Artifact 1: Individual Cultural

Collage

Marilyn Gonzalez
EDU 280
Ethnic and Cultural Background

 My parents were born in Cuba, and migrated to the U.S. in the 1960s (my father) and 1980s
(my mother).
 Besides English, my family also speaks Spanish.
 I also speak French and am learning ASL (American Sign Language)

← Cuban Flag

Regional Differences →
My mother is from Havana.
My father is from Caibarien.
 Citizenship

 I was born and raised in Miami, Florida.

 I share regional culture with those along the East Coast and those in the South.

← A picture I took of my boys

the last time we were at the
beach in Miami, FL (2012)

↑ A picture of the Miami

Skyline
Citizenship cont.

 I moved from Miami to Colorado in 2013.

 This move actually helped me discover a lot about myself.
 I don’t like snow.
 I don’t like living in small towns.
 I don’t like living in less ethnically or linguistically diverse areas.

↑ A photo I took of a particularly

striking Colorado Sunset (2013)
← I took this picture of my
boys in Colorado (2014)
Citizenship cont.

 I moved from Colorado to Las Vegas in 2015.

↑ A photo I took on my first visit

to the Strip (2015)
← Our first trip to Hoover
Dam. My son is thrilled (2015)
Family Organization

 I do not have much of an extended family.

 I have not seen my mother since I was 16.
 My father and I are distant.
 My closest relationships are with my husband’s family.
 My nuclear family:
 Myself.
 Julian, my husband.
 Our three children: Logan, Nathan, and Katherine.

My family (2016) →
Celebrations, Foods, Holidays

 My paternal grandmother, who we called Mima, taught me how to cook.

 I cook mostly Cuban food.
 My favorite Cuban food is maduros.
 At family gatherings, Cubans typically eat lechon asado (roasted boar).
 Since marrying my husband, I’ve also integrated his Colombian culture.
 My kids and I love arepas.
 Celebrations
 We celebrate most secular American holidays.

Maduros I made
(2016)→
Gender, Religion, and Life Experiences

 I am a cisgender female.
 I was raised Catholic.
 Currently, I am non-religious.
 My parents separated when I was 8. My mother remarried.
 My father did not. He is disabled and currently living in an assisted living facility.
 I was raised in poverty.
 At 16, my mother gave me up to my paternal aunt.
Life Experiences cont.

 Also at 16, I met my husband. We have been together since 2006.

 We married in 2011.

My husband and I in 2006 →

Life Experiences cont.

 At 19, I found out I was pregnant with my first child.

 A boy, named Logan born in 2010.

Logan (2010)→
Life Experiences cont.

 At 21, I had my second child.

 A second boy, named Nathan born 2011.

Nathan (2011)→
Life Experiences cont.

 At 24, I had my third child.

 A daughter, named Katherine born 2014.

Katherine (2014)→
Life Experiences cont.

 In 2012, Logan was diagnosed with autism.

 Autism has become a huge part of my life and identity, and my son’s diagnosis is what prompted
me to decide to become a special education teacher.
 Earlier this year (2016), my daughter was also diagnosed.
Life Experiences cont.

 I was born in 1989, so I’m firmly a Millennial.

 Growing up, it was normal for school to be cancelled due to hurricane watches and
warnings.
 Out of habit, I always keep a 3-day emergency kit in my home.
 Being born and raised in Miami, I find that I prefer living in ethnically and linguistically
diverse areas.
 I also prefer living in large cities.
Education

 Starting in second grade, I was in my school’s Gifted program.

 I always performed very well in school, and enjoyed it.
 Life circumstances, however, made it so I could not graduate from High School.
 I pursued an equivalent instead.
 When my son was diagnosed with autism, I put my education on hold to focus on his
rigorous therapy schedule.
 Now that he is older and that I have become used to the schedule, I have decided to continue
my education.
Interests and Hobbies

My character on my
favorite World of
Warcraft Mount →
 Like most millennials, I enjoy video games.
 Nowadays, I mostly play World of Warcraft.
 I have an affinity for British television.
 I feel strongly connected to “Geek Culture”.
 My three children are named after X-Men.

← One of my
favorite British TV
shows
Interests and Hobbies cont.

 I also crochet, and even operate a small Etsy shop selling my crocheted items.
 Interesting fact: I am a third generation yarn enthusiast; I learned to crochet from other women in
my family.
 I hope to pass the skill on to my own daughter.

← I made this
doll for my
← I made this daughter (2016)
newborn owl
cocoon for a
customer (2016)
Worldview

 I am very Type A and am a perfectionist.

 I value intelligence and wit over physical strength.
 I also feel very strongly about being compassionate and respectful of others.
 I think less of individuals who make derogatory comments towards others.
 I believe that a person is as good as their word, so I take promises very seriously.
 This makes me more biased towards individuals I perceive to be oath breakers.
 To summarize, I try to lead my life by the principles of honor, respect, and compassion
towards others.
 I filter all of my choices through my role as a mother. If I feel that a choice is not in the best
interest of my family, I will try to find another path.
Biases and Prejudices

 I was raised to be accepting and respectful of others.

 So, I do not have anyone in my family who I’ve observed to be prejudiced towards others on the
basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
 Nor am I prejudiced towards anyone due to their race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
 However, I have observed within myself that I am biased towards those whom I perceive
to be less accepting.
 I judge those whom I feel are ignorant and spread misinformation.
 This is one particular bias I have to consciously push through and that I am working to eliminate.
 There seems to be a shared attitude of intellectual superiority in my family.
Short and Long-Term Goals

 Short-Term Goals
 Graduate from CSN with my Associate’s Degree (hopefully within the next year).
 Transfer to UNLV to complete my Bachelor’s in Special Education.
 Continue to grow my Etsy business.
 Long-Term Goals
 Work as a special education teacher.
 Continue to contribute financially to my family.
 Raise my children to be well-rounded, compassionate individuals.
 Provide the tools to my children for successful adulthood.
 Learn to balance my own needs along with the needs of others.