Alejandrina Aguilar / Mexico
My name is Alejandrina Aguilar, and I am a 35-year-old Hispanic woman. When asked what being Hispanic means to me is a bit challenging. But let me start out by telling you a little bit about my roots and how they have shaped the woman I am today.
My grandfather Camilo, my father’s father, came to the United States as part of the “Bracero” program in the 1920’s. This was a program which allowed Mexican laborers to work in the United States for a limited time as agricultural laborers. He participated in this program several times, and eventually obtained his residency in the United States. While he continued to work in the fields, he allowed my father to come to the United States with him to also work in agriculture. Once my father got married in 1981, he and my mother immigrated to the United States, illegally, and eventually obtained their residency in October of 1986, when President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, also known as the Reagan Amnesty. My parent’s went through financial hardships, working at minimum wage, and raising 3 daughters but managed to make it through it all. My father is now a proud business owner and has owned his truck driving business for almost 20 years, and my mother dedicated herself to staying at home to raise my sisters and I and run the household.
The reason my roots are so significant to what it means to be Hispanic is simple; my grandfather, my mother, and my father, have taught me nothing comes easy and hard work is what will help you achieve your goals. Part of growing up in a Hispanic home came with a lot of restrictions. I was sheltered from many things and was not allowed to be independent. You see, in the traditional Mexican culture, one does not go out with friends without asking permission first. One is not allowed to sleep over anyone else’s homes. One is not allowed to have a boyfriend until you turn 15-years-old, or in my case, until you complete your high school education and then, you find a good man to marry and start a family. I decided I was not going to follow some of those traditions however, especially when it came to my future. Being the oldest of 3 siblings, I decided I was going to pursue a College education and establish a career in hopes my 2 sisters would also follow my footsteps. It was not easy at all to say the least because I have an extremely traditional father who is of the belief a woman should not leave her home unless it was wearing a “white gown” with a “husband.” My mother on the other hand, did not share his mentality and helped me convince my father I would obtain my Bachelor’s Degree and live on my own until I did. During the time I lived outside of my parents’ home, I experienced hardships just like my parents did as I was a broke college student, trying to obtain an education while also working full time. Coming from a middle class household, as most of the fellow Hispanics I know, I did not have the privilege of having a college fund, or someone to pay for my housing and expenses. But, it just made me work extra hard, and even though I obtained a school loan, I was able to support myself and pay off my debt. I obtained my degree in Communication, and established my career in Law Enforcement as a Deputy Probation Officer.
Being a Deputy Probation Officer, has taught me so many things about what being a Hispanic individual means. I cannot say I have experienced discrimination personally as I was born and raised in Oakland California, a very culturally diverse place but, I have heard so many stories from friends and colleagues who have experienced discrimination simply by the color of their skin or by having English as their second language. I, on the other hand, have experienced the opposite in terms of that. English is my second language, and being fluent in Spanish has actually opened so many doors for me. For example, I get paid extra at work, aside from my regular wages, for being able to speak in Spanish with my clients, as there is such a big Spanish-speaking population we work with. I also get to translate for my non-Spanish-speaking colleagues whenever they need my assistance. So for me, being Hispanic and understanding the culture helps me tremendously. I am able to be relateable to my clients where it makes them feel like I understand their struggles and many times see the necessities they have gone through which have unfortunately gotten them into trouble with that law. It also helps my clients trust me and be a little more open and honest with me.
I am truly honored and proud to be Hispanic. It has shaped the woman I am today. I pride myself in being hardworking, honest, and always willing to help those in need. Being able to see the struggles my parents went through growing up made me learn how to work hard and set goals for myself. Coming from such a sheltered home actually helped me stay out of trouble and it made me decide I wanted to pursue a career and not fall into another “statistic” of not being successful in life.
My grandfather Camilo, my father’s father, came to the United States as part of the “Bracero” program in the 1920’s. This was a program which allowed Mexican laborers to work in the United States for a limited time as agricultural laborers. He participated in this program several times, and eventually obtained his residency in the United States. While he continued to work in the fields, he allowed my father to come to the United States with him to also work in agriculture. Once my father got married in 1981, he and my mother immigrated to the United States, illegally, and eventually obtained their residency in October of 1986, when President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, also known as the Reagan Amnesty. My parent’s went through financial hardships, working at minimum wage, and raising 3 daughters but managed to make it through it all. My father is now a proud business owner and has owned his truck driving business for almost 20 years, and my mother dedicated herself to staying at home to raise my sisters and I and run the household.
The reason my roots are so significant to what it means to be Hispanic is simple; my grandfather, my mother, and my father, have taught me nothing comes easy and hard work is what will help you achieve your goals. Part of growing up in a Hispanic home came with a lot of restrictions. I was sheltered from many things and was not allowed to be independent. You see, in the traditional Mexican culture, one does not go out with friends without asking permission first. One is not allowed to sleep over anyone else’s homes. One is not allowed to have a boyfriend until you turn 15-years-old, or in my case, until you complete your high school education and then, you find a good man to marry and start a family. I decided I was not going to follow some of those traditions however, especially when it came to my future. Being the oldest of 3 siblings, I decided I was going to pursue a College education and establish a career in hopes my 2 sisters would also follow my footsteps. It was not easy at all to say the least because I have an extremely traditional father who is of the belief a woman should not leave her home unless it was wearing a “white gown” with a “husband.” My mother on the other hand, did not share his mentality and helped me convince my father I would obtain my Bachelor’s Degree and live on my own until I did. During the time I lived outside of my parents’ home, I experienced hardships just like my parents did as I was a broke college student, trying to obtain an education while also working full time. Coming from a middle class household, as most of the fellow Hispanics I know, I did not have the privilege of having a college fund, or someone to pay for my housing and expenses. But, it just made me work extra hard, and even though I obtained a school loan, I was able to support myself and pay off my debt. I obtained my degree in Communication, and established my career in Law Enforcement as a Deputy Probation Officer.
Being a Deputy Probation Officer, has taught me so many things about what being a Hispanic individual means. I cannot say I have experienced discrimination personally as I was born and raised in Oakland California, a very culturally diverse place but, I have heard so many stories from friends and colleagues who have experienced discrimination simply by the color of their skin or by having English as their second language. I, on the other hand, have experienced the opposite in terms of that. English is my second language, and being fluent in Spanish has actually opened so many doors for me. For example, I get paid extra at work, aside from my regular wages, for being able to speak in Spanish with my clients, as there is such a big Spanish-speaking population we work with. I also get to translate for my non-Spanish-speaking colleagues whenever they need my assistance. So for me, being Hispanic and understanding the culture helps me tremendously. I am able to be relateable to my clients where it makes them feel like I understand their struggles and many times see the necessities they have gone through which have unfortunately gotten them into trouble with that law. It also helps my clients trust me and be a little more open and honest with me.
I am truly honored and proud to be Hispanic. It has shaped the woman I am today. I pride myself in being hardworking, honest, and always willing to help those in need. Being able to see the struggles my parents went through growing up made me learn how to work hard and set goals for myself. Coming from such a sheltered home actually helped me stay out of trouble and it made me decide I wanted to pursue a career and not fall into another “statistic” of not being successful in life.