Anthony’s Bio

Hi everyone,

My name is Anthony Lopez. I am a Political Science major on my last year. I want to pursue a Masters in Education afterwads so that I can become a high school teacher. My passion is in education and I hope that I can instill that same feeling in other students. I know I will gain a great amount of knowledge from this class and it is information that I will pass along to others.

I transfered in from LACC, LATTC, ELAC and LASC. I will be the first person in my family to graduate from a university so this is a very important accomplishment for myself. I also have a four year old daughter who provides me with the energy and drive to continue to push forward and reach my goals. My family comes from Oaxaca, Mexico and their native language is Zapotec. My culture and family is something that I most proud of. monte_albancarved_monolith

AJM’S Bio

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My little girl, sometimes it feels like I have 3 girls instead of one ;0)

Hello, my name is Arlene J. Martinez and I go by my middle name which is Jackie. I was born in Mexico and raised in the heart of Los Angeles. I am Chicana/o studies major, and I recently transfer from East Los Angeles College. I have two Associated Degrees from Los Angeles City College, one in Liberal Arts and the other one in Child Development. I have studied different subjects, like fashion design and marketing, theatre, journalism, child development and now Chicano/a Studies. I was a preschool teacher for many years; however, now I want to pursue my career as a school counselor or maybe as an elementary teacher.

I took a long break from school when I gave birth to my lovely 3 ½ year old baby girl Sofia, who has my Mexican blood and her dad’s Salvadorian blood “watch out”. She is my heart and my inspiration in life. While it has been a little bit hard to come back to school after spending most of my time with her, it will be okay once I adjust again to the whole school routine. She is also starting school this year oh my “que nervios”. I had once thought about giving up school, but my best friend who is also my younger sister, Odeth encouraged me to continue. She has been my motivator, while she is supposed to look up to me, instead I look up to her. I admired her “ganas” to finished school and I am going to do the same. No one is going to tell me that I’m too old to be in school or that studying Chicano/a Studies is worthless; trust me I hear this often, but I am not listening. I will continue planning my future graduation from csudh and my wedding, yes I just got engaged too.

 

Gabriela’s Bio

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Hi friends! My name is Gabriela Corona and I am currently a fourth year McNair Scholar, Chicana/o studies major and Anthropology minor at CSUDH. There are times where I feel as though I am not interesting enough to write about but I am trying! Here we go.

I am the youngest daughter of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrant parents. I have lived in South Central Los Angeles all my life and my love for this community continues to grow everyday. As a child, my social skills caused me to feel lonely and out of place in school environments. My mother bought me first Harry Potter book at age seven and I have been a passionate literature lover since then. Soon, I started to talk more with people. As I got older, I realized how fun it was to talk to people within my neighborhood. Everyone had a different story to tell which helped me realize how rich in experience my people were.

I always knew I wanted to write and teach for a living. I did not know I was going to achieve this but I was determined to try. During my first year of college, I was certain that my major English was permanent and Ideal for me. That all changed when I enrolled in my first Chicana/o studies course. Dr. Corina Benavides Lopez lectured our class from the importance of recognizing Latina/o communities around us and how we should be proud of identifying with this population, too. I was immediately inspired. Since then, I was determined to apply my passions for writing and teaching within the field of Chicana/o studies.

During my second year of college, I was admitted into the McNair Scholars Program at CSUDH. This program has helped me develop a strong love for social justice research. Over the past two years, my research has focused on implementing LGBTQ relevant history within K-12 curriculum in order to reduce homophobic harassment and violence among youth. My research was inspired by the murder of Larry King from Oxnard, CA and the suicide of Ronin Shimizu from Folsom, CA. In the near future, I will begin researching homophobic activity within juvenile detention centers, prisons, and the foster care system.

I want to publish articles and books about my research in the upcoming years. After completing my doctoral degree, I hope to return to DH and be the kind of professor that inspires students just like Dr. Benavides Lopez inspired me.

 

Evelyn’s Bio

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Hello to all, my name is Evelyn Auroza. I am a leo, I recently turned 21 years old. I grew up in South Central, Los Angeles.  I am currently a senior at CSUDH, my major is Chicana/o Studies, and I will be doing my minor in Women Studies. I am an only child which is often times surprising because coming from a Mexican culture people are expected to have more than one child, however, my parents only had me. I was not spoiled as a child, my parents have always taught me that nothing will be handed to me easily, and that I have to work hard to earn what I want. I am also the first in my family to make it this far and go to CSUDH. Aside from studying I also have a job, I am Front End Supervisor at Ross Dress For Less. It has not been easy managing work and school at the same time, but a women has to do the impossible to succeed. I grew up watching my family play baseball it is a sport that is in our blood. Therefore I enjoy going to baseball game and rooting for the Boys in Blue, The Los Angeles Dodgers. I try to go many games as possible during the season. I am a Dodgers fan whether they lose or win.

Kelsey’s Bio

My sisters and I

My sisters and I

Hello class! My name is Kelsey Guadalupe Castellanos and I’m twenty years old. I was raised in Huntington Park, California and still remain to live there. I am Chicana/o Studies major with a concentration in Education, Social, and Community Development and a Women Studies Minor as well. I am currently in my fourth year and final year at Cal State Dominguez and hope to attend grad school in the near future to pursue Higher Education Administration in Student Affairs. However, sometimes I feel I want to pursue social work instead. I also work on campus as a tour guide, so I spend a lot of time at school and some of you may see me around giving tours to perspective students. On the contrast, I love watching baseball especially my favorite team the Los Angeles Dodgers. I am the youngest of my family and have two older sisters. We grew up in bicultural home since my mother is Mexican and my father is Salvadorian. As a result, I have the best of both worlds, I certainly love to eat the different foods from both culture. I also have small Chihuahua dog named Missy who I love very much. Missy has become a big part of my family. When I am not at school, studying, or doing homework, I spent my free time with my family or friends. My family has been my biggest motivation and support system for me to finish school. Since I will be graduating nest year, I hope to make them proud. This semester, I am excited to learn about gender and sexuality in Chicana/o families. Therefore, good look everyone.

Hello everyone my name is Allison Ortiz. I am 21 years old I grew up in Lennox, CA (a very small town by LAX) I am from Guatemalan, and very proud. I am the second person in my family to go to college. I transferred from SMC to CSUDH with my AA in Liberal Arts Social and Behavioral Science. I was in SMC for 4 years, not sure at the moment, of my major which was one of my reason of being in the school for that long. My major is Psychology, but have always enjoyed exploring other majors and classes like Women’s Studies, Latino History and Ethnic History. I hope with my major, to help as many people as I can whether it be as a Teacher, Counsellor or a Therapist. I enjoy learning new things and am always up to new classes that will help me be aware of my culture.

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Amy’s Bio

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The people who matter the most, my FAMILY <3

Hello fellow classmates of CHS 486,

My name is Amy Herrera. I am a Senior here at CSUDH. I will be graduating this Spring ’17 with a degree in Chicano/a Studies. My plan is to continue with pursuing my Masters degree in Education, since I want to become a teacher. Becoming a teacher has always been my dream and plan since I could remember. I am the type of person who loves to give back and loves helping others, and what other way of helping individuals then to educate others including our youth.

I am 22 years old. I am the youngest of all my sisters, yes I said “sister’S”. I only have sister’s and no brothers, many would say that is a blessing but I believe otherwise, and I have always wanted to have an older brother. But I am grateful of the sisters I do have. I look up to my 3rd eldest sister, which will be graduating with her Master’s degree in Sociology this Spring. She has made me become the person I am today, by educating me about school and telling me to continue to reach for my dreams and going for what I really want. The reason I posted a picture with my family is because they have all supported me and my dreams, especially my parents. I am not only getting through school for myself but also for my parents.

Ruby’s Bio

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Hello everyone, my name is Rubi Lagunas i am a senior here in  CSUDH, I am majoring in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building,minoring in Administration of Justice. I plan to continue on to Law school or Grad school after i graduate.

I am 24 years old, the middle child of five siblings and the first and only going to college. I have an older Brother and Sister, and two younger sister , who i hope I am setting the right example for. I was born and raise in the city of Inglewood by my two Guerrerense( born in Guerrero Mexico) parents, went to Morningside High school, then to El Camino College and transferred to Dominguez Hills.

I am currently working two jobs as a personal assistant for  Dr. Beale (my dentist and mentor) and for a medical supply. For some reason the medical field has been calling me since i ever started working. But i just don’t see my self doing that for the rest of my life.

I am extremely eager to learn all the things i don’t know about the Chicano culture.

Lenin’s Bio

This is picture of me in the background of one of my favorite wrestling shows, Lucha Underground.

This is picture of me in the background of one of my favorite wrestling shows, Lucha Underground.

Hello everyone! My name is Lenin Torres and I am 21 years old. I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. This is my 4th year at CSUDH and my major is Chicano Studies. I want to get involved in some sort of activism after I graduate. I believe that as a Chicano I need to do my part and help out my community. 

While I enjoy Chicano Studies, there are two things I am very passionate about. One of these is music. I am a huge music fan. I don’t think I would be able to live with out music. I listen to all kinds of music but my two favorites are hip hop and punk. These two are my favorite because of the raw energy that they present. The other thing I am very passionate about is wrestling. I have been a fan since I was a kid. I enjoy the way that wrestling presents a unique way of story telling through athleticism.

I  am very excited to be in this class because I believe it will provide me with new knowledge. Hope everyone has a great semester!

Franny’s Bio

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Hello Professor and Classmates,

My name is Francisca Chavez, a 39-year-old proud single parent of a beautiful 13-year-old girl, Maddy. I’m a “Super Senior” double majoring in Sociology and Chican@ studies with a minor in Political Science. I am currently enrolled in 12 units at CSUDH; this is my final semester, bittersweet. With that being said, I will leave CSUDH with a double B.A. in Sociology and Chican@ and a minor in Political Science. At present, I am looking into graduate school, however, undecided on Social Work (geriatrics), Education (Academic Advisor), or Non profit sector (Programs for underserved youth). I want to spend the rest of my life being a voice for those sitting on the margins of society. I am very passionate about giving back to lower socioeconomic communities, and improving the lives of others. I am all about social justice and equality.

Some of my accomplishments include being on the dean’s list every semester since community college. I graduated from Los Angeles Harbor College in 2012 receiving my Associates of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences: Social and Behavioral Sciences. I have been the recipient of two scholarships (Osher Scholarship and Anne Peters Memorial Scholarship), inducted in both the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology International Honor Society. I’ve also been honored numerous certificates acknowledging my leadership in the community (parent volunteer, homeless shelter volunteer, and advocacy associated with social problems).

In my spare time, I love mentoring and tutoring. But, most of all, I love spending time with my daughter and family. Other hobbies include jogging, hiking, reading, dining out, going to the movies, and traveling. My advice to all of you working on your degree is to take your education very serious, absorb all the knowledge passed on from professors. WE ARE PAYING FOR IT, so stay engaged. Also, set short and long-term goals so you know exactly where you are going, you don’t want to waste time. You have to execute a plan, and go after it with all you have-DON’T EVER GIVE UP- YOU CAN DO IT! GOOD LUCK ALL-WISHING EVERYONE A SEMSETER FULL OF KNOWLEDGE, which ultimately gives you power in our society.