the article about style by Paulina Ayvar, 16, from Westchester HS. Being in high school, for most people style is a big deal. But for me I guess it’s not that big of a deal. Sure, I like clothes. But I just mostly wear black and other dark colors. A few years back I stopped believing in God. Some people say I should just become a Goth. Sometimes it just makes me mad just how little they know me.
—Julio Coreno, Hollywood HS
My Mexican Family
It was really interesting to see how Valentina’s father worked to get this far. There are hundreds of men like him, who came to the United States with a dollar and they started doing whatever to succeed and earn money to send to their families in Mexico. I also liked the way she wrote about being Mexican and speaking Spanish. We teenagers have to keep celebrating our traditions and not forget our roots. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have to honor the American flag. Latinos, we have to keep it up.
—Denisse Castellon, Hollywood HS
I thought this was a great article because Valentina talks about how frustrating it is when people mistake her for being something other than Mexican. She also mentions the struggles her parents went through when they came to the United States and how they succeeded and made a good life for themselves and their children. She did a great job explaining everything with detail.
After reading the article I was touched because I also come from a Mexican family that is just as united and traditional and struggled when first arriving in the United States. I can also relate to how she feels when people mistake her for being something other than Mexican. She says that people from Mexico think she’s a "fresa" meaning rich snob, and people here in the United States think she’s a wannabe. When I was growing up, I too, was thought to be something other than Mexican. When people found out I was Mexican they were surprised. When I went to Mexico people assumed I didn’t speak Spanish and thought I was rich.
When Valentina started talking about the celebrations and traditions in her family, I felt happy because I know the meanings of those celebrations, and it brought back memories of when my family gets together. I guess the reason why I enjoyed Valentina’s article so much was because it brought back memories and it reminded me of the joy and pride in Mexican traditions and heritage.
—Angelica Rizo, Hollywood HS