Wednesday, May 25, 2016

College Essay

Growing up in a first generation American family is an important aspect of my life. Both of my parents immigrated to America from a small island in the Azores of Portugal.  My dad having five siblings and my mom having fourteen siblings gave me a huge family to celebrate my Portuguese culture. We listen to Portuguese music, eat Portuguese food, and even speak the Portuguese language. This Portuguese influence affects me on a daily basis.
When I was younger my grandmother lived with my family. My grandmother had only spoke Portuguese so growing up conversations in my house often consisted of a mixture of English and Portuguese. I had not realized how much Portuguese heritage had influenced me until I started going to school. I remember talking about my grandmother at school and using the word "avó" which translates to grandma. A few Portuguese people I went to school with understood me but many did not. I was very confused because I did not realize that "avó" was not an English word, I thought I was a synonym for Nana or Grammy. Throughout my life there are many times like this were I have mixed up my Portuguese and English words.
Another time I remember being asked about my favorite food and my answer was papas, a Portuguese porridge. Every few months my mom would make it in a huge pot and it took hours to cook. For us this meal was a family affair and we would give a portion of it to each of my aunts and uncles. However trying to explain this to people was difficult because they did not understand. This was a meal that my family ate when they were children in Portugal so when someone spends the long amount of time it takes to cook it we share it with the whole family.
My Portuguese is a constant part of my life. Everyday I hear at least one Portuguese word. Dinner is usually a Portuguese meal or at least seasoned with Portuguese spices. However my heritage affects me academically as well. Learning a language is proven to improve learning in other subjects as well. While I understand Portuguese I was not very good at speaking it so in elementary school I took lessons with a local Portuguese culture group. This allowed me to improve my speaking, reading, and writing of the language. Later in middle and high school I studied Spanish, however my background in Portuguese allowed me to grasp Spanish much easier.
In college my heritage will continue to help me grow in knowledge and as a person. My experience with the Portuguese culture allows me to have exposure to both American and Portuguese traditions. I believe that my heritage allows me to have an open mind about the differences between peoples around the world. My culture has helped shape me into the person that I am today and who I will become. 

Monday, May 2, 2016

Synthesis Prompt


Using the sources that follow write an essay that discusses the equality and equity of the genders within todays current education system. Discuss how, if at all, these inequalities translate into the workplace and other areas of women’s lives.
   
http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/pay-equity-and-discrimination 
https://www.summer.harvard.edu/inside-summer/gender-inequality-women-workplace
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/articles/global-issues-gender-equality-and-womens-empowerme/
https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/gender-stratification-and-inequality-11/women-in-the-workplace-89/education-and-unequal-treatment-in-the-classroom-512-3318/