Mom of twins, wife and educator

Latina(x) My ancestors made me who I am I might speak Spanish I might speak English I might speak Spanglish I might code switch and not even notice I might cook white rice and beans, arroz blanco con habichuelas I might dance Bachata, Merengue and sometimes Salsa.  I might dance some Hip-Hip, R & B and some Reggae I might be quiet and when upset I can get loud When we hear the beat to the drum, we dance it proud. When my mom says mira you really have to look and listen.  When my abuelas cooked you had to sit down and eat all of your food and con mucho gusto.  I have African ancestors, European ancestors and a small percentage of Native American in me. In my family En nuestra familia When I hear the ocean, I hear my ancestors I hear the voices that I’ve never met I hear them in Spanish  I hear them in English I hear them in Spanglish I hear them in their indigenous languages. I hear them talking, I h...

En la vida Hay que reír Hay que llorar Hay que expresar En la vida Hay que soñar Hay que disfrutar Hay que trabajar Para un mundo mejor Para nuestros hijos Para que nuestros niños aprendan a respetar En la vida Hay que caminar Hay que ver Con nuestro ojos Con nuestra mente Con nuestra actitud Con nuestro amor Hay que explicar Como tú voz Como tús labios Como tús palabras Son fuertes En la vida Hay que reír Hay que llorar Hay que expresar Lo que tú sientes Hay que luchar Para un mundo mejor Para tener paz Para ver el sol Para ver la lluvia Para ver lo mejor En la vida Hay que reír Hay que llorar Hay que seguir con amor...

Issues in Latino Education          Some of the books that I have read this year, has made me think and reflect.  As a mother of two  beautiful and bi-cultural children, I am concerned and aware that not all children will receive the same opportunities in life. Our job as parents is to be aware that education is a system and that we all need to be included in conversations that expresses our ideas and perspectives. Resource. Power. Perspective. Diversity. The politics of language : “Schools are political domain and are linked to power and control within the dominant society. They are also agents of socialization in which formal pedagogy as well as the informal hidden curriculum reflect the beliefs of the dominant society” (Giroux, 1983). “A common perception among public educators and the public in general is that minority students drop out of school because of personal deficiencies, language difficulties, poverty, and many other perceived cul...

When introducing myself, I say my name is Deidania. “Hum.. Deidania where does that name come from?” People ask. Well, tell you truth I am not sure.. I know that my Godmother suggested that name to my mom and that is where I got my name. What people are really trying to ask and some do ask, is what race and/or ethnicity am I from? Before I even tell them, some people are already guessing. Are you Puerto Rican? Lebanese? Colombian? Italian? Cuban? Dominican? Yes, I have heard them all and then I say proudly “I am Latina, I am Dominican… well Dominican-American because I was born here in Providence. I was always confused when younger while living in the United States, I was considered Dominicana and when I would travel to D.R, I was considered a “gringa”. So where did I fit? What does this mean? Who am I? Why does your identity matter? Why does the languages that I speak matter? Why is Spanish and Spanglish so important to me and my family? Why is talking about it so important...

                        Why is the achievement gap such a big difference in the United States between cultures and society? Why is it that our Latino and African Americans students drop-out of school at a higher rate than White or Asian students? As a Latina and being a parent of multicultural kids, my husband and I want the best for our children just like all parents want the best for their children. As we discuss, I explain to my husband that what I want from the school that they will attend in this upcoming school year is a diverse background of students and educators. We learn best when there are different perspectives, discussions,a positive and equitable learning environment. “Research shows that racial and socioeconomic diversity in the classroom can provide students with a range of cognitive and social benefits.”  tcf.org Students in integrated schools have higher test scores.  Students in integrate...

Day off and home with kids. They are here watching television while I write. They are watching PBS kids, my son can watch television all day while my daughter loves to write, color, draw and play teacher. He does love sports and being outdoors. They are twins but have very different personalities which we love. This week we decorated pumpkins and they made such a mess but enjoyed every minute of it. We try to do things together as a family because children will remember time spent with one another more than anything in the world. I remember Sundays were family day when I was a child because my Father owned a Liquor store and he worked long hours day and night. We would go to church, visit family and friends, go to the park depending on the season, the store to shop, different beaches but the best memories were when we went to the Dominican Republic for a month or so every two years. What I am trying to say is that childhood is a short period of time but the most important ...

Let's talk about Culture and Education. The two subjects are very important to me because I love my culture and learning about someone else's culture and I love Education and learning more about how education can open many doors to many people.   I am a Latina woman. Dominican-American. I was born in Providence, Rhode Island but grew up speaking Spanish at home. Everything I did was in Spanish or Dominican slang or Dominican. I ate rice and beans, platano, mangu. Listened to Merengue, Salsa and Bachata. With only one television at home, night time was for watching telenovelas. Thalia was my favorite actress at that time. Juan Luis Guerra, Los Toro Band, Las Chicas del Can was a few of my merengue favorites. Anthony Santos was the Bachata king at that time. I can go on with my list because for the first five years before attending kindergarten, I was Dominican while living in the United States. We also had the privilege to travel to the Dominican Republic to visit our gra...