STUDENT ACTIVITY GUIDE

TRANSLATION?

THE CENTER FOR DIVERSITY EDUCATION

MI HISTORIA : LATINOS TODAY IN WNC

Hints for Reading Through an Exhibit

• Study photographs, and read their captions

• Skim through the text, but read more thoroughly when you see a bold or underlined word.

• Read the information that interests you most in more detail.

Name: ________________________________

This exhibit was made possible by a grant from

Can you translate the Spanish phrase “Mi Historia”? What two words sound like these two in the English language?

Write three words that you know in Spanish.

Write at least two words that you know in another language.

How did you learn these words?

Remember…Remember…Remember…Remember…

The term “Latino” includes The term “Latino” includes The term “Latino” includes The term “Latino” includes

people of different races, people of different races, people of different races, people of different races,

cultures, nationalities, and cultures, nationalities, and cultures, nationalities, and cultures, nationalities, and

genders. It even includes genders. It even includes genders. It even includes genders. It even includes

people whose primary people whose primary people whose primary people whose primary

language is not Spanish.language is not Spanish.language is not Spanish.language is not Spanish.

Latino people are from any Latin Latino people are from any Latin Latino people are from any Latin Latino people are from any Latin

American Country, which American Country, which American Country, which American Country, which

includes 18 Countries in Central includes 18 Countries in Central includes 18 Countries in Central includes 18 Countries in Central

and South America and several and South America and several and South America and several and South America and several

islands such as Puerto Rico and islands such as Puerto Rico and islands such as Puerto Rico and islands such as Puerto Rico and

the Dominican Republic.the Dominican Republic.the Dominican Republic.the Dominican Republic.

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Label as many Latin American Countries as you can. Then, check yourself with a map, and correctly label each place.

Photo by Laura Simmelink

CONNECTIONS

“FROM MY POINT OF

VIEW , IN THE UNITED STATES THERE IS

ORDER AND OPPORTUNITY

. THAT IS REMARKABLE . ” -GUSTAVO SILVA

THE CENTER FOR D IVERSITY EDUCATION MI H ISTORIA : LATINOS TODAY IN WNC

Why I Came ww

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Before You Read... List two reasons why you think people choose to move to the US from Latin American countries.

Now, read through the stories in the section called “Why I Came”.

List two reasons that Latino people have come to WNC that you did not know about before your reading.

Find a person in your class, school, church, or neighborhood who has moved to WNC from another country. Conduct an interview with them. Ask the following questions, and add three more of your own.

• Describe the town where you lived?

• For what reasons did you and your family come to Western North Carolina?

• What do you miss the most about you’re the country you left to come to the US?

Write their story in paragraph form as though you were creating an addition to this exhibit.

Francisco Garcia and Gustavo Silva had similar reasons for moving to the United States. What is the common theme in both of their stories?

Reflect on what you already know about the history of immigration in the US, from the formation of our country to the present day.

What groups of people (ethnic, religious, nationality, etc) have immigrated to this land for reasons similar to those of Francisco and Gustavo?

Martin Luna came to Asheville from Guadalajara, Mexico in 1985 to work for the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. He has a degree in engineering, but now works in real estate. Photo by Laura Simmelink

F IND IT !

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

PERSONAL REFLECTION

“IN THE BEGINNING , I NEEDED TO LOOK UP EVERY WORD IN A SENTENCE . IT WAS SO EXHAUSTING ,

AND I WOULD GET SO TIRED OF IT !

BUT IF YOU DON ’T DO IT , YOU CAN ’T LEARN . YOU HAVE

TO MAKE A SACRIFICE TO

LEARN . ” -L ILIANA DUARTE

MI HISTORIA THE CENTER FOR D IVERSITY EDUCATION

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SCHOOL Do you remember your first day at a new school?

What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Read Liliana’s and Sandy’s stories about going to a new school. How were your experiences similar to theirs? How were they different? Complete the chart below.

HOW WAS MY EXPERIENCE SIMILAR? HOW WAS MY EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT?

What is the country of origin for each of the people featured in the “School” section of the exhibit?

1. 2. 3. 4.

Ximena Del Corral, from the photograph on this section of the exhibit, uses her own experience as a child immigrant to run the Newcomer Center for Buncombe County Schools.

What are some things that you can do at school to help new students feel comfortable?

Liliana Duarte photo by Laura Simmelink

DEDICATION TO FAMILY

TRY IT!

“WHEN I KNOW THAT I AM EQUALLY OR

BETTER SKILLED THAN ANOTHER PERSON , IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A PIECE OF GARBAGE TO HAVE TO ASK FOR THE SAME PAY THEY

MAKE . SO , I DON ’T ASK . -FRANSISCO GARCIA

THE CENTER FOR D IVERSITY EDUCATION MI H ISTORIA : LATINOS TODAY IN WNC

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Working

Photo of construction workers courtesy of La Voz Independiente

Carmen Ramirez Luna moved to Western North Carolina from Mexico to be with her husband. Having earned a college degree, she had worked as a business professional at a large factory in Mexico. Because of a language barrier, she was unable to find this sort of professional work in the US. Here, she cleans houses. It is difficult for her to cope with the change in social status. How-ever, the amount of money she makes here as a housekeeper is much different than what she earned in Mexico as a professional.

Use the figures she gives in her interview to calculate the following.

1. How much money did Carmen make each year in Mexico?

2. How much money does Carmen make here in one month?

3. In one year?

4. What is the difference between her yearly income in Mexico and in the US?

5. Why do you think there is such a large discrepancy? Discuss with your class.

Read Jose Luis Cardona’s story and answer the following questions.

1. Where is Jose from?

2. What were his jobs in his home country?

3. Name two reasons he came to the US to work.

4. What emotions do you think he has felt since coming to the US. Name at least four.

COMPLETE THE CHART

“SOMETIMES AT SCHOOL THEY TRY TO MAKE MEXICAN

FOOD , BUT IT DOESN ’T TASTE MEXICAN . THEY DON ’T USE CHILIES , AND THEY PUT

SUGAR IN THE BEANS . MY FAVORITE FOODS AT SCHOOL ARE THE MASHED POTATOS

AND SALAD . ” -BRENDA VILLA BORGES

MI H ISTORIA THE CENTER FOR D IVERSITY EDUCATION

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Food

Carmen Alicia and Bianca making empanadas -Photo by Laura Simmelink

Name and describe the food Alicia and her daughter Bianca are making in the picture. Use the text in the first paragraph of the “food” section for help.

Describe a traditional food from your culture that is special to your family.

What makes it special?

Try to name as many ingredients in the recipe as you can. Then, write a paragraph on the back of this page giving directions to make or eat the special dish.

Family Recipes

Foods I Have Eaten Foods I Would Like to Try Foods I Would Rather Not Try

Do you enjoy eating foods from Latin American countries? Can you say or spell the names of these foods correctly? Fill in the chart below using your prior knowledge and what you learned from reading the “Food” section of the exhibit.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

THINK AND DRAW!

“[THE MUSIC] HELPS ME SEE THAT WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS ,

JUST FROM DIFFERENT PLACES WITH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES . ” -V ICTOR PALOMINO

THE CENTER FOR D IVERSITY EDUCATION M I H ISTORIA : LATINOS TODAY IN WNC

The Arts 1. Describe the major difference between the art of weaving in Guatemala and in the United States.

2. Explain why Lule says that more people go to the Theatre in Argentina than in the US.

Read the quote above from Victor Palomino’s interview in “The Arts” panel. Music is very meaningful to Victor and has helped him with big transitions in his life.

Is there a certain type of music or a particular song that has helped you to get through a challenging time? Name the type of music or song.

Create your own quote about music using the format of Victor’s quote by filling in the blanks below.

“_______________________ helps me see that ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

-__________ __________

After reading Wilfi’s story and the caption to his picture, think about your own family. If you were to weave fabric together as a family project, what designs would everyone agree to use? Use the space below to draw a color picture of your family fabric.

MI H ISTORIA : LATINOS TODAY IN WNC THE CENTER FOR D IVERSITY EDUCATION

RECREATION Definition:

(n) Refreshment of one’s mind or body through activity that diverts, amuses, or stimulates.

List 4 activities that you do for recreation:

•

•

•

•

The most popular sport in the world is enjoyed by many Latinos and non-Latinos in Western North Carolina. What name do Americans give to this sport?

What do Latin Americans call this sport?

Which of the two names is most widely used around the world?

Read the story from Brenda, Sandy, and Kevin. What game do they mention that is played by children in both Mexico and the United States?

Can you think of any games that people in the US play that come from Mexico or other Latin American country? Do an internet search to check your ideas.

Read Doris’ story.

What did she do in Nicaragua for recreation?

Describe at least 2 traditions in the United States that are similar to Nicaraguan fiestas.

Why is Doris unable to have her traditional recreation in the United States?

Try planning a fiesta for

your class, family, or

neighborhood!

Have Some Fun!

What can you do to better understand cultural differences in your classmates?

If you were an ambassador to the United States from a far away country, what American cultural standards would you need to learn to avoid problems in communication? Make a list on the back of this paper .

THE CENTER FOR DIVERSITY EDUCATION

JOSÉ ALFREDO J IMENEZ MARTIN

“WE ARE MORE RELAXED ABOUT

TIME IN LATIN AMERICA .

WE BELIEVE THE PERSON WE

ARE WITH AT THE MOMENT IS

MORE IMPORTANT THAN

ANYTHING ELSE , SO WE DON ’T

RUSH OFF…”

-CARMEN ALICIA

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Mi HIstoria

Acculturation Acculturation (noun) Culture change resulting from contact between two or more cultures

What is CULTURE? Use your own words to explain.

Carmen Alicia Moncayo Ayala explains some cultural differences, such as timeliness and eye contact, that have been challenging for her as an immigrant from Ecuador.

She states, “Sometimes without knowing the cultural differences you can hurt other people’s feelings, so it is important to know them.”

José’s story is similar to those of many Latino immigrants in Western North Carolina. Read the information about him and answer the following questions.

1. How many hours a week does Jose work in the Swannanoa factory?

2. Why can’t he sleep at night? Give two reasons.

3. What would he be doing on his days off if he were in Mexico?

4. How is he treated by “Anglos”? “I’m here: I just have to work

and be strong. That’s it.”

-José Alfredo Jimenez Martin

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