Statement of Purpose
Being a multilingual person is sometimes difficult and confusing. I have to constantly be adapting to switching languages depending on the environment I am in. At home, I speak to my mother, Mixteco, since she does not speak Spanish and understands just a bit. On the other hand, with my father, I have to communicate in Spanish so he can develop his proficiency. In addition, with my sibling, I communicate in “Mixspaglish '' an abbreviation for Mixteco, Spanish, and English, a combination of the three languages. In public, if with my friends I communicate in Spanish and English. Lastly, in my work environment as an interpreter, I communicate in three languages.
My father’s native tongue is Mixteco. Growing up he had faced a lot of discrimination for not being able to speak Spanish fluently. Therefore, as I grew up, my father never made it a priority for me to speak Mixteco as my first language. His concern was for me to learn Spanish first. So I won't struggle like him nor be discriminated against for not knowing Spanish.
I chose California State University Monterey Bay for the following reasons: it is more economical, educational and career opportunities; although I grew up in most of the cities in Monterey County, there is more to explore. So far, the courses I have taken have allowed me to interact with a diverse community due to service-learning courses and see through the lenses the disadvantages and advantages of living in one of the richest counties in California.
Mixtec women like my great grandmother, grandmother, and mother were educated at home. As many of the women in my family never had an education; barely knowing how to write their initials and not speaking or writing in Spanish. Not many girls in my family have attended school because many of them have arranged marriage by the age of 13. . In the Mixtec Culture, it is common for young girls to be married early, but I had the privilege of not getting an arrangement since I’m the only girl in my family of three brothers. Therefore, I am not following the same pattern as the woman in my family. I am the first one to break the barriers redefining what it means to be a woman in Mixteco culture.
Yet, even though I am given the opportunity to have an education it's very difficult to have the support of my parents and family. My goal is to continue with my education to a Master’s degree or Ph.D. I am no longer doing this degree for me. I am doing it for my siblings, cousins, and the generation behind me. I don’t want them to struggle like I did and feel alone on the journey to higher education. I know that there are more things that the world has to offer; rather than picking strawberries in the morning and at night working at a cooler. In addition, to carrying responsibilities toward the house, taking care of siblings, being the interpreter toward mom and dad.