Peacemaker Mother

  

Peacemaker Mother

Independent like a bird who learned how to fly

Talkative, outgoing, and confident is how she’s described

Within forty-two years of her life she overcame many obstacles

Sitting down

I look at her and see nothing but a smile

Courageous like a tiger is what she’s become

Sweet like a candy bar

Reminds me to disregard the ones who judge
but challenge them

To show them who I really am

So generous she’d give the little that she has to help the ones in need

Nothing compared to a world full of diamonds

‘Cause she’s determined in every challenge

To me she’s irreplaceable and priceless

Always strikes for the best and nothing less

Her advice to me is one of a kind

Every time I want to give up, it pops up on my mind

All the things I do are dedicated to her

Yet I know that for me she does way more

Her motto is never let your weaknesses take over you

‘Cause you’re strong enough to face them

She’s my one and only loveable mom!

By: Karen Carrillo, 11th grade, Washington Prep.

Fun in the Sun

By Olivia Christon,Literary Analysis, Grade 12 Washington Prep HS

An important place to me is the beach where I go every year in July. I associate the beach with my family and friends. The significant events that happen at the beach are on July 4 where everyone comes out to eat, talk, relax in the sun, swim at the beach and build sand castles. The place is located at the lagoon at Playa Del Rey across the street from the beach. The smells at the beach are barbeque that is cooking on the grill, fish from the ocean, and rice and beans with chicken. The sound at the beach is the water crashing on the rocks, the children laughing in the background, and the seagulls cawing while they fly overhead looking for food. The color at the beach is the blue ocean, light brown sand, the green seaweed in the ocean smells fishy and different color clothes that people are wearing.  The beach relates to my sense of identity because it reminds me of my bedroom a place where I can relax and listen to my music, school where I talk with my friends, and a movie theatre.  This is a place where you can see people being happy and having fun. My friend and I are like family.  We go across the street to the beach with her little sister to play in the water and make sand castles.

Peace of Mind

Peace of Mind- “I AM”

By Dazia Ratliff, 11th grade Washington Prep HS

When asked to discuss a place that relates to my identity, at first I felt a little perplexed. My whole life I never connected places to identity; however, for this assignment, I was asked to identify that unique place.

After searching for ideas of locations, I finally came up with the perfect spot: Venice Beach!

Venice Beach-the place that was once called “Muscle Beach” is where I am free.

It’s a place where I go by myself and relax, listen to music, and let all my emotions out while gazing at the waves.

Here, I can chill with my friends, family, boyfriend, brothers, and sisters. The events that can happen at Venice Beach are picnics, family reunions, parties and more.

The sounds I love to listen to are the sounds of the waves crashing, the laughter of my friends and family, and when we start to sing a song. The smell that I love is Bar-B-Que’ and the smell of chocolates melting on the graham crackers. The colors that I love to associate with are the blue water, the light brown sand, the light blue sky, the multi-color shacks, and the multi-color blankets, and more. The last time that I went to Venice Beach was two weeks ago with my best friend and I had to let go of all my emotions.

I identify with this beach because it allows me to forget about the pain and suffering that is inescapable at my home and school. There is no yelling there, no fighting, and no belittling there…it’s just one happy island….a place to get peace of mind.

Do the traditions of our parents affect us nowadays?

 

By, Karen Carrillo, 11th grade- Washington Prep. High School

Many people nowadays are still facing most of the traditions that their parents taught them when they were young. Some of these traditions include: men controlling women, children obeying their parents-no questions asked, and women remaining docile and subservient. Even though we have progressed a long way as a country, we still have a lot more to do.

To begin with, in Hispanic culture men have control over the women regardless of whether they want to or not. According to the Yasmin Davidds Garridos' article, "Facing the Truth about Our Traditions," “men want to be able to control the income, independence, and outspokenness of their women.” I conclude that there isn’t any justification for men to have control over what a woman should or should not be able to do. In the movie, Real Women have Curves, Ana, the protagonist’s, dad has complete control over her mother. He tells Carmen when she can or cannot talk. Just because you are married to a person doesn’t give them the authority to control women.

Just as the men have control over the women, they both also expect their kids to follow their rules. In the article, Norberto’s mother tells him that what he is doing is wrong... that he’s the man of the family and it should stay that way. Just because "he’s the man of the family" doesn’t mean that he should follow their traditions. In the movie, even though Ana wants to go to college, Carmen, her mother wants her to work in the factory. In my opinion, Ana's mother should let her go to college and have a brighter future than the one she lived.

Several factors contribute to children not talking back to their parents. In the movie, when Ana contradicts her mother about not being pregnant, Carmen slapped her. Why does the mom get so angry when Ana tells her that she's hallucinating about being pregnant? She gets angry because the children that she has are grown up which probably makes her feel lonely. She might also have the desire of having another child to keep herself busy and distracted from realizing that she’s aging.

In the article “Facing the Truth about Our Traditions,” Yasmin talks back to Norberto’s mother about him taking her last name. The dad tells her to not disrespect their family like that. Only because the fiancé was telling the lady that she wanted to keep her maiden name, they took that as disrespecting their family, or talking back.

I partially don’t relate to Ana because my mom is open minded about things. For example, I can sit down with her and talk about something I see wrong in my house and figure out a way in which we can fix it. In contrast, Ana’s mom is demanding about things that she wants done and constantly argues with Ana.

In other words, Carmen tells Ana not to go to college but instead worry about becoming La Buena Mujer.  My mom is the opposite of Carmen, she tells me to go to college and get a better life than the one she had. Lastly, my mom thinks like Yasmin: of keeping my maiden name if I get married one day. In my perspective women should not tolerate the “machismo” that men have towards women.