Growing Up In A Hispanic Single Parent Household

Growing up in a Latino household is hard. My parents only spoke Spanish therefore my first language was Spanish. For the first few years of my life this was not really a problem, I enjoyed life as any normal little girl would. I got to talk to all of my cousins and all of the neighbor’s children. It wasn’t until I got to school that it became real that I was going to learn English. Don’t get me wrong I always knew I had to learn English my parents always talked to me about school and helped me as much as they could. It was also around this same time where I started to understand that it was not only hard for me it was hard for them as well. My parents had to live in this country not knowing the main language spoken.

Growing up my mother has always been the most supportive person I know and also very independent. I’ve always had respect for my mother, she has always been a role model for me and my siblings. My mother has always been very supportive of me and my siblings, for as long as I can remember. Growing up my mother always encouraged us to follow our dreams.

Growing up in a Hispanic household has taught me many things. I have learned to see things as an optimistic person, and that it doesn’t matter where you come from as long as you work hard for what you want anything is possible. My family has always implemented the values of life that lead me to perceive what it was about to throw at me.

Familismo. Latino parents expect their children to prioritize family needs over individual needs. Understanding the values within the Latino family is crucial to analyzing family influences on education. Furthermore, understanding Latino cultural values and analyzing how these values either are or aren’t replicated in the high school setting is crucial to understanding the success of the first‐generation Latinain and out of high school. Cultural values which define the family dynamics of Latinos are: familismo (the value of family), comunidad (the value of community), and personalismo (the value of relationship), which are understood as presenting a sense of validation, mentorship, and cultural mirroring when transferred to the university setting (Castellanos & Gloria, 2007). Comunidad or community is defined as a sense of responsibility for one’s community and is closely related to familismo, which is a sense of caring for and being responsible to one’s family and prioritizing family needs over personal ones (Castellanos & Gloria, 2007; Sy & Romero, 2008).

Promoting school-community relations with Hispanic parents begins with identifying the barrier that prevents involvement or engagement is school issues. Those issues can include lack of knowledge on American schooling, transportation issues, limited English spoken, or problems with work or childcare availability. Once these barriers can be broken, an aggressive approach can be initiated to close the academic gaps many English Language Learners are facing. Zimmerman (2011) states the six strategies for enhancing Hispanic parent involvement include; "remove language barriers between the parents and the schools, address economic obstacles that hinder parental involvement, schedule activities to make transportation easier for parents, empower and

Growing up in a Mexican household means being surrounded by hard working individuals. Many did not have the same opportunities that their children have today, but they have persevered from their hardships, and strive to give their children the experiences that were not offered to them. For example, as a teenager, my mother worked three jobs, and attended night classes to obtain her GED, in order to contribute to the household. To this day, my mother is still a hard worker and passes on her knowledge of the working life to my sister and I. Also, my father worked in the fields, in Mexico for any wage, in order to make sure there was food on the table. He grew up in a family that did not emphasize the value of education, which is why there is

Growing up in a traditional Hispanic household, family means everything to us and we’re constantly surrounded by family members.

While my mom was busy with clubs, luncheons, and charities, I knew she loved me. She was there for everything I needed. There was not a ballet recital, tennis match, or cheerleading completion that she ever missed. My father and I were truly blessed to have her attend to all our needs.

I was raised in a small household of 4 sisters, a mother and a father and me with a total of 7. We were your typical Mexican family, nothing out the ordinary. We went to parties, church, celebrated many Mexican customs. My mom had her own business called “Un Poco De Todo”, and my dad worked in a hardware store called “McAllen Nut & Bolt” for over twenty years until recently he became the owner of it as well. My neighborhood has always been very peaceful and quiet, no one ever partied super loud or caused drama, everyone kept everything to themselves. Being raised in a community as mine really shapes you, especially living five minutes away from Mexico. The people and culture teach you many things and it will mold you into a magnificent

I am so fortunate to have a mom like mine. Her name is Carol, she is a mom of four but she makes me feel special. Whenever I'm sad, mad or whatever she's always there to talk to for a advice, not just for me, but for anyone. She always taught me to be kind and open mined and happy. I've learned so much from her. She is the main reason I am who I am today, and allows me to be me and do what I dream to do, and supports me in whatever I do, and she always has my back and my best interest in mind. I inspire to be like her someday. I am So fortunate to have her as my mom

She was able to balance a difficult divorce, working as a substitute teacher, going to college, and taking care of us. I knew that if she could do all of those things for us, then I could take on more responsibilities around the house and in my brother’s life. Being my brother's role model meant that every choice I made affected not only me but him too. I always tried my best in school and listened to my mom in hopes that he would follow suit and do the same. At times it was difficult and I almost faltered, because like any kid I wanted to goof off in school, not do my homework, and stay up past my

My marvelous mother, Mary, cherished and took care of me since the day I was born. I have been so thankful for her because she sacrifices so much of her time for me. For example, after school, my mom would come and pick me up, but sometimes I wanted to play basketball after school, however then my mom would have to drive home and then come back later to pick me up if I stayed. My mom would strongly say to me

My mother is an amazing person. Every morning, she makes sure I get to school on time. In the afternoon, she always makes sure I have something to eat. She reminds us to clean up after ourselves and inspires us to do our best. My mother is truly a caring person with a huge heart.

I am from a loving mother who has raised me my whole life. She had the help of my grandmother for 8 years of it, so I can say that I was very much a grandma’s girl growing up. Being raised by my mom and grandmother showed me two independent women taking care of me. My mom would go to work and so my grandma was there to wake me up and get me ready for school. She would fix my hair, make me my breakfast and lunch and drop me off at school for the day with my best friend growing up. She was there when I got out and made sure my friend and I got our homework done before we could go outside and play. She made me dinner and watched TV with me. There would be days when she wanted to go on a drive and I wanted to go with her. My grandma was a huge part of my life growing up. Where she went, I went with her.

My mother is loving, fun, and very caring. She helps all of us when we are sick, even if you are my oldest sister who is 23, she will gladly take care of you. My mom works at Southside Elementary. She loves being with the kids and loves her job. And I am so thankful for her.