SPAN 301S: Service Learning in the Chicano/Latino Community
Course Description:
Students will become involved in community projects of importance and relevance that engage them in matters relative to justice, compassion, diversity and social responsibility, and help them become effective multicultural community builders. The course is designed to help you enhance your skills in personal and professional communication as well as classroom discussions and oral presentations in Spanish.
Students will become involved in community projects of importance and relevance that engage them in matters relative to justice, compassion, diversity and social responsibility, and help them become effective multicultural community builders. The course is designed to help you enhance your skills in personal and professional communication as well as classroom discussions and oral presentations in Spanish.
MLO Met:
MLO 5: Cultural Internalization and Language Immersion
MLO 5: Cultural Internalization and Language Immersion
Course Narrative:
During the Fall 2020 semester, I took the course SPAN 301s: Service Learning in the Chicano/ Latino Community. SPAN 301s meets the requirements for Major Learning Outcome (MLO) 5, which requires students to display their understanding, internalization, and new perspectives of Hispanic communities through involvement in authentic Hispanic cultural and linguistic environments.
As a result of this course, I have understood the importance of being aware of cultural issues, and culture in general, before communicating with a new community. One of the ways in which I gained awareness of issues of a new community was through my final paper: “Machismo dentro nuestras comunidades y cultura.” This essay was a result of relating real life experiences, shared through interviews, with literature (“Los Hijos de la Malinche” by Octavio Paz and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande), I was able to understand how deeply rooted the misogynist ideologies are within the Hispanic community, but also how people are becoming aware of this issue and practicing how to reduce the spread of this ideology. In addition to learning about misogynist practices within the Latino community, I learned about the challenges that Latino immigrants face in the work setting, especially due to COVID-19. Through a documentary about farmworkers we met some immigrant workers who shared that despite being at risk, or having family members that are at risk, they were forced to show-up every morning to work out of fear of losing their jobs and being deported.
SPAN 301s reminded me of some of the pressing issues that the Chicano/Latino community continues to face, despite movements like the Chicano movement and programs like the United Farmworker Foundation. In light of learning about how real these issues continue to be, I hope to become an advocate and ally for these communities. Through an acknowledgement of such issues and learning some of the historical context of these issues, I hope to participate in organizations that work to protect marginalized communities.
During the Fall 2020 semester, I took the course SPAN 301s: Service Learning in the Chicano/ Latino Community. SPAN 301s meets the requirements for Major Learning Outcome (MLO) 5, which requires students to display their understanding, internalization, and new perspectives of Hispanic communities through involvement in authentic Hispanic cultural and linguistic environments.
As a result of this course, I have understood the importance of being aware of cultural issues, and culture in general, before communicating with a new community. One of the ways in which I gained awareness of issues of a new community was through my final paper: “Machismo dentro nuestras comunidades y cultura.” This essay was a result of relating real life experiences, shared through interviews, with literature (“Los Hijos de la Malinche” by Octavio Paz and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande), I was able to understand how deeply rooted the misogynist ideologies are within the Hispanic community, but also how people are becoming aware of this issue and practicing how to reduce the spread of this ideology. In addition to learning about misogynist practices within the Latino community, I learned about the challenges that Latino immigrants face in the work setting, especially due to COVID-19. Through a documentary about farmworkers we met some immigrant workers who shared that despite being at risk, or having family members that are at risk, they were forced to show-up every morning to work out of fear of losing their jobs and being deported.
SPAN 301s reminded me of some of the pressing issues that the Chicano/Latino community continues to face, despite movements like the Chicano movement and programs like the United Farmworker Foundation. In light of learning about how real these issues continue to be, I hope to become an advocate and ally for these communities. Through an acknowledgement of such issues and learning some of the historical context of these issues, I hope to participate in organizations that work to protect marginalized communities.
Relevant Course Work: