Personal Narrative-Discrimination In The Classroom

In grade school, we─Latinos─were prohibited from speaking Spanish at school because the administrators believed that it would be offensive to the non-Spanish speakers. They could not surmise how it would affect us, we were in the country of American citizens and spent most of our lives being discriminated or looked at freakishly because of how or what we spoke. I spent my childhood being ashamed of my heritage and refusing to speak Spanish unless I had no other way to communicate with my parents, my older brother at one point, did as well. He once said that Hispanics were brainless and denied being Mexican. I want to defend these people who have spent their lives discriminated against and struggling to find an honest job simply because they

At a young age, I told my parents I wanted to be a lawyer, they laughed. I did not realize what it really meant, but I was determined. I was not the best student or the best test taker, but I always tried. In fifth grade, I made the honor roll for the first time and felt self-pride for once; it was the moment I realized that no matter what anyone expected of me, I could achieve. I did not need anyone’s approval but my own. In middle school, I decided I wanted to go to Stanford Law School, again my parents laughed at me despite receiving high marks. While selecting classes for freshman year of high school, although I got accepted into two Honors courses, my counselor refused to allow me to take AP Geography and Honors English due to my English score on the Explorer test. I was supposed to be in a lower English course but was placed in regular English and Geography instead; I received recognition in both subjects that year. I proved myself capable of what others doubted. Presently, I am in AP Economics and English because I had teachers who challenged me and made me believe in myself. I am not giving up my dream of becoming a lawyer simply because people believe I cannot, I will prove them foolish; despite those who doubted that I would amount to much I remain in the top four percent of my class, and I remain an optimist and believe I will amount to do good in this