Mohamad Obaidi Tuesday, November 26, 2013-11-23 Final Reflective Essay PROV 105 AC3 For my American Cultures

Project I chose the topic Hispanic and Latino Discrimination, because Hispanics and Latinos are consistently being discriminated against and they are one of the most discriminated ethnicities in the United States of America. This has piqued my curiosity and has given me an incentive to observe the discrimination that these Hispanic and Latino people go through. My initial thoughts and beliefs on Hispanics and Latinos is that they should all be treated with respect, dignity, and equality because they are human beings and they do not deserve to be discriminated against just because they look or talk differently. After all, at the end of the day we are all the same and God judges us by looking at our good and bad deeds and not on the way we talk or the color of our skin. However, in my initial thoughts I did believe that most of the Hispanic and Latino population was uneducated. While conducting my research I went over many different sources such as articles, magazines, encyclopedias, newspapers, and literati. Most of the sources, however, were either not credible or not helpful, but some were extremely useful and have helped me better understand Hispanic and Latino discrimination by informing me about the different types of discrimination that Hispanics and Latinos go through, such as prejudice in the workplace where your race and ethnic background can prevent you from being hired or promoted. I also learned that discrimination varies from state to state, for example in New York and New Jersey the percentage of Hispanic and Latino discrimination is higher than places like Florida and Texas.

After researching Hispanic and Latino discrimination I still wanted to know more, and I wanted to see what people think about this topic. One thing I really wanted to know more about from my interviewee was if she was ever discriminated against and if so how did she feel, I believe this was a good question because by asking this question I get the inside scoop of how it feels to be discriminated against and how someone tends to react in such a situation. Moreover this helps me better understand what Hispanics and Latinos go through. For my interview I interviewed someone from the Office of Diversity Inclusion and Multicultural Education, who is an assistant director of Latino student affairs at George Mason University. She has a Masters of Education in Intercultural Communications, and she currently works around educational access and equity to make sure that Latino students have the same access and opportunities as any other student. What I learned from this interview is that Hispanic and Latino discrimination will only decrease in the upcoming years with programs like DECA, immigration reforms, and the Dream Act Hispanics and Latinos will have a better and more normal life. In addition, I learned that not all Hispanics and Latinos prefer to be classified as Hispanic or Latino and when I asked the interviewee Why do you think Hispanic and Latino labels exist, do you agree with them or do you prefer to be classified according to your nationality? She replied by saying it is convenient for people to say Hispanic or Latino but I dont think it represents who we are and that is why I prefer the ethnicity because it reflects our countries and our customs. The research and the interview that I have conducted have truly opened my eyes, because now I understand the hardships that Hispanics and Latinos face, with managers stereotyping against them and underpaying them because they come from a certain background or when I asked my interviewee if she has ever been discriminated against and she replied by saying as a kid, store managers would follow me around to see if I am shoplifting just because I used to wear

sweatpants, sneakers, and sweatshirts while my sister on the other hand who was blonde and had light skin never had a problem. This project will help me communicate more effectively with Hispanics and Latinos because now that I know what they go through I have a better understanding about what values they embody and I can also better understand the backgrounds and the history of where they are coming from.

References Barillas, M. (2010, July 10). Target Stores sued for discrimination against Hispanics. Target Stores Sued for Discrimination against Hispanics. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.speroforum.com/a/SPBQSEACVV20/74169-Target-Stores-sued-fordiscrimination-against-Hispanics Latinos in California, Texas, New York, Florida and New Jersey. (2004, March 19). Pew Hispanic Center RSS. Retrieved from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2004/03/19/latinos-incalifornia-texas-new-york-florida-and-new-jersey/