Conversation 6

Describe one identity that you have that you are most proud of and explain why. Describe also one identity that you either are not proud of, or struggle with. Explain why you are not proud of this identity or why you struggle with it.

I am proud to be of Chinese descent, Chinese culture is incredibly rich, with thousands of years of history, traditions, art, and philosophy, and has developed into one of the world’s powerful countries that cannot be ignored. I struggle with my educational identity, I am currently a college student studying studio art, and I want to be a designer or concept designer in the future. Everything is on the right track now, and I have been admitted to the college I want to transfer to. However, AI has developed rapidly in recent years. AI can already draw what the user wants according to the user’s request with a very high degree of completion. This puts pressure on me, and I doubt that my current educational identity will get me the career I want in the future.

After reading the article “The Potential and Promise of Latino Students” discuss one new thing you learned about the Latino population. Be specific and explain your thoughts and reactions regarding what you read and learned.

I learned that Latino students lag far behind white and Asian students academically and educationally. “In eighth grade, the performance of all students dropped with 19 percent of Latinos scoring proficient, compared with 13 percent of African American students, 20 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native students, 43 percent of white students, and 61 percent of Asian students”(Pg 2). I was surprised. I know that Latinos already make up a large portion of the U.S. population. I was exposed to a lot of Spanish and Mexican people in school, but I never felt or noticed that their education levels were any different from those of us from other races. I do not feel that my Latino classmates are falling behind at all, I even feel that they are smarter in some ways.

Choose one of the videos assigned this week. What is the main argument of the video? What reasons are used to support the argument? What are your personal thoughts and reactions to what was presented in the video?

“Defining Latino: Young People Talk Identity, Belonging” NBC

The argument or theme of this video revolves around how Latino youth define their identity. The video features interviews with young Latinos residing in the United States, all of whom share a common thread in how they define themselves—through factors such as their skin color, physical appearance, family heritage, and the language they use. Also, they all remain positive about their future prospects in the United States. This country will give them many opportunities in the future.

“When you have pushed another human being towards the light, towards positivity, towards a voting booth, towards using their power, you are powerful.” This is what one of the interviewees in the video, Gina, said. While this statement may not directly align with the video’s theme, its inherent wisdom and motivational power inspire me to become an influential person who can motivate and inspire others to move towards a positive path.