To
an uniformed visitor, the Hispanic girls of CHOICES appear to be
typical teenagers. They dress in jeans and fashionable shirts, they
chatter excitedly with each other, and they complain of problems with
parents and teachers. Beneath all this, however, are deeper
socioeconomic and cultural issues that distinguish these girls from
their peers, more so than their black hair, dark eyes, and brown
complexions. Being Hispanic means that these girls have unique
challenges and increased family responsibilities.
Racial prejudice and language barriers create friction at school. These
girls say that many people assume that they will make bad choices
simply because they are Hispanic. Teachers sometimes assume that the
girls are slow, and place them in special education classes, even
though the girls are on par with their peers. Another problem is that
the girls are not permitted to speak Spanish; they slip in and out of
the language quite fluidly, and doing so lands them in the principal's
office. Furthermore, the teachers sometimes will not permit the girls
to attend CHOICES. All this contributes to the girls' negative
attitudes.
"Mexicans have more family responsibility," says Rosly Carrasco.
Therefore, life at home is also permeated with complex cultural issues.
The other girls support her statement with anecdotes of coming home
from school or work and tackling heaps of household duties or
babysitting siblings and cousins. Grace Guerrero, the leader of
CHOICES, explains that in Hispanic families, studying and participating
in extracurricular activities are seen as wastes of time that take the
girls away from family duties. Adriana Torres testifies that parents
will get angry when you spend time for yourself away from home.
Homework comes before schoolwork; family comes before everything else.
When Grace mentions that all the girls sometimes have to skip school
and act as a translator for a family member, all the girls nod in
agreement, showing that it is a fairly common experience.
All the girls have jobs to support their families in addition to
attending school and keeping up family responsibilities at home. They
have to earn their keep, as Grace says. Their parents work, often at
two jobs, and family burdens fall squarely on the girls' shoulders. The
girls are more mature, world-wise, and stressed than most of their
non-Hispanic peers.
CHOICES - Challenge, Hope, Opportunity, Insight, Changes, Empowerment,
and Success - assists these girls by teaching them valuable life skills
and encouraging them to take positive action. Grace explains that this
means not talking back or taking a negative attitude, but instead
communicating positively, understanding the differences between
requests and demands, and rising above discrimination. These lessons
are applied to interactions with parents and teachers. The girls offer
their own chorus of lessons, each of these followed by echoes of
agreement from the others in the group. For Anahi, it's making better
choices and staying in school. For Rosly, it's standing up for herself.
For Isamar, it's making something of herself.
The program is also teaching the girls about the importance of
education. All the girls had bad habits of skipping school prior to
joining the group. Cilia Davila, for example, chuckles about how easy
it is to gather up friends and skip school together. Today, because of
CHOICES, she is retaking the classes she missed and even working toward
college credit. Grace says that she marvels at Cilia's new attitude
because it is such a dramatic change; Cilia used to be one of the worst
truants in the group. The girls also had little hope of attending
college, mainly because of academic and financial concerns. CHOICES
helps the girls explore the possibility of higher education by
encouraging them to stay in school. Graces emphasizes that the girls do
not need to be geniuses to attend college. She also gives them hope by
showing them scholarships aimed at Hispanics. Isamar sums it up quite
beautifully when she declares that she "has more animos (inspiration) to go to college."
CHOICES has also become a haven where girls can speak freely among
themselves. At first, the group was just an excuse to get out of class;
no one really wanted to be there, and shyness silenced the girls. Over
time, the shyness gave way to open communication - sharing experiences
and advice, asking questions, listening to each other, and supporting
each other. As Anahi says, it is good to know that you are not the only
one with these experience, and you do not have to hold back.
Furthermore, CHOICES is no longer merely an excuse to get out of class.
The girls look forward to getting together and sharing what they have
to say.
The positive impact of CHOICES goes beyond the girls themselves. Not
only are they communicating better with their parents and teachers;
they also hope to bring in troubled friends who would flourish in the
group. Graces says that CHOICES also enables Family and Children's
Services establish important connections with Hispanic families opening
an avenue to discuss ESL classes, childcare, and counseling services.
She also communicates with the parents to help them understand the
importance of supporting their daughters' academic efforts.
The Women's Foundation of Oklahoma has demonstrated its support for
CHOICES through a grant in 2005. Graces says that these funds keep the
program alive and thriving by covering expenses. In the future, she
hopes to expand the program to younger girls, and have older girls
serve as mentors. She would also like to take the girls on recreational
trips, hold summer camps, and follow the girls as they progress through
high school and college. Grace says she cannot thank the Women's
Foundation enough. The funding serves as an acknowledgment of the
importance of CHOICES as it guides Hispanic girls along paths to bright
horizons.
Written by: Cortney Stone
