http://www.centrohispanouc.org/
Something that surprised and disrupted me was the fact that Centro Hispano is not only for Latino immigrants, but that they help low-income people of all races. When I walked in, there was a white man getting help at the front desk, and a Chinese student being helped in the office. Although I think it's nice that the center provides help to people of different backgrounds, I felt like their priority should be Hispanic people who don't speak English, especially since the name of the place is Centro Hispano, but then I felt guilty for thinking that and grateful that they are willing to help people of all races.
Another disruption I had was when I was talking to a woman who worked there. She told me that there are other places in town that claim to be helping Latinos, but are actually scamming and taking advantage of them. Immigrants go there because the people who work there are bilingual, and they think they will help them, but they really don't. This disturbed me a lot, especially because it is happening in the place where I live, which I have always considered a safe place with good and honest people. It is really sad to me that people would take advantage of others who are in such a vulnerable position. I tend to trust people, so it is hard for me to accept that there are people like that in the world.
When I told the woman working there that I was studying Elementary Education, she told me that the majority of the parents of any Hispanic immigrants I have in my classroom will likely be undocumented, which was another disruption to me. I believe in obeying the law, but I also consider myself a pretty compassionate and sympathetic person, so it is hard for me to find a balance between helping people no matter what and wanting everything to be legal and proper. I am definitely learning that the most important thing is to love and help everyone, and not judge them on what they have done, since I can't even imagine what their situation is like and all the hard things they have gone through. That was something that impressed me about Centro Hispano; the workers I talked to were so helpful and nice, regardless of anyone's background or situation.
I think a risk of helping a wider range of people is that we may perpetuate people coming to the country without documents, which makes it hard for them to get jobs or go to school, and creates a risk of them being deported and families being broken up. I think we need to be careful and make sure that we are really helping people have security and peace in the long run.
I think there are many things I saw in Centro Hispano that I can use in my future classroom. I speak Spanish, so if I have students whose parents speak only Spanish, I can translate any documents or newsletters I send home with them into Spanish. I really liked the idea of having free family photo sessions, which is something I think I could do at school. I could start after school health or finance or even English classes for students and/or parents. An especially important thing I need to do is try to get rid of my biases and love all my students, no matter where they come from or what their situation is. I want to communicate well with my students' parents so I can understand the challenges they may be facing, and I also want to be aware of the resources that are available in my community, wherever I end up,so that I can help my students and their families receive the help they need. One obstacle I may face is that I will likely have students whose parents don't speak English or Spanish, so I don't know how I will be able to effectively communicate with or help them. Also, getting permission to do extra classes could be difficult, and I may have to spend a lot of my free time working on ways to help students, meaning I would have less time to spend with my own family. However, after visiting Centro Hispano, I feel more motivated than ever to make sure every student has the resources they need to be successful and have a great life.t know how I will be able to effectively communicate with or help them. Also, getting permission to do extra classes could be difficult, and I may have to spend a lot of my free time working on ways to help students, meaning I would have less time to spend with my own family. However, after visiting Centro Hispano, I feel more motivated than ever to make sure every student has the resources they need to be successful and have a great life.t know how I will be able to effectively communicate with or help them. Also, getting permission to do extra classes could be difficult, and I may have to spend a lot of my free time working on ways to help students, meaning I would have less time to spend with my own family. However, after visiting Centro Hispano, I feel more motivated than ever to make sure every student has the resources they need to be successful and have a great life.
