Tavarez, Alejandra

            My name is Alejandra Tavarez. I think from what I heard when we went around and introduced ourselves there are 3 Alejandra's altogether in the class. This amazes me. I have never been in a class with another Alejandra. At home I go by "Ale" or "Allie." "Ale" is the nickname all of my family calls me. There is no special meaning behind it; it is just simply shorter. "Allie" came about in the 2nd grade when I was in class with this teacher named Mr. Siler. He was a white older male who was such a great and kind man. He was taking roll and was able to pronounce my name just right, but since that first day of school he said he was going to call me "Allie" because Alejandra was too long. I was born in Riverside, but moved to Perris when I was 5. I grew up with the same people from the little city of Perris so the name "Allie" has stuck with me. Something else that is different about me is the way my last name is spelled. Most people spell it with an "s" at the end. My last name is spelled with a "z" at the end. This common mistake happens, but I really dislike it. I remember being younger and those in charge such as teachers or faculty members always misspelling my last name and when I would mention it to them, they would do absolutely nothing. This is one of my top pet peeves.

            I am a transfer student from Mt. San Jacinto College in Menifee, California. I am a Sociology major stuck between a minor in Education or Chicano/a studies or neither.  Hopefully by the time that I graduate in Spring of 2017 I will have made up my mind. During the summer, I participated in TSP. I very much enjoyed those six weeks especially because I took the biomedical courses which were simply amazing. If you took these courses I hope you can second that. Once I earn my bachelor's in Sociology, I will pursue a master's in clinical social work or pursue an MSW or enroll in a post-bacc program for two years and then apply to medical school to become a pediatrician. Back at my community college I was an associate teacher at the child care center for the student parents there. This job was so great that I recently was hired here at the Krieger Child Care Center here on campus. I am very busy during the week like the rest of us, but when I have some free time I like to hangout with my roommate and my new friends that I have made here.

            I was interested in this course because one day I was reading an article about social movements and the term "chicana" was in a sentence. I realized I did not know what this term meant. So I was interested in this class to learn more about the courses and I wanted to start off with this one to ease in my way into this subject. I am Mexican. Both my parents are from Leon, Guanajuato. I speak Spanish to my best ability. I took a bunch of Spanish courses throughout my high school and college career so I read and write well, but when it comes to terms like "chicana" or "Hispanic" or even "Mexican-American" I do not feel that I fit this criteria. I feel this way because I do not feel that I am really in touch with my cultural roots. I hardly speak Spanish at home and hardly ever in school or work. When I visit family in Mexico I am so different from everyone there. At home, my parents adapted us to all of that is American. I do not believe they were trying to "white wash" my siblings and I or anything, but I believe they just wanted us to fit in with the people. I was not raised in the church or even eating cultural foods. For those of you who know what "chileaquiles" are, I just learned and tasted those on my 21st birthday. I just turned 22 this past August 22 so that tells you something. I know what tortillas are and beans and TAMALES, and obviously, I look Mexican, but I was not raised learning about my culture. I know and have seen the Virgin of Guadalupe all my life. I was raised "Catholic." I never went to church or studied the bible. I did my first communion, but it was in LA where my parents just paid for me to do it. I do not know the background story of the Virgin of Guadalupe or why people look up to her. At home, we do not have a picture of her but we have one of Jesus at the last supper. At other family member's home some of them have a picture or two of her, but she is just there. I never put much thought of why people had her in their homes, I assumed it was a stereotype that all Hispanics just had in their homes.  I have always gone by her name, "virgin" and I know from what I have heard, is that Jesus was born from a virgin so I put two and two together and that is what I know of the virgin of Guadalupe.