Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Trendy

"Your trendy right now," said fellow blogger Cindylu at the monthly latino bloggers meeting on Monday. Me ? Trendy ? At first I interpreted her comment and thought that she meant I dressed/looked trendy, but a few moments later she clarified that she meant it as the current topic of interest, the current issue people and the media is focusing on. With the L.A. Times publishing a story about undocumented college students and our struggles every so often, her comment kinda forced me into looking at everything in a new light, which is good. I never really saw it that way, I know it's one of the "it" issues facing California and the U.S., but it helps to have other's chime in with their point of view. I touched on it last post but I guess it never really hit me because I'm looking at it from the inside rather from the outside. In my circle of friends I'm the only one who's undocumented and attending college on my own accord. It's stupid and ignorant of me to write this but my friends aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. If anything I'm the most "educated" and "experienced" from all of them. I suck for writing that but they know how I am already and if they read this, which I'm sure they won't, they won't get butt hurt or anything. Undocumented students are being stereo typed as valedictorians with high grade point averages who are intelligent and basically over achievers, not that that's a bad thing mind you. I however don't fall under that category. Sure I'm taking honors classes, I have a 3.0 GPA, I'm on the schools newspaper and I work part time, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm smart, I just like to keep busy. Every student is different and we all have our own personal reasons for going to school and bettering ourselves. I know that we all share similar struggles and come from similar backgrounds, but in the end we all have different reasons. My reasons are purely personal and in a way selfish because I'm doing what I want to do and not what my parents want me to do. I have the same cliche story of my parents coming to the U.S. for a better life and giving me the opportunities that I wouldn't have back in Mexico, I'm from El D.F. chilango cabrones. Giving it some serious thought, I am trendy and like any trend it'll eventually fade away, except when it does I'll still be here in the shadows. It's frustrating that when people protest they protest on issues that won't get anyone anywhere. The U.S. is not going to give amnesty to more than 12 million people just like that. Students however will actually contribute back to society in the form of having jobs, buying houses, cars and paying taxes like all Americans. Capitalism for citizenship was also another topic that was discussed and touched on, but that's a different post all together.