HispanicEssayICS18ART

When people look at me I look like a regular American girl. I have blonde hair and brown eyes. My name doesn't even sound Hispanic. What people don't know about me is that I have a Spanish heritage. My great - great Aunt Gloria's parents came from Spain. Which makes them my great - great grandparents. When Hispanics come to the United States life isn't exactly cupcakes and rainbows. Julia Alvarez, a famous Dominican - American writer has experienced these struggles, as did my great - great Aunt Gloria. For Hispanics, coming to the United States isn't easy.

Thirty percent of Hispanic families grow up in poverty. (Krogstad, Jennifer) When they do have money, they must use it for essentials. They cannot afford health care or life insurance. Hispanic adults have to care for their families. There are limited jobs they can do, they are not familiar with the American money system, and often cannot speak English. These disadvantages cause them to do jobs nobody wants. Many corporations have realized the struggles of these people and started funding Hispanic families to help them get on their feet. The only favor they ask in return is for them to help other families get on their feet. Hispanics have struggles, but luckily they have people in their lives to help.

Julia Alvarez was born on March 27, 1950 in New York City, New York. Three months after she was born, her family moved to the Dominican Republic. She would spend the next 10 years of her life there. She grew up speaking Spanish and knowing little English. Julia always had a talent for storytelling. In 1960, Julia's father started getting involved in plans to overthrow Rafael Trujillo. Soon, Julia's father was caught and they had to pack their bags and flee to the United States. When she went to her new school, she was one of the few Hispanic kids in her class. Julia says the children bullied her because she was Hispanic. Julia's best friends were books. She called books portable homelands. Her teachers encouraged her to write down her stories and become an author. At age 13, her parents sent her to Abbott Academy. After graduating from Abbott Academy, she attended college and graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in 1975 at Syracuse College in Creative Writing. In order to support herself, Julia took teaching jobs all over the U.S. In 1991, Julia published her first novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents. Julia received many awards for this book and throughout her writing career. Today, Julia lives in Champlain Valley, Vermont, with her husband Bill, and is a writer for Middlebury College. Julia is my Hispanic hero because she had the courage to become a writer and publish books. (Julia Alvarez)

My other hero, is my great - great Aunt Gloria Manuela Barbas. My Aunt Gloria was not born in Spain, but her parents were. Her parents came to the United States in search of a better life. A year and ten days after Gloria's brother died, she was born. Her brother was 17 when he died. This was one of her family's struggles: the loss of a brother and son. Gloria was named Gloria because she brought glory to her mother. Her middle name was Manuela, the girl version of Emmanuel, her brother's name. Gloria grew up on 16th Street in Ybor City, Florida. First her parents were cigar rollers then her parents went in the grocery store business. A second struggle was money, they had to pay bills, buy clothes and food. Starting a business caused stress. If nobody shopped at their store, they would go bankrupt, every business owner's nightmare. While she was growing up she spoke Spanish at home mostly. Her mother was very outgoing, but spoke little English. Her father never even bothered. This was another struggle; she went to school not knowing a single word of English. Her teachers sent her back a few grades in order for her to learn English. My aunt has many fond memories of her neighborhood. They would sit on the porch and talk. They would open they window and let the air in since they didn't have any air conditioning. When Aunt Gloria does speak Spanish, she feels she is connecting back to her Hispanic heritage. Today my aunt Gloria has 3 sons and many grandchildren. She has a good life and survived the struggles of her childhood. This is why my great - great Aunt Gloria is another of my Hispanic heroes.(Gloria M. Barbas)

Julia Alvarez and Gloria Barbas are two brave Spanish women. They had struggles and overcame them. They are both my heroes. I may look like a regular American girl but I have an Hispanic Heritage. Sometimes Hispanics have a hard time, but there will be good times too. Don't Plan it all. Let life surprise you a little. - Julia Alvarez

__ Work Cited __
 * " Gloria Barbas Growing Up In a Hispanic Family." Personal interview. Beginning of April 2016

> - This is a good source because Julia Alvarez herself wrote it.
 * Julia Alvarez. "About Me." : Author Julia Alvarez. Sienna M Potts and Alex Chapin, 16 Feb. 2003 - 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. .

> - It list its sources and isn't a fictional source. > > - This is a good source because it shows its sources. It also isn't a fictional site. >  - This a good website because it had sites it used.
 * Julia Alvarez." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. .
 * Krogstad, Jens Manuel. "Top Issue for Hispanics? Hint: It’s Not Immigration."Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 02 June 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. < http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/02/top-issue-for-hispanics-hint-its-not-immigration/ >
 * Languages of the United States." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Inc., 16 Apr. 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States