CA Young Writers E-Anthology

Central Los Angeles Writing Project
Cal State Los Angeles                                                              http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/lawp/
July 5-July 22, 2004                                                                For Students Entering Grades 2-11

This summer, the Central Los Angeles Writing Project’s YWC staff chose to give the young writers opportunities to write and learn about journeys.  We all go through journeys of sorts, but we felt that writers, even young writers, traverse a deeper place than other sojourners.   Along the writer’s journey, they must learn to observe, discover, and then decide how to interpret their world to others through the written word.  Our staff comes alongside our young writers to be their guides.   
The pieces that follow, from the campers led by teachers, Ethel Boroquez and Maria Alonso, tell the journey that these young writers are traveling as the learn who they are in a diverse California and as they are learning to tell about that journey in English, their second language. Many of the parents of these young writers have added their writing to that of their children.

Table of Contents:

Wonderful Me? by Shaira

I am a sister, writer, daughter, and a tennis player.
My name is Shaira. They sometimes call me “La Chona.”
My name tells that I’m a responsible and a hard-working girl.
My name tells that I am a kind-hearted girl.
I was named Shaira because my parents like it. I like my name and don’t want to change it.
I was born in Los Angeles, CA.
All of my grandparents came from Mexico.
I am an American Citizen.
I speak both English and Spanish.
I grew up in a loud, Hispanic neighborhood.
I celebrate my birthdays with my family and sometimes with my friends. We eat a lot of pozole.
I celebrate Christmas by eating rice and meat.
For me a memorable meal is having pozole with my family.
I love all my relatives.
My favorite foods are Chinese food, imitation crab, and pozole.
I am proud of Art and writing because I’ve been working hard during these nine days I’ve been here.

Things That Are Me by Cynthia

I am a student, a daughter, and a cousin.
My name is Cynthia and they call me rabbit.
I am creative and careless.
I am nice, cool, and interesting.
If I could change my name it would be Janiel. It will mean to others that I am fair.
I was born in Los Angeles and my family came from Mexico.
My grandparents came from Mexico.
My nationality is American Citizen.
At home I speak English and Spanish.
I grew up in an unfriendly neighborhood.
I celebrate my birthday with cake and pizza in a quiet home.
I celebrate my holidays traveling to visit my aunt in Las Vegas.
A memorable family meal is Chinese food except for my mom.
My favorite relatives are my Aunt Verta and my Tio Lalo.
My favorite food is pizza and spaghetti.
I am very proud of my language that I speak.

Mila

Soy una madre y una amiga.
Mi nombre es Ermila y me llaman Mila.
Pues yo considero que soy buena madre.
Que soy una mamà que me preocupo mucho por mis hijos.
Mi nombre podrìa ser Angelica.
Serìa una persona muy trabajadora.
Nacì en Jalisco, Mèxico de Michoacan, Tinguìndin.
Mis abuelos vinieron de Jalisco y de Michoacan.
Mi nacionalidad es “American Citizen.”
En mi casa yo hablo Español.
Yo crecì en un vecindario hispano.
Celebramos mi cumpleaños haciendo comidas deliciosas.
Celebramos las vacaciones saliendo a visitar a mi familia.
Comidas memorables de la familia son el pozole, los tamales, y “Chinese food.”
Mis parientes favoritos son mis tres hermanos.
Mi alimento favorito son las enchiladas.
Soy orgullosa de ser Latina.

Miguel

I like myself.
I am a son, a brother, a grandson, and a football player.
My name is Miguel, sometimes they call me a clown.
I am a Mexican-American.
I tell people I am from different cultures.
If I could change my name, I’ll be named Richard. People would know I am rich.
I was born in City Terrace.
My grandparents were born in Mexico.
People can tell that I am a Spanish and an American Citizen.
I can speak English and Spanish to my family.
I grew up in a friendly neighborhood.

What is Your Story? by Jossie

I am a student, a daughter, and a granddaughter.
My name is Jossie.
My name means I am shy.
It reminds people of the restaurant Yoshinoya.
If I had another name it would be Daisy. It means flower. It tells people I am sweet.
I was born in L.A. in a city.
Both of my grandparents come from Mexico.
I am an American Citizen.
I speak Spanish at home.
I grew up in a big community.
I make parties by eating Mexican food.
I celebrate Christmas by eating tamales.
We mostly eat sopes, tacos, and menudo. My favorites are the tacos.
My favorite relative is my cousin Yasbel.
I am proud of my laugh, my food and my skin.

Silvia

Yo soy una mamà, una hija, una ama de casa.
Mi nombre es Silvia.
Mi nombre les dice que soy Silvestre.
Mi nombre les dice a otros que soy libre o que tengo libertad.
Yo no me cambiaria el nombre porque me gusta mucho.
Lo mismo.
Yo nacì en Zapotitlàn, Guadalajara, Mèxico,
Mis abuelos vinieron de México, de Zapotitlàn.
Mi nacionalidad es Mexicana.
Yo hablo el Español en casa.
Yo crecì en un vecindario ètnico.
Yo celebro mi cumpleaños con una comida, platicando con mis amigos.
Yo celebro las vacaciones viajando, visitando a la familia fuera del pais.
Una comida favorita de la familia es la birria, comida preparada a base de carne, chile rojo y condimentos.
Mis parientes favoritos son mis hermanas.
Mis alimentos favoritos son la carne de pollo, poca carne roja, los vegetales, y las legumbres.
Yo estoy orgullosa de mis pozos, o hoyos, en las mejillas al sonreìr.

Christine

I am a child and a learner.
My name is Christine. I was named by my grandfather.
My name means beautiful Angel.
To others my name means wild and free spirit.
I wouldn’t like to change my name.
Other people think I like to play a lot.
I was born in Alhambra.
My grandparents are from Viet Nam.
I speak Vietnamese and English at home.
I celebrate my birthday by having a B.B.Q.
My whole family gets together to celebrate a holiday.
I almost always eat fish.
My favorite cousins are Ryan and his sister.
My favorite foods are fish, egg rolls, and noodles.

Sam

I am a student in Roosevelt Elementary.
My name is Samuel.
My name means, “asked of God.”
It tells them I am friendly.
If I could give myself another name it would be Atticus because my mom wanted to name me that. It would mean, “Father like.”
I was born in Garfield Hospital in Monterey Park.
My grandparents came from Mexico, Old Mexico, Tennessee and Iowa.
I am an American Citizen.
I speak English.
I grew up in a good neighborhood, but not very friendly.
I celebrate birthdays with family and friends.
On St. Patrick’s I wear green.
My memorable family meal is turkey on Thanksgiving because he grows the turkey himself.
I don’t have a favorite relative. I love them all.
My favorite foods are sweets.
I am proud of being American.                                                                                                                        

Linda

I am an ordinary mom.
My name is Linda. I am also called Linny.
My name is very long. It tells others that I am just average.
If I could change my name, I would call myself Yevon Lana Coolatta.
It would tell others that I am a barrel of monkeys.
I was born in Montebello, California at the Beverly Hospital.
My grandparents from my father’s side came from Mexico; my mother’s side came from Old Mexico.
I am Mexican American.
I speak English at home.
I grew up in a very diverse community.
I celebrate birthdays by myself. I did not like birthdays growing up.
Christmas was celebrated by letting all of us kids sleep under the Christmas tree.
The most memorable family meal was a cake given to me when I received womanhood.
My favorite relatives are my brother and my sister Fanny.
My favorite food is liver and onions.
I am proud of being able to make tamales.

Who Am I by Ana

I am a student, a child, a sister, a cousin, and a girl.
My name is Ana and they call me Ana Banana.
My name means Jesus’ Mother.
It tells them I like bananas.
If I could change my name it would be Maria.
This name means Jesus’ mother. It would say she was a great woman.
I was born in Los Angeles in a town.
My grandparents in my mom’s side came from a little city called Autlan. On my dad’s side they are from a big city
Chihuahua.
My nationality is American Citizen, but I am proud to be Mexican too.
I speak Spanish and a little English at home.
I was born in an American neighborhood.
I celebrate my birthdays by eating Mexican-American food like pozole and hamburgers.
A memorable meal is pozole because my grandma used to like it and she died.
My favorite relative is nobody because I love them all the same.
My favorite food is Mexican food and American food.
I am really proud of my language and my skin.

Jesùs

Yo soy el papà de Anita.
Mi nombre es Jesùs.
Es le nombre màs honrado por la Iglesia Catòlica.
Les recuerda a Jesucristo.
Yo no cambiaria mi nombre.
Me quedo con mi nombre.
Nacì en la ciudad de Chihuahua (Mèxico).
Mi mamà es de Halcoahua (Jalisco).
Mi nacionalidad es Mexicana.
Yo hablo Español en casa.
Yo creci en un vecindario ètnico.
Yo celebro mi cumpleaños en la iglesia porque es el 25 de diciembre
Mis vacaciones las celebramos con paseos.
La comida memorable de mi familia es el pozole.
Mis parientes favoritos son mis padres.
Mis alimentos favoritos son los chiles rellenos.
Yo tengo una luna en la espalda y no la escondo, lo que pasa es que la camisa la tapa.

My Life Story by Raul

I’m a brother, a son, a cousin, a friend, a neighbor, and a soccer player.
My name is Raul like my dad and so they call me Jr.
My name means confusing because my name is confusing and it’s hard to say in
English. I would rather be called Raul in Spanish.
My name reminds me of a pianist called Raul like me.
If I could change my name it would me Mesu. It’s a Chinese name and it means calm water.
Maybe it was a Chinese kid’s name and that name was old.
I was born in East Los Angeles in a hospital here in the U.S. on Cesar Chavez St.
My grandparents from my Dad and Mom’s side came from Jalisco and Puebla.
I am an American Citizen because I was born here in the U.S.
The languages I speak at home are Spanish with my parents and English with my cousins.
I grew up in a neighborhood with nice cousins.
I celebrate my birthdays with a jumper, cake, food, balloons, and games.
I celebrate holidays like Christmas with my cousins with tamales, chapurrado, pozole, and fun.
The tamales and champurrado are good cause they drop good in your stomach.
My cousins are my favorite relatives cause they’re like true friends.
My favorite foods are pizza, tacos, and peaches.
I’m proud of myself and how I speak my language.

Raùl

Yo soy un hombre trabajador y me gusta jugar soccer.
Mi nombre es Raùl.
No se el significado de mi nombre.
No se que dice mi nombre acerca de mi persona, no lo se, nunca me lo han dicho.
Soy Pastor para poder cuidar a mis hijos siempre.
Acerca de mi persona, este nombre diria que como el pastor, cuido a mi rabaño.
Yo nacì en Tepzaca, Puebla, Mèxico.
Mis abuelos son de España y de Mèxico.
Mi nacionalidad es Mexicana.
En casa, hablo Español.
Yo crecì en un vecindario Mexicano.
Yo celebro mi cumpleaños pasando un buen rato con mi familia.
Yo celebro mis vacaciones dedicandole tiempo a mi familia.
Una comida memorable para mi familia es el pozole.
Mis parientes favoritos son mis hermanos, mis primos, mis compadres, y mi mamà.
Mis alimentos favoritos son el pozole, los frijoles, y las milanesas.
Yo soy orgulloso de ser Mexicano y no lo escondo.

Proud to Be Me by Samantha

I’m a baseball player, reader, writer, daughter, niece, sister, and a grandchild.
My name is Samantha.
My name is who I am (sweet).
It tells others that I am friendly.
I wouldn’t change my name. Again I wouldn’t change my name.
I was born at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles and in Boyle Heights.
My mother’s and father’s side are from Guadalajara and Michoacan.
My nationality is American Citizen.
At home I speak Spanish or English.
I grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood.
I celebrate birthdays with a piñata, cake, and a barbeque with my family.
My family gets together with food and gifts.
My favorite relatives are mom dad, sister, Chana, and nana.
My favorite food is macaroni and cheese.
I am proud of my brown eyes and skin. It shows that I am Mexican American.

The Story of My Life by Clarissa

I am a nine-year-old girl. I have a sister, a mother, a father, great-grandparents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and pets. My name is Clarissa but some people call me Rissa. My name means brilliant. If I could give myself a different name it would be Gracebell because it means graceful and beautiful. I made up this name because it tells me that I am beautiful and graceful.

I was born here in Los Angeles at Glendale Adventist Hospital. Both of my grandparents came from Mexico. I don’t know what city or town. I am a Mexican-American girl. I speak English and Spanish at home. I am growing up in a multicultural neighborhood in the community of Highland Park.

I celebrate my birthday by inviting my family and friends to come to my party to enjoy the fun and have Mexican-American food. I celebrate holidays with my family. On Halloween we go Trick or Treating. A memorable family meal was when I went to my uncle’s house to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is hard for me to pick a favorite relative because I love them all very much.

My favorite foods are tamales, rice, beans, and arroz con leche.

I have ethnic traits that I am proud of like my brown hair, brown eyes, brown eyebrows and my light skin.

The Story of My Life by Sandra

I am a wife, a daughter, an aunt, a friend, a teacher, a good listener, a tissue to wipe away tears, wings to lift someone who is feeling down, a referee, a negotiator, but most importantly a mother of two wonderful daughters. My name is Sandra. I discovered that my name means helper to humanity, which suits me well because I am always trying to find ways to help people and the environment. When people hear my name, I would say they think of a helpful person, who they can rely on. I could not think of a different name to give myself because I am happy with my name. It defines the type of person that I am. I was born here in the city of Los Angeles and havelived my whole life in the community of Highland Park. Both my parents came from small towns in Zacatecas. Both my grandparents came from ranches in Zacatecas. My nationality is Mexican-American. I speak both English and Spanish. I grew up in a multicultural neighborhood, where I met people from various ethnic groups: Mexican, Central American, Vietnamese, African American, Caucasian, etc.

I celebrate my birthday with my family by going out to a favorite restaurant such as Houston’s, Lucille’s or Cheesecake Factory. My vacations are important to me because it gives me the opportunity to spend time with my two daughters and husband and to do fun things together. A favorite memorable meal was on Christmas Day 2002 because for the first time all the women and girls in my family helped to make the tamales. I have been blessed to have many supportive and loving relatives and it is hard to choose just one but I would say that my mother has been a great inspiration to me because after raising six children she went to school to become a beautician and now owns a successful salon. I love all food and cannot choose just one! The only complaints that I have about ethnic traits that I inherited from being Mexican are being short and having wide, big feet!

¿Quièn Soy Yo? Escrito por Maria

Yo soy una madre de familia, una esposa, una hija, una hermana y una amiga.
Mi nombre es Maria.
Mi nombre les dice que soy una persona responsable en la que se puede confiar.
Mi nombre les dice que soy una persona sincera, amable, y cordial.
A mi, en lo personal, me gusta mi nombre y no me lo cambiarìa.
Yo nacì en Tinguìndin, Michoacan, Mèxico.
Mis abuelos son del mismo pueblo, Tinguìndin, Michoacan, Mèxico.
Mi nacionalidad es Mexicana.
Hablo màs Español, aunque voy a clases de Inglès y trato de practicarlo en casa con mis hijos.
Yo crecì en Tinguìndin, Michoacan, Mèxico, rodeada de amigos y de familiares.
Celebro mi cumpleaños con una cena intima y familiar.
Algunas veces visito a mi hermana en San Bruno, California.
En la Navidad, nosotros celebramos en familia, con la diferencia de que no cocinamos pavo; sino comida Mexicana
como pozole, tostadas de cueritos, y tamales.
Mis familiares màs cercanos son mis hijos, mi esposo, mis papàs, y mis hermanos.
Mis comidas favoritas son el pozole, la jaiba, el ceviche y la birria.
Me siento orgullosa de ser Mexicana y Hispana. No siento necesidad de esconder quien soy. Yo estoy orgullosa de
mi persona, de como soy, y de donde vengo.

Proud To Be a Mom by Julie

I am a teacher assistant, a hard working mom and a good friend.
My name is Julie.
My name tells me who I am.
It tells others about my roots and personality.
I wouldn’t change my name. It’s like changing your whole life.
I was born in East Los Angeles, in the General Hospital.
My grandparents from my mom’s side come from Guadalajara, Jalisco. My grandparents from my dad’s side came from Nochistlan, Zacatecas.
My nationality is Mexican-American.
I speak two languages, English and Spanish.
I grew up in an ethnic neighborhood.
I celebrate my birthday around my family and friends. We get together and have lots of food and a big cake.
I celebrate each holiday differently. My special holiday is Christmas. All my family gets together, gives God thanks
for all the food and for letting us get together. We wait ‘till midnight so we can open presents. I love to see my daughter’s eyes glow.
The best family meal was on my sister’s graduation, on the day she graduated from college. We went to Chilli’s in
Santa Barbara.
My favorite food is pozole and any kind of seafood.
I am proud of my skin color but especially proud of speaking two languages: English and Spanish.

Nelson

I am a brother, a cousin, a nephew and son.
My name is Nelson, just like my dad.
My name means king.
It reminds them of a famous singer, Rocky Nelson.
If I could change my name, it would be Rex. It would mean serpent.
I was born in Los Angeles.
I am a U.S. Citizen.
I speak Spanish at home.
I grew up around friends that are kind.
We celebrate my birthday with cakes, piñatas, games, and sometimes jumpers.
We celebrate Christmas around presents.
On my mom’s birthday, we have a special meal.
I like to spend time with my tia Licho.
I like to eat potatoes, cheese, hamburgers, fries, pizza, and pozole.
I am proud of being an American.

Mi Poema Se Llama Alegre

Yo crecì cerca de gente humilde, caritativa y honesta con sigo mismo.
Mi cumpleaños siempre lo festejaron con pastel, y una comida con la familia.
Los dias como el dia del “turkey”, la Navidad, el Año Nuevo, celebramos con la familia reunida.
Mis familiares favoritos siempre son mis padres y mis hermanos porque todavia estan conmigo.
Yo digo que mis comidas favoritas son el pozole, los postres y los tacos.
Estoy orgullosa de mi misma porque alcanzo mis metas cuando me lo propongo.
Mi cultura es preciosa, no tengo nada que decir porque todo es fantàstico.

Who I am by Joyce

I am a student, a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, and a writer.
My name is Joyce.
My name tells that I’m joyful.
It tells others I’m happy.
I like my name. I don’t want to change it.
I was born in Los Angeles.
My grandparents on both sides came from Asia.
I am an Asian American.
I speak Cantonese and English at home.
I grew up in an American neighborhood.
We celebrate Christmas by having Chinese food.
One memorable meal that I ever had was Teriyaki chicken and rice.
I love all my relatives.
My favorite food is dumplings.
I’m proud that Asians are hard working people.
We always take pride of what we do in our lives.

Susan

I am a daughter, a mother, and a teacher.
My name is Susan.
After I immigrated to the U.S., my uncle helped me to find an American name to match my Chinese name. Ever since then, I started to use Susan as my name until now.
I was born in Taiwan. Both sides of my grandparents come from China. I am an Asian American. I speak English and Chinese at home. I grew up in a neighborhood where many military famil8ies lived around each other in a small city
As I was growing up, we didn’t really have birthday parties. We normally would have cake and dinner together to celebrate the birthday. When there was a special holiday, we would also have a family dinner together. Therefore,
family dinner plays an important part of our culture.
My favorite relatives were my uncle and aunt who were kind enough to support and help my whole family immigrate to the U.S. I am thankful for their helpfulness. After we came to the U.S., all my brothers and sisters had opportunity to attend college and get a good education. Therefore, my uncle and aunt were our most caring and helpful relatives.
One ethnic trait that I’m proud of is being Chinese is that we believe family plays an important part of our lives. We believe that family is the root of everything. We always like to have dinner together as much as we can. No
matter how busy everyone gets everyday, we still try to get together at the end of the day to unite with our family members. I still try to carry on this tradition.

This is Me by Moises

I am a son, a student, and a brother.
My name is Moises.
My name is from the bible.
If I could change my name, it would be Mario.
I was born in Hollywood.
My mom was born in Rosario.
I am a U.S. Citizen.
I speak Spanish and English at home.
I grew up in a fun place.
I celebrate parties by hitting piñatas.
On Christmas we made Mexican food.
On my grandma’s birthday we make Mexican food.
My favorite cousin is Juanito.
My favorite food is tamales.
I am proud of myself.

Esther

Soy mamà de 4 hijos.
Mi nombre es Esther.
Mi nombre les dice que soy paciente y que me gusta pensar y meditar las cosas antes de tomar ciertas decisiones.
Que tengo paciencia para escuchar a otras personas.
No me gustarìa cambiar mi nombre porque es el que me han puesto mis padres. Se me hace un nombre que tiene
mucho significado por ser un nombre biblico.
Nacì en Mèxico, en un pueblo pequeño donde se puede vivir libre y sanamente. Allì crecì muy feliz.
Mis abuelos maternos vinieron del mismo pueblo en el Estado de Nayarìt y mis abuelos paternos del Estado vecino
de Jalisco.
Soy de nacionalidad Mexicana.
Yo hablo Español en mi casa.
Crecì en un vecindario donde habia mucha paz, mucha inocencia y mucho respeto mutuo.
Regularmente no celebro mi cumpleaños, sòlo mi familia me felicita. Mis hijos me dan unos pequeños regalos que
ellos hacen.
Mis vacaciones las planeo primero para hacer cosas que en mucho tiempo no he hecho, como arreglos en la casa y
tambièn dispongo unos dias para salir con mis hijos.
El dia de las madres tratamos de reunirnos todos para hacer sentir a mi mamà muy especial.
Mis parientes favoritos son mis hermanas y mis hermanos.
Mis alimentos favoritos son las enchiladas y el pozole.

This is Me by Liana

I am a swimmer, diver, singer, dancer and a daughter.
My name is Liana.
My name says I am playful, kind, and that I want to be a veterinarian.
It tells I love animals.
If I could change my name I would change it to Nicole. I would be named exactly like my cousin.
I was born in Kaiser Hospital in California.
Both my grandparents come from China.
I am an American Citizen and also part Chinese.
I just speak English at home.
I grew up in an American neighborhood.
We get a small cake to celebrate my birthday.
We celebrate holidays by going to our grandparent’s house to eat dinner, watch a movie, and play with my cousins Nicole and Matthew.
A memorable family meal was eating Dutch chocolate ice cream and beating my parents at chess.
My favorite foods are Dutch chocolate ice cream, watermelon, strawberries, and seaweed.
Two traits I am proud of are singing and ballet dancing.

Lip

I am a 54 year-old “Hot Wheel” collecting, motorcycle riding, ex-pipefitting, now plumbing ex-hippie father of a wonderful 9 year-old girl named Liana.
They call me “Lip.”
I like to think my name tells that I’m dependable, loyal and honest.
My name tells others that I’m dependable, loyal, and honest.
I was born in Canton, China.
My grandparents on both sides also come from Canton, China.
I speak Chinese and English at home.
I grew up in a Chicano neighborhood.
I don’t celebrate my birthday, my family buys me a chocolate ice-cream cake.
I celebrate holidays by staying home.
I took my wife and daughter to Las Vegas and paid $36.00 per head for buffet and all my daughter ate was two pieces of pizza!
The only relative I like is my little brother.
My favorite foods are rice and beans.
I’m proud of my slanted eyes.

All About Me by Katherine

I am a daughter, a friend, a sister, a student, and a cousin.
My name is Katherine.
Katherine should tell that I am friendly.
My name tells that I am born after my great grandmother.
I like my name.
I was born in Trenton, New Jersey and I came from Hightstown, New Jersey.
My grandparents on my father’s side come from Poland and Germany and on my mother’s side from New York.
I am an American Citizen.
I speak English at home.
I grew up in an all American neighborhood.
On my birthday, I throw a party and have a nice dinner.
I celebrate Easter by going to visit my relatives and to church. On Thanksgiving we eat turkey, stuffing, cranberry
sauce, sweet potatoes, home made bread and pumpkin pie.
I love all of my relatives.
My favorite food is pizza.
I am proud of my piano work and my language, English.

What is Your Story? by Jane

I am a mother, daughter, engineer, and a small business owner.
My name is Jane.
It tells that I’m proud of the names my parents gave me, as well as the name that I took when I married.
I like that name I have. My husband and I work together and sometimes I wish that I had kept my maiden name for business purposes so that people wouldn’t make assumptions about us working for the same company.
It would tell that I didn’t not care to use my married name for business purposes, for one reason or another.
I was born in Baby Shore, New York. I grew up in the village of Brightwaters, New York and, other than a few
years at college, lived there almost until I was married.
My mother’s mother was born in New Jersey. My mother’s father was born in New York. Both of my father’s parents were born in New York.
I am American. My parents and all of my grandparents are/were American.
We speak only English at home.
I grew up in a small suburb on Long Island, which was predominately white, Anglo-American.
Our family usually has a nice dinner together for my birthday. After dinner, each family member gives a gift to me
and I blow out candles on my birthday cake.
Sometimes a few friends are invited and we have a nice dinner together, often one night during Memorial Day weekend.
Most of our extended family lives on the East Coast. We often travel to see them and we stay for a few days with them during Christmas season.
At Easter time, we either travel to the East Coast or some of our family comes to visit us in California. During holidays we try to put up decorations that are associated with the season. Some of them are decorations we’ve
made ourselves.
My favorite memories are of holiday meals that we’ve shared with our extended family. My in-laws are Polish and German and my mother-in-law has inspired me with her cooking preparation of lavish holiday dinners. There is a “joke” on my husband’s side of the family that cooking for holiday meals is a “competitive sport.”
My favorites are my children. I enjoy them now when they are small (especially when they are behaving) and I look forward to the people they will turn out to be when they have matured. Some of my other favorites were my grandmothers when they were alive. Both of them inspired me in different ways, in both my love for gardening
and my love of textile arts.
My favorite foods are chocolate, homemade bread, milk with homemade cookies and cheese.
I have always tried to be conscious of my speech. I went to college in North Carolina and spoke for a while like I was from that area of the country. I also have friends and relatives who speak in a very distinct New York accent. If this can be considered an ethnic trait, I try to avoid talking with any accent at all.

Who am I? by Sergio

I am a son, grandson, nephew, brother, cousin, friend, student and a boy.
My name is Sergio.
It means smart and brave.
It means Just Nice.
If I could change my name to Shawn, it would be cool.
It would mean that I am a good son.
I was born in a hospital in Los Angeles, California.
My grandparents, from my mother’s side are from Torreon, Coahuila.
I am a Mexican-American citizen.
I speak Spanish and English at home.
I grew up in a quiet neighborhood.
I celebrate holidays with love and happiness.
A memorable family meal was Thanksgiving, eating turkey.
My favorite relatives are my cousin Ivan and my uncle Oscar because they are so nice and cool with me and my
family.
My favorite foods are pizza, pozole, menudo, mole and Chinese food.
I am proud of my nationality: Mexican-American because we are very hard workers.

Mi Vida

Yo soy mamà de 3 niños.
Mi nombre es Guadalupe.
Dicen que mi nombre es biblico.
Dicen que es un nombre de respeto y de amabilidad.
Rubi dice que es elegante y moderno.
Yo vine de Mèxico, de Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.
Mis abuelos vinieron de Zacatecas por el lado de mi madre y del lado de mi padre de Torreòn.
Mi nacionalidad es Mexicana.
Mi idioma es el Español.
Me criè con gente Mexicana.
Celebro mi cumpleaños con mi familia.
Celebro mis vacaciones en la playa con mis hijos.
Mis parientes favoritos son mi hermana Eva y mi hermano Oscar.
Mis comidas favoritas son las enchiladas y los chiles rellenos.
Mi comida memorable son los tamales en la navidad.
Yo estoy orgullosa de mis ojos grandes.  Escondo las canas porque me veo màs grande de edad.

Who I Am? by Gabriel

I am a student, a son, a game player, a skater, a biker, a sprinter, a cousin and a grandson.
My name is Gabriel.
It tells I’m kind hearted.
It tells I can be a friend.
I wouldn’t change my name.
I was born in L.A.
My grandparents from both sides, came from Mexico and America.
I’m an American citizen plus I’m Mexican.
I speak English and a little bit of Spanish.
I grew up in a Mexican neighborhood.
For my birthday, I either have a party of go somewhere.
We go somewhere with the family and pray for others on some holidays.
I’ll always remember the delicious tamales with meat inside we had for last Christmas.
I don’t have any favorite or least favorite relative. I love them all.
I love spaghetti and Italian food.
I’m proud I speak English and a little Spanish. I wouldn’t hide my ethnic traits because there is nothing to be afraid
of.

Jeanette

I am a mother, a caregiver, a teacher, a student, and a nurturer.
My name is Jeanette.
My name tells that I am strong willed.
My name tells others that I am sincere.
If I could give myself a different name, I would choose not to because I am content with my identity.
The choice not to change my name would display that I do not require change to maintain my identity.
I was born in Boyle Heights and I came from Los Angeles.
My mother’s parents were born in United States, whereas my father’s parents come from Mexico.
My nationality is Mexican-America with Indian roots.
I speak English and Spanish on a minimal basis.
I grew up in an exceptionally ethnic neighborhood consisting primarily of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.
I celebrate my birthdays with family and friends.
I celebrate holidays with family and friends.
A memorable family food would definitely have to be tamales and menudo.
My favorite relatives are my aunt and cousins who raised me.
My favorite foods are enchiladas and pozole.
An ethnic trait that I am proud of is my traditional cooking ability. I am proud because I can pass on these culinary traditions to the younger generations.

Who I am by Stephanie

I am a student, a doctor, a sister and also a swimmer.
My name is Stephanie and they call me Steph or Fanny.
My name is Stephanie. It means Star.
It tells people that I am a star.
If I changed my name it would be Anaid. It means beautiful.
It would tell others that I am beautiful.
I was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Both my parents and grandparents are from Guadalajara, Jalisco.
I am proud of being Mexican and also American.
I speak English and Spanish at home.
I grew up in a Mexican neighborhood.
I celebrate my birthday in a Mexican way.
I spend Christmas with all my family.
We eat pozole, carne en su jugo, tacos and menudo. These are memorable dishes.
My favorite relative is Angela because she is two years older but she still plays with me.
My favorite food is pozole, menudo and carne in su jugo.
I am proud of being Mexican and my Mexican language because that’s who I am.

¿Quièn Soy Yo? Escrito por Aracely

Yo soy mamà, hija, hermana, doctora, y esposa.
Mi nombre es Aracely y mi mamà me decìa Ara.
Mi nombre les dice que soy una Reyna.
Les dice a otros que soy alegre y bailadora.
Si yo me cambiara el nombre, seria Amanda porque ese es el nombre de mi mamà.
Ese nombre diria que soy fuerte de character, alegre, y comprensiva.
Nacì en Guadalajara, Jalisco. Vine de la ciudad de Guadalajara.Mis abuelos son de diferentes lugares.
Mi abuela es de Mazàtlan y mi abuelo es de un pueblito de Jalisco.
Mi nacionalidad es Mexicana y hablo el idioma Español.
Yo crecì en una colonia muy pobre, en una colonia obrera de Guadalajara.

I’m Proud to Be Me by Lizbeth

I’m a girl, a daughter, a friend, a student, and a sister.
My name is Lizbeth. I used to be called Lichiz.
My name tells other people I’m quiet.
If I could change my name it would be Flor, it means flower.
It would tell people I smell good.
I was born in Los Angeles.
Both of my grandparents came from Jalisco, Mexico.
My nationality is Mexican American.
I love all of my relatives the same.
I always like to speak Spanish because that’s my culture.
I grew up in a neighborhood where people speak Spanish.
We celebrate birthdays in my front yard by making “carne asada.”
On my mom’s birthday, everyone likes to bring food for the party.
My favorite relative is my cousin Jaquelyn because she never talks rude.
My favorite foods are sopes, tostadas and pozole.
I’m proud of my brown skin color and my Spanish language.
I’m proud to be me.

Valentìn

Soy un papà y un jardinero.
Mi nombre es Valentìn.
Mi nombre les dice que soy inteligente.
Nunca cambiarè mi nombre porque me gusta.
Nacì en Jalisco, Mèxico. Vengo de un pueblo.
Soy Mexicano.
En mi casa, hablo Español.
Crecì en un ambiente donde todas las personas hablaban Español.
Celebramos mi cumpleaños con un pozole.
Las mejores comidas, son comidas de sorpresa.
Todos mis familiares son mis favoritos. Todos son iguales, ninguno es mi preferido.
Mis comidas favoritas son los sopes, el pozole, la birria, las tostadas y los frijoles.
Soy feliz por las fiestas patrias que celebran en mi pueblo. Por ejemplo, las Charreadas, los bailables, las misas,
las serenatas, y las muchachas lindas de Mèxico.

Who Am I? by Jasmine

I am a daughter, a student, also a sister and a basketball player.
My name is Jasmine, but they call me Bambi.
My name tells me that I am a flower.
My name tells them that I’m nice.
If I could change my name, it would be Rosa, it means flower.
My name would tell me that I’m smart.
I was born in Monterey Park. I came from L.A. My state is California.
Both of my grandparents come from Mexico.
I speak Spanish and English at home.
My neighborhood was Lincoln Heights.
We celebrate our birthdays with pozole, cake, candy, soda and a piñata.
We celebrate our holidays by visiting family. In Thanksgiving, we eat turkey.
I like my Godparents because they buy me stuff.
My favorite food is soup.
I am proud of my mom for giving me sisters.

Estela

Soy madre de tres niñas.
Mi nombre es Estela.
Soy una persona trabajadora, que empuja a mis hijas a sobresalir en la vida.
Mi nombre les dice que soy de confianza y servidora.
Aunque pudiera darme un nombre diferente, no lo haria. Soy Estela.
Soy asì. Mi nombre lo tengo desde que nacì. Sincera y ùnica.
Yo nacì en Mèxico. Vengo de Zacatecas, Mèxico. Todos mis abuelos paternos y maternos son de Zacatecas. Ellos son Mexicanos.
En casa, hablamos el ùnico y tradicional Español.
Yo crecì en un pueblo chiquito, pero muy bonito.
Celebro mi cumpleaños con mi familia y con todos mis amigos cercanos.
Mis vacaciones son muy divertidas porque siempre estoy con mis niñas y mi marido.
Hacemos comidas para ocaciones especiales.
Mis alimentos favoritos son, por supuesto, las comidas Mexicanas.
Sì, yo estoy orgullosa de ser Mexicana y de tener mis costumbres bien acentuadas.

Who Am I? by Ethel Bojorquez – Camp Director

I’m a mother, a wife, a teacher, and a mentor.
My name is Ethel. I used to be called Tete.
Ethel means “noble one.”
It reminds people of “I love Lucy.”
I once thought of naming myself “Martha” like the nurse on duty at the time of my birth suggested.
I was born in “El Este De Los Angeles” but raised in Guadalajara the city that smells of wet clay.
My mother was born in Colorado, the land of the Grand Canyon, under particular circumstances. She was also raised in Jalisco.
I am proud to be an American but have a very strong link to my Mexican heritage.
At home, and throughout the day, I speak English and Spanish.
I grew up around pozole, menudo, frijoles, and arroz.
I celebrate my birthdays dining out with my friends and loved ones.
I love to spend holidays among my nuclear family, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Bunuelos, tamales, champurrado are all pleasantly expected thanks to my mother and her sisters.
I guess I should start learning the art of cooking for a Mexican Christmas.
My favorite cousin is Jaime. I see Jaime as the father I never had.
I love to eat caldos or stews. Albondigas (meatball soup), caldo de res (beef stew), caldo de pollo (chicken soup)
all warm my soul.
I am proud of my brown skin, my loud laugh, my first language, my Spanish lyrics, mariachi music, and my
bilingual classroom.

Who Am I? by Maria Dolores Alonso – Camp Director

I am a sister, a daughter, a teacher, a loyal friend, and an athlete.
My name is Maria. My friends and family call me Lola.
My name “Dolores” means pain and sorrow.
My name reminds people of my joyous and courageous Grandma whose honorable name I inherited.
I once thought of naming myself “Paulina” just like my beautiful sister.
I was born in China Town’s French Hospital, which is situated in North-East Los Angeles.
My mother and father are both from Jalisco. My father is from a small town not too far away from Guadalajara call
Quitupan and my mom is from Tamaulipas.
I am a proud American but I can also embrace my other world, which is my Mexican culture.
Like the famous author Gary Soto I enjoy communicating with my friends and family in English, Spanish and Spanglish.
I grew up in a neighborhood where the scent of rich spices, carne asada, and salad escaped almost every other household.
I celebrate my birthday with a cake and a nice small home dinner with close friends and immediate family.
During my vacations I enjoy frequenting the beach and traveling in my tiny Honda Civic all over the country. If my little car is not an option, I enjoy flying into the different historical regions of Mexico.
Any meal that I can share with my brother’s family (Francisco), my sisters (Paulina and Cuca), and my parents (Delia and Octavio) is always a memorable meal.
Paulina my younger sister has always been a pillar in my life. We should have been Siamese Twins because we do everything identically. We are in trouble because one of my favorite past times is eating my favorite foods like Pad Thai (Thai), Orange Chicken (Chinese), Lasagna (Italian), gorditas (thick stuffed tortillas with butter), and chiles rellenos (Mexican). I am proud of my brown almond shaped “Tapatio” eyes, my olive skin, the ease, which I comfortably resort to pronouncing certain words with my thick East L.A. accent, and my arracadas (hoop) earings that gracefully dangle from my ears.

Veronica

Yo soy esposa y madre de 3 hijos.
Mi nombre es Veronica.
Mi nombre les dice que soy cariñosa, poco timida, y amigable.
Mi nombre les dice a otros que soy servicial, una buena persona, y alegre.
Si yo pudiera cambiar mi nombre, no lo haria porque me gusta mi nombre.
Nacì en Ciudad Obregòn, Sonora, Mèxico.
Mis abuelos son de Sonora, Mèxico.
Soy de Nacionalidad Mexicana.
Hablo Español y un poco de inglès.
Crecì en un vecindario ètnico.
Yo celebro mi cumpleaños al lado de mi familia y mis amigos.
Mis vacaciones las aprovecho al màximo con mi esposo e hijos, pasandolas bien.
Una comida memorable de la familia es la receta de mi abuela, para la “Barbacoa” (carne de res y de puerco, con papas al horno).
Mis parientes favoritos son los que viven aquì, cerca de mi, mi madre y mi hermana.
Mis alimentos favoritos son las enchiladas verdes y rojas.
No tengo ningùn rasgo ètnico que escondo.