WRT 104

Final Portfolio

Caroline Berdugo
WRT 104
Tasche Bryant
01/30/17
 Since the start of high school, my English classes have been so essential and beneficial to

me. They have played a massive role in my learning of the new language and helped me become

a much more better writer and reader. I am always enthusiastic in my English classes; I do

consider it one of my strengths. Nonetheless, theres always room for learning and improvement.

I have always held high standards for myself, mostly when it comes to my education.

Consequently, I made the decision to take the WRT 104 course. At first, it felt like I was

throwing myself in at the deep end; I was taking on a huge challenge. Then, I just let myself

enjoy the class. I started looking at the small obstacles as challenges for improvement, instead of

labeling them as my own incompetence. Every new project, was a whole new adventure. I first

walked into the rhetoric world not knowing anything about it, and now Im able to recognize

those elements and use them in my own writing.

Now that the semester is over, I can honestly say that WRT 104 positively impacted my

way of writing and my way of attracting an audience. I do feel accomplished and proud of

myself for being able make it to the finish line and for have completed four substantial papers.

The purpose of this final portfolio is to prove how Ive met the established learning outcomes

and standards demonstrating my own improvement throughout this course. The six standards I

choose to reflect upon are: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, 2a, 2d. In order to show evidence of this, Ive revised

both my Investigative report and my Profile. These are two pieces that show how much my

writing has improved and how I put my new rhetorical skills into practice.
Writing Effectively
Learning outcome 1a states that student [should] be able to complete at least four

substantial writing projects that meet expectations for focus, development, organization,

and coherence. Its crucial to have a thesis statement or a focus for every paper we write.

When the profile assignment was given to me, I remember thinking about how I wanted the

purpose of my profile to be about someone that represented an ongoing problem. Thats the

reason I decided to interview an immigrant, single mother. Heres what I wrote in my

introduction:

Its 10 am, and she would usually be getting started on her chores, if it wasnt for the
constant pain in her back that shes been planning on having checked out for a while
now. Its perhaps an effect of her really busy life. Handling 3 kids, a job, and a household
all be herself is finally taking a toll, she jokes. But its the lifestyle that she has grown
used to. The one she loves, despite the circumstances. Based on the statistics from the
U.S. Census Bureau, out of about 12 million single parents families in 2015, more than
80% were headed by single mothers (Dawn).

I made sure to include small details that supported my claim. This woman, Liliana, was ignoring

her own health because she couldnt fit it into her busy schedule. I included the statistics,

because the numbers show a bigger picture on how a family household is often managed by a

single parent. Also, the experiences in the profile and the statistics, made my paper much more

coherent. It backed up my claim, making it more logical and complete. Moreover, the

organization and development of this paper go hand-to-hand. After my first draft, I reflected:

Im struggling with making my paper more concise. Sometimes I go really in depth on a

topic, when I dont really have to, so that part becomes unnecessary and repetitive. Thats
definitely the hardest part, and whats taken more work- focusing on one topic/idea at a
time. When writing about someone elses life and experience, its so much information
that it gets overwhelming and its challenging to fit it all together and make it one piece.
Therefore, I definitely need to work on the organization of my paper, so the end result
shows progress and evolution. Not only in the aspect of my paper, but also how the
individual developed and grew.
I was able to organize my paper based on experiences and age. At the end, it was a story that

followed a timeline. Heres an excerpt that shows this progression:

In like manner, she left home at the age of 16. Her mindset during that time was
dispersed and she felt extremely lonely. On that note, she had her first daughter, Ana
Maria, at the age of 18. According to human rights NGO plan international, in Colombia
20% of adolescent girls are either are either mothers or pregnant. Liliana remembers
wanting to have kids young, and when it came a reality she was a mess of emotions. Plus,
she was afraid, because she had absolutely no idea what to do. Her sense of responsibility
changed because she didnt have to worry only about herself anymore. She had to stop
doing fun things of her age, to focus on the safety of her new baby. She mentions that the
babys arrival wasnt radical, It was like an experiment. It was something I learned
throughout the years. And the reality of teaching and raising another human isnt easy.
Nevertheless, Liliana has a deep respect for life. She states that Life is something you
never touch. Life was always the option. While holding her youngest baby in her arms,
she looks at me and tells me that she never thought about getting rid of her baby.
In contrast, there was also her familys and the dads opinion. After giving birth,
she moved in with her boyfriend and his mom. But, they did not accept the baby. For that
reason, she had to leave and moved in with her dad. During that time, he was her only
source of support. Still, she was the one that worked full time for her daughter. She
provided her with everything. Even to this day, now with three kids, shes the only one
that sustains them financially.
7 years passed after her first daughter was born. Then, she had started talking and
reconciling with her first love and first boyfriend of many years, with whom she had her
second child, Sara. She nostalgically recalls of a time when they were really young and
used to be adventurous. But she also recalls how much hed changed after some years. In
the midst of their relationship getting serious, she noticed he was a completely different
person. He grew away from his values, and right after she decided to end their
relationship, she found out she was pregnant. She was tormented by this situation,
because she felt like she was going in circles.
Something thats incredibly significant for Liliana is her belief of Familism. She
loves the idea of maintaining a healthy family nucleus, but only if the other person is
willing to appreciate it just the same. Unfortunately, that wasnt the case. Additionally,
shes surprisingly focused and interested in psychology. That was her way of dealing
with her problems and for staying healthy as a person, for both herself and her kids. To
continue, while she worked, she put the kids in school. And because theyre obviously
her number one priority, she thinks children should be put above any social norms.
Three years later, back to when she was 28 years old, her mother suddenly
reappeared in her life, to tell her she had everything ready to come to the US. As she
shakes her head, she says that she didnt make any of these decisions, that her mom had
everything figured out. And for her surprise, her mom had already lived here for 10 years.
This just shows how much they didnt know about each other; the miscommunication
between them. At first, Liliana didnt like the idea. For the first time, she felt she had her
life established and in order to migrate to another country, she wouldve needed to give
up a lot of things. However, now she thinks it was the best thing that ever happened to
her (Once she went to Colombia to visit after a few month of being in the US, she noticed
certain behaviors of her boyfriend that disappointer her, due to the fact that she had other
hopes for her family).
This shows how I organized my story, making it easier for my audience to follow along. I was

able to take out parts of my paper that werent hugely significant so it wouldnt distract the

reader from the main focus and interrupt the flow. Throughout the whole paper, I made sure to

include her voice and actions in order to give the reader a more vivid description. Lastly, I

included pathos in my paper, with the goal of my audience empathizing and understanding more

about the lives of these women-

Being a single mom is no easy task, and instead of feeling supported, Liliana
recalls a few times when she was judged or pushed aside because of it. For instance,
when looking for a school for one of her daughters, she was interested in a private,
catholic school. When looking into the requirements of an scholarship for that particular
school, she was told that the child had to have a father with her. This really upset her and
she felt excluded because it wasnt fair. But in general, she says that she doesnt pay
attention to what other people have to say. Shes had a few confrontations with her family
in the past for making ridiculous comments. Shes also had people judge her for taking
different jobs all the time and not staying there for long. But Liliana just shakes it off and
calls it ignorance. Its important to keep in mind that the median outcome for single
moms per year is $26,000 and the statistics show that 23.2% are jobless the entire year.
This absolutely backs up Lilianas argument of wanting to stay home, or having her
hands tied.
After a long sigh, she tells me that there are so many challenges, but most of all
she just wants to be part of her kids life. She doesnt want a job that limits her job as a
mother. Her biggest hope is to be part of a society which lets her stay with their kids and
be part of their childhood, because its the time where she needs to teach them essential
life values.

Overall, I was able to meet the expectations for focus, development, organization, and coherence

in my Profile assignment. Therefore, proving I met learning outcome 1a.

Revisions/Editing
One of the skills I became better at was revising. A paper is hardly ever flawless, there

are always sentences fragments, run-on sentences, word choice, that we, as writers, are always in

the look out for. Tasche taught us a few techniques that helped us with this process. We should

always write an idea, in the shortest way possible; theres no need for extra words. We should
always get rid of those words that dont hold any meaning in our sentences, such as: that, many,

which, who. These words are used as fillers and are keeping us from using a more detailed one.

As learning outcome 1b states [students will be able to] revise and make edits to meet

conventions of standard English. My Investigative Report, for instance, has undergo extreme

revising. This piece became part of my senior research paper, hence, it has been read by many

people. However, the revisions started in WRT 104. One of my mistakes when writing my

investigative report was writing unsupported statements. I let my biases and opinions take over a

couple times; therefore, they needed to be taken out or edited, here are a few examples:

Latina women have long tried to involve themselves in the feminist movement, but they
have always been excluded. Apart from experiencing sexism, these women also face
ethnic oppression, which positions them in a much lower rank. Its a challenge for them
to move forward, when they have chain leg irons holding them back.

Education doesnt only get young adults ready for the real world but also it serves as an
outlet for minorities to be part of that same world. Latina women often struggle to get
through this path; some dont even make it.

** The sentences highlighted in yellow, were taken out because they werent supported
by evidence and therefore serve no purpose.**

Unrevised
This shows how regrettable, Latina
immigrants often stay in the shadows and
are isolated from the world around them.
Also, how the criminal justice system
doesnt provide support or help at all.
These women carry a great deal of the
burden associated with inequality.
Revised
This shows how, regrettably, Latina
immigrants often stay in the shadows and
are isolated from the world around them.
Also, how the criminal justice system
provides minimal support and help. These
women carry a great deal of the burden
associated with inequality.

Additionally, during peer editing, my classmates advised me to define words in my paper. I

talked about Intersectionality in my investigative support, and I needed to keep my audience in

mind, given that not everyone knows the definition of the word and what it represents-
 Thats when Intersectionality comes into play. According to Cherre Moraga, a Chicana
feminist, intersectionality explains the way oppressions like racism, sexism, and
transphobia are interconnected. Therefore, social identities overlap, impacting our
experiences with discrimination.

As shown in the examples above, I was able to recognize my own opinions in between supported

claims. I learned to use better wording when writing my sentences. Also, how revisions and

conventions of standard English make your paper much more precise and easier to grasp. All in

all, I was able to meet learning outcome 1b.

Needs and Expectations

Before setting to write a paper, its necessary to know who that specific piece is aimed to.

The route of your paper, depends on this factor- of knowing your audience firsthand. Any

rhetorical element or skills used in the paper, has to be implemented based on your audiences

need and what youre trying to get across. As learning outcome 1c mandates [student will be

able to] demonstrate awareness of readers needs and expectations for prose style, genres,

conventions, and citation. By knowing this, its easier to know exactly what kind of

information they expect. Accordingly, in my Investigative report, I included a small section

focused on education. In there, I wrote about the institutional barriers immigrant women have to

face when pursuing a higher education. What I decided to do afterwards was elaborate on the

educational hardships, particularly, for undocumented students as I didnt want to leave any

areas uncovered. Heres an excerpt of the added paragraph-

Furthermore, its even more difficult for undocumented students. They have
absolutely no privileges and are incredibly disadvantaged. In order for these students to
go to college, they need to pay out of state tuition and cannot receive any federal
financial aid because of their immigration status (Hernann, Wagner). Its truly
heartbreaking how all of these students aspirations are crushed by systematic
oppressions, and they need to jump through hoop after bureaucratic hoop in their pursuit
of education (Hernann, Wagner). There isnt a day when these women dont struggle
 and where they dont have to work extra hard to achieve their goals. There are endless
barriers in their way and they set Latina women back and limit their capabilities.

Furthermore, another example of this, was my short description of a scenario on intersectionality.

I decided to add this, to make it easier for my audience to understand the concept of the word and

what it entails. Therefore, I decided it was appropriate to add an scenario to plant the idea of the

word in their minds:

Feminism is defined based on life experiences. Each women has a different definition of
what the term really means. In fact, some dont even consider themselves feminists
(Charleswell). Picture this- on one hand we have a white, middle-class woman. On the
other hand, we have a black, poor, and gay woman. Its impossible for these two women
to have the same definition of feminism. When the black woman faces not only gender
inequality, but also racism and homophobia

My tone throughout this paper was serious and fact-based. I was direct with the ideas included in

the paper, because I had strong evidence to back me up. I got my research from scholarly articles

and from the URI online library. Meaning my sources were reliable. By demonstrating

awareness of my readers needs and expectations, I can confidently say Ive met the learning

outcome 1c.

Synthesis
Learning outcome 1e calls for, Research, synthesize, analyze, critique, explain,

argue, and explore in a variety of writing assignments. In my investigative report, I have a

couple of examples of where I synthesized two of my sources. I decided to synthesize my

evidence because it would undoubtedly strengthen my claim and it shows how much though I

put into my paper-

One of the reasons Latinas dont speak up about their situation at home, its because of
their language barriers. Their inability to speak English, often prevents them from
communicating their needs and determining what local services are available (Vidales).
 Vanessa Berens concurs, by stating that Latinas [face] language discrimination in
education, employment, and when theyre seeking help from agencies.

In addition, their culture encourages them to be submissive, the role of a good wife,
is to stay in the kitchen, take care of her man, and be loving to her children (Berens).
Guadalupe Vidales adds on by saying that A latina may stay in a violent relationship
because her sense of loyalty, kindness, forgiveness, and respect makes her willing to
tolerate the situation (Vidales). Also, the attitudes and norms about family privacy
prevent women from disclosing the abuse and speaking against their intimate partners to
friends, courts, and counselors. These traditional roles are entrenched in Latina women,
and going against those beliefs, for her, would feel like betraying her own culture.

When sources are able to fit together shows how well thought-out this argument was. I was able

to analyze both of their points and use them as part of my paper to show my audience that my

report was valid and credible. Most importantly, for me, to able to synthesize, and to make it part

of my everyday writing, shows how much Ive learned in this course and how much it has

prepared me for future classes. With all of that said, I was able to research, analyze, and

synthesize in my writing assignments, thus meaning, Ive met learning outcome 1e.

Information Literacy
When writing both my Investigative report and my profile I made sure to establish pathos

and logos in order to meet the rhetorical situation. Learning outcome 2a states that [students

should be able to] identify where support is needed for their claim(s). In my profile, for

instance, I included evidence that supported my claim from outside sources, establishing logos-

Its perhaps an effect of her really busy life. Handling 3 kids, a job, and a
household all be herself is finally taking a toll, she jokes. But its the lifestyle that she has
grown used to. The one she loves, despite the circumstances. Based on the statistics from
the U.S. Census Bureau, out of about 12 million single parents families in 2015, more
than 80% were headed by single mothers (Dawn).

In like manner, she left home at the age of 16. Her mindset during that time was
dispersed and she felt extremely lonely. On that note, she had her first daughter, Ana
 Maria, at the age of 18. According to human rights NGO plan international, in Colombia
20% of adolescent girls are either are either mothers or pregnant.

Its important to keep in mind that the median outcome for single moms per year
is $26,000 and the statistics show that 23.2% are jobless the entire year. This absolutely
backs up Lilianas argument of wanting to stay home, or having her hands tied.

I knew I needed to include information from my own research and not just from the interview. I

was aware that this evidence would support my claim on how hard it is to be a single mom. And

it did, indeed. It strengthened my writing. My profile was majorly based on pathos, and the stats

added it the logos, making my paper more thorough. This was reflected on the grade I got on it,

which was a 93!

Another example of this learning outcome was in my Investigative report, specifically,

the section on domestic violence. The tone throughout this paper was factual and

straightforward. Therefore, I wanted to add pathos in this section, due to the fact that is a

sensitive subject. Heres the part that was added:

Guadalupe Vidales- An assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of

Wisconsin Parkside- documents and analyzes the experiences of Latina immigrants who
faced domestic violence. In her study, a woman is able to recite her own experience with
the police without bilingual assistance.
When the police came, they could tell I couldnt speak English, so they started
to talk to my husband. I could understand enough of their conversation in
English to make out some of what they were saying. My husband told them that
it was his home and that he wasnt sure if hed let me stay here. Soon the police
were asking him to please let me stay. I was crying and really frustrated because
the police didnt take the time to try to understand what I wanted to say. They
saw me crying and talking in broken English and instantly they assumed that I
was not able even to understand what they were saying. After a while the police
and my husband began talking about football and laughing. It was like they
were part of a male club or something (Vidales).

The paragraph highlighted in yellow is a testimony from an immigrant woman who was a victim

of domestic violence, and when she called the police, her needs were ignored and the criminal

justice system did nothing to help her. This unfortunate event clearly adds pathos to my paper
and it gives the reader a more vivid and realistic picture of what these women have to go

through. All in all, I was able to identify where support was needed for my claim as called for by

learning outcome 2a.

Targeted Audience
My investigative report intended audience are those against immigrants. The purpose of

my paper was to speak up for women immigrants and bring up their sacrifices and obstacles due

to discriminations and inequality in this country. I wanted to educate my targeted audience and

show them the everyday reality of these women. Learning outcome 2d calls for an

Investigative Report targeted to a specific audience who needs the information.

Consequently, the conclusion of my paper stated the following-

Overall, there are numerous of structural, institutional, and cultural barriers

Latina immigrants unfortunately have to face in this country. This topic of immigration
has become a famous one over the last couple of years due to changes that have happened
politically. There are many arguments about who belongs and who doesnt between
citizens and theyre worsening the circumstances of those who are looked at as
outsiders. For instance, the last president election, in 2016, was a significant one. The
rhetorical in the speeches of certain candidates was purposely encouraging the citizens to
fear immigrants. By intentionally leaving out the obstacles immigrants had to face and
the benefits they have patently serve this country. To conclude, the path of immigration
isnt an easy one. The people and families who migrate to this country have legitimate
reasons to come here. The arrive with hope of being able to fulfil their dreams and the
dreams of their loved ones. Before prejudicing against a human being or an ethnic group,
one has to be able to understand and be aware of their struggles and hardships, and also
of their meaningful contribution in this country.

With this conclusion I prove that my investigative report targeted a specific audience who

needed to be educated about the hardships immigrants face in their daily lives, particularly,

women- thus proving I met learning outcome 2d.

 Latina Hardships as Immigrants

There are countless of struggles Latina immigrants face in their daily lives, due to
discrimination and inequality. Having to adapt to a new country, where they are labeled and
isolated according to their race, its hard enough for them already. But unfortunately thats just
one of the problems from an interminable list of hardships. It is a tendency for these women to
live in the shadows, for their problems to be dismissed, and their voices not to be heard. They are
faced with barriers, that most of the time are impossible to break through. Mostly, when they
lack a support system to guide them. Moreover, there are more factors that limit their capabilities
as women, and lead to problems in their own homes. Their traditional values are prominent
because one is able to see how their lifestyles and way of thinking differ from non-hispanic
women, in both positive and negative ways. It is a fact that these women arent fully represented,
and sometimes their problems are looked at superficially. In order to be able to identify the
hardships of Latina immigrants, its necessary to understand their cultural values. As previously
mentioned, the list of struggles these women face can go on and on, but here are a few:
Exclusion From The Feminist Movement

The concept of feminism in this country and whether it represents all women is a

controversial debate. Latina women have long tried to involve themselves in the feminist

movement, but they have always been excluded. Apart from experiencing sexism, these women

also face ethnic oppression, which positions them in a much lower rank. No matter how much

effort they put or leadership roles they take, their contributions go unnoticed for the most part

(Charleswell). There are times when people preach about being feminists without fully

understanding the weight behind that statement. Feminism is defined based on life experiences.

Each women has a different definition of what the term really means. In fact, some dont even

consider themselves feminists (Charleswell). Picture this- on one hand we have a white,

middle-class woman. On the other hand, we have a black, poor, and gay woman. Its impossible

for these two women to have the same definition of feminism. When the black woman faces not

only gender inequality, but also racism and homophobia.

Thats when intersectionality comes into play. According to Cherre Moraga, a Chicana

feminist, intersectionality explains the way oppressions like racism, sexism, and transphobia are

interconnected. Therefore, social identities overlap, impacting our experiences with

discrimination. Also, Latinas face cultural, structural and institutional barriers to the pursuit of
justice (Vidales). They have to work much harder to achieve their goals, or to get to the end

line, because they dont have a support system in this country. The possibility to thrive should be

accessible to every women, even to those who have always been excluded. Overall, this is one of

the problems Latina women have to face due to discrimination from the white-dominant race.

Being immigrants in this country labels them as The other.

Education

This is the path a good amount of women want to their kids to take, in order for them to

have better lives than their parents. Education doesnt only get young adults ready for the real

world but also it serves as an outlet for minorities to be part of that same world. Family dynamic

is incredibly important in the Latino culture, that at times the women are even criticized, by those

within their culture, for pursuing a higher education and abandoning their cultural roles (Garcia).

Latina students view college, and education in general, as a ticket to improve circumstances for

themselves and more importantly for their families (Garcia). These women, just like every other

person, have aspirations and expectations for themselves. Still they have numerous barriers in

their way, preventing them to reach a higher education.

One of the barriers is racial and gender discrimination. Apart from cultural shock, they

have to prove they deserve a place in higher education while continually being subjected to

racial/ethnic stereotyping and low expectations about their abilities as women (Garcia). Its

unfair how these strong women are put or considered in a lower rank just because of their race.

The cultural background or the skin color of a person, in this case a women, shouldnt be the

defining factor of what she is capable of doing. Neither should they be excluded from a place

where they gained their right to be. They can bring amazing input to a classroom like anybody

else.
 Socioeconomic inequality is also a barrier Latina women have to face. Most Latina

students come from low-income households (Crespo). This financial crisis often oblige these

women to give up their education. Some of these students spend less time studying because they

have to get a job in order to pay a semester. Unsurprisingly, the high school dropout rate for

Latinas from ages 16 to 24 is 30%, compared with 12.9% for blacks and 8.2% for whites

(Gamboa). Unfortunately, the reasons for dropout are often related to money.

Furthermore, reaching a higher education is even more difficult for undocumented

students. They have absolutely no privileges and are incredibly disadvantaged. In order for these

students to go to college, they need to pay out of state tuition and cannot receive any federal

financial aid because of their immigration status (Hernann, Wagner). Its truly heartbreaking how

all of these students aspirations are crushed by systematic oppressions, and they need to jump

through hoop after bureaucratic hoop in their pursuit of education (Hernann, Wagner). There

isnt a day when these women dont struggle and where they dont have to work extra hard to

achieve their goals. There are endless barriers in their way and they set Latina women back and

limit their capabilities.

Domestic Violence

These women are sometimes faced with struggles within their own homes. They are

disadvantaged culturally by the roles that have been traditionally established. On top of that, they

are also in a foreign country that doesnt consider their challenges a priority, therefore, its a

problem to find the support and help they need. According to Vanessa Berens, a LMHC,

research has shown that Latina women underutilize social services when compared to

African-American and European-American women (Berens). One of the reasons Latinas dont

speak up about their situation at home, is because of their language barriers. Their inability to

speak English often prevents them from communicating their needs and determining what local
services are available (Vidales). Vanessa Berens concurs, by stating that Latinas [face] language

discrimination in education, employment, and when theyre seeking help from agencies.

Guadalupe Vidales, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of

Wisconsin Parkside, documents and analyzes the experiences of Latina immigrants who faced

domestic violence. In her study, a woman is able to recite her own experience with the police

without bilingual assistance.

When the police came, they could tell I couldnt speak English, so they started to
talk to my husband. I could understand enough of their conversation in English to
make out some of what they were saying. My husband told them that it was his
home and that he wasnt sure if hed let me stay here. Soon the police were asking
him to please let me stay. I was crying and really frustrated because the police
didnt take the time to try to understand what I wanted to say. They saw me crying
and talking in broken English and instantly they assumed that I was not able even to
understand what they were saying. After a while the police and my husband began
talking about football and laughing. It was like they were part of a male club or
something (Vidales).
This shows how, regrettably, Latina immigrants often stay in the shadows and are isolated from

the world around them and how the criminal justice system provides minimal support and help.

These women carry a great deal of the burden associated with inequality.

An important factor or origin of domestic violence is familismo. Latina women

tend to have a strong connection with their family and a family orientation that pervades all

aspects of their lives (Berens). These women feel very strongly that their children need a father

at home. They dont think twice about putting their family above themselves, and are willing to

make sacrifices in order to keep the family together. Thats one of the big factors why they

decide not to leave an abusive relationship. In addition, their culture encourages them to be

submissive, the role of a good wife, is to stay in the kitchen, take care of her man, and be

loving to her children (Berens). Guadalupe Vidales adds on by saying that A latina may stay in
a violent relationship because her sense of loyalty, kindness, forgiveness, and respect makes her

willing to tolerate the situation (Vidales). Also, the attitudes and norms about family privacy

prevent women from disclosing the abuse and speaking against their intimate partners to friends,

courts, and counselors. These traditional roles are entrenched in Latina women, and going

against those beliefs, for her, would feel like betraying her own culture. But at the same time,

theyre being kept in a box, with their hands tied, and there isnt much they can do.

Moreover, another origin of domestic violence are gender roles. Latina women are

socialized into rigid gender roles. Its highly common in a Latino household, for the man to have

the upper hand; male dominance. There is, undoubtedly, an imbalance of power between

husband and wife. There are two terms to define each genders characteristics: Machismo and

Marianismo. While the women are taught to be selfless and to stop listening to their own needs,

man are usually associated with responsibility, toughness, and aggression (Berens). Furthermore,

most often than not, the family of the victim takes the abusers side and the women are

encouraged to not break up their family and thats a tremendous hurdle to a woman seeking

help (Berens). Unhappily, Latina immigrants face a battle all by themselves and it truly speaks

up for itself. These women are incredibly strong. The countless hardships they face, plus the

circumstances they live in, truly reveals the strength and their abilities to bear the suffering

without protest for the sake of their culture and family.

Overall, there are numerous of structural, institutional, and cultural barriers Latina

immigrants unfortunately have to face in this country. This topic of immigration has become a

famous one over the last couple of years due to changes that have happened politically. There are

many arguments about who belongs and who doesnt between citizens and theyre worsening the

circumstances of those who are looked at as outsiders. For instance, the last president election,

in 2016, was a significant one. The rhetorical in the speeches of certain candidates was purposely

encouraging the citizens to fear immigrants. By intentionally leaving out the obstacles
immigrants had to face and the benefits they have patently serve this country. To conclude, the

path of immigration isnt an easy one. The people and families who migrate to this country have

legitimate reasons to come here. The arrive with hope of being able to fulfil their dreams and the

dreams of their loved ones. Before prejudicing against a human being or an ethnic group, one has

to be able to understand and be aware of their struggles and hardships, and also of their

meaningful contribution in this country.

The Life of an Immigrant, Single Mother

Im sitting at the dinner table thats a brownish wooden color. The corners are slightly
chewed and one of the legs of a chair is broken, though well hidden; I almost sat there, but I was
cautioned. On the other hand, Liliana is warming up her babys bottle in the microwave, while
holding the sleepy, spiky-haired little one on her hip. She is what people would consider tall and
lean. Also, even though she has big eye bags, her eyes are still bright and expressive. She always
keeps her red hair from her face and high in a ponytail, for the baby not to pull on it. Shes
currently wearing black pants that are slightly wide at the ankle and a long sleeved red shirt that
has white spots on some places. Its 10 am, and she would usually be getting started on her
chores, if it wasnt for the constant pain in her back that shes been planning on having checked
out for a while now. Its perhaps an effect of her really busy life. Handling 3 kids, a job, and a
household all be herself is finally taking a toll, she jokes. But its the lifestyle that she has grown
used to. The one she loves, despite the circumstances. Based on the statistics from the U.S.
Census Bureau, out of about 12 million single parents families in 2015, more than 80% were
headed by single mothers (Dawn).
Since a young age, Liliana has been an independent woman. She likes being alone, and
she appreciates it. At this moment she approaches me with a cup of coffee, which I thankfully
receive. She finally sits down with me and we start a sincere, deep conversation.
Firstly, she tells me about her childhood in Colombia, her native country, and also adds
on some details about her relationship with her parents. She doesnt necessarily feel resentment
towards her childhood, but there are definitely events that defined some of the paths she took.
She recalls that nothing in her family was the same after her parents divorce. Her dad took off
right away and started drinking; she believes he had to kill some of his own demons. She looks
down to her lap, and theres a sad tilt to her mouth, when she says that she felt her parents had
forgotten there were people in the middle when they made certain personal choices. She never
even received an explanation for their divorce.
Further, when it comes to her mother, she lets out a long sigh and a small laugh, which
tells me she has a lot to say about her. Her vision of her mom changed throughout different
stages of her life. Liliana tells me her mother undoubtedly had a big influence on her, and it
shaped some of her decisions growing up- There are things, even little, that Ill never forgive
my mom for. Her voice sounds sure, like shes given this plenty of thought. She couldnt
comprehend what her mom did to her when she was younger.1 But she sincerely tells me that for
better or for worse, that had made her a better mother. She decided later on in life to flip the
story, instead of having it be so painful. Those mistakes her mom made, made her a better
person, because now she tries to do the opposite as a mother; she now knows what doesnt work,
because she lived through it. She believes her mother taught her that, not in the best way, but she
did.

1
She didnt feel comfortable elaborating on this. And she preferred keeping these personal details to
herself.
 In like manner, she left home at the age of 16. Her mindset during that time was
dispersed and she felt extremely lonely. On that note, she had her first daughter, Ana Maria, at
the age of 18. According to human rights NGO plan international, in Colombia 20% of
adolescent girls are either are either mothers or pregnant. Liliana remembers wanting to have
kids young, and when it came a reality she was a mess of emotions. Plus, she was afraid, because
she had absolutely no idea what to do. Her sense of responsibility changed because she didnt
have to worry only about herself anymore. She had to stop doing fun things of her age, to focus
on the safety of her new baby. She mentions that the babys arrival wasnt radical, It was like an
experiment. It was something I learned throughout the years. And the reality of teaching and
raising another human isnt easy. Nevertheless, Liliana has a deep respect for life. She states
that Life is something you never touch. Life was always the option. While holding her
youngest baby in her arms, she looks at me and tells me that she never thought about getting rid
of her baby.
In contrast, there was also her familys and the dads opinion. After giving birth, she
moved in with her boyfriend and his mom. But, they did not accept the baby. For that reason, she
had to leave and moved in with her dad. During that time, he was her only source of support.
Still, she was the one that worked full time for her daughter. She provided her with everything.
Even to this day, now with three kids, shes the only one that sustains them financially.

7 years passed after her first daughter was born. Then, she had started talking and
reconciling with her first love and first boyfriend of many years, with whom she had her second
child, Sara. She nostalgically recalls of a time when they were really young and used to be
adventurous. But she also recalls how much hed changed after some years. In the midst of their
relationship getting serious, she noticed he was a completely different person. He grew away
from his values, and right after she decided to end their relationship, she found out she was
pregnant. She was tormented by this situation, because she felt like she was going in circles.
Something thats incredibly significant for Liliana is her belief of Familism. She loves the
idea of maintaining a healthy family nucleus, but only if the other person is willing to appreciate
it just the same. Unfortunately, that wasnt the case. Additionally, shes surprisingly focused and
interested in psychology. That was her way of dealing with her problems and for staying healthy
as a person, for both herself and her kids. To continue, while she worked, she put the kids in
school. And because theyre obviously her number one priority, she thinks children should be put
above any social norms.
 Three years later, back to when she was 28 years old, her mother suddenly reappeared in
her life, to tell her she had everything ready to come to the US. As she shakes her head, she says
that she didnt make any of these decisions, that her mom had everything figured out. And for
her surprise, her mom had already lived here for 10 years. This just shows how much they didnt
know about each other; the miscommunication between them. At first, Liliana didnt like the
idea. For the first time, she felt she had her life established and in order to migrate to another
country, she wouldve needed to give up a lot of things. However, now she thinks it was the best
thing that ever happened to her (Once she went to Colombia to visit after a few month of being
in the US, she noticed certain behaviors of her boyfriend that disappointer her, due to the fact
that she had other hopes for her family).
At this time she stands up to put both of our coffee cups away in the kitchen. As shes
walking back to the table, her baby starts crying and making grabby hands at her to be taken out
of his chair. She then places him on top of the table were both sitting at, and instantly the baby
starts ripping the tablecloth as we watch and laugh. Thats how we found ourselves talking about
of her life as a mother in the United States.
She proceeds to tell me that one of the values she treasures the most is Respect- to others,
and to herself. As a mom, she tries to transmit the good she has from her childhood, but also the
lessons she learned from her mistakes. Moreover, she considers living in another country a huge
challenge. It is so because when a person is in their country, theyre at home. The people there
share the same values and beliefs so its easier. Whereas living in America, there are different
norms, languages and cultures everywhere you go to. Its a difficulty for her to try and preserve
her own culture at home. Mainly because the kids are seeing several cultures at school, and like
every child, they want to fit in.
She is always trying to stay honest with her kids. She firmly says with a hand on her
chest that her children arent dumb, but really intelligent. And for that reason she tries to stay an
open book to them. For what shes seen, they hold to this faith while learning not to be
dependent. She believes society already has a norm set on what a family should look like, but
shes always taught her kids that sometimes not all the pieces are necessary, because their family
feels complete without a male figure. She teaches them that nothing is permanent, and when
shes going through a rough path in her personal life, it isnt hard to show her kids her frustration
because they have lived the experience right beside her, so they have a deep understanding with
each other. Then, when asked to describe her relationship with her daughters, she smiles and says
that theyre like best friends. Their dynamic is flexible.
Additionally, she feels like raising three kids in a different country is a lot of stress. At first, she
was worried about her oldest daughters emotions. Mostly her because she didnt know any
English, and her path of assimilation was going to be challenging. And then, after a few days,
Liliana had to get started on finding schools, a job, and getting their documentation in order. In
the beginning, she felt like this country was going against her.
To add on, her opinion is that even though her country is good and beautiful, the people
there are governed badly. Their rights are not as clear. Yet, in America, peoples difficult
circumstances arent often defining. Most people she knows here respect life, just like she does.
Her kids have more opportunities and resources available to them. And most importantly, there is
more security. She laughs when asked about The American Dream. When asked why, she says
that People think that arriving in America everything is paradise. But personally I think, people
who migrate just adapt to the system. She thinks theres a lot of emptiness. In her country, she
tells me, theres more abundance of values. She sees the culture in America as cold. People mind
their own business, and its easier to feel lonely. She, as an immigrant, believes nobody ever
really conforms.
Being a single mom is no easy task, and instead of feeling supported, Liliana recalls a
few times when she was judged or pushed aside because of it. For instance, when looking for a
school for one of her daughters, she was interested in a private, catholic school. When looking
into the requirements of an scholarship for that particular school, she was told that the child had
to have a father with her. This really upset her and she felt excluded because it wasnt fair. But in
general, she says that she doesnt pay attention to what other people have to say. Shes had a few
confrontations with her family in the past for making ridiculous comments. Shes also had
people judge her for taking different jobs all the time and not staying there for long. But Liliana
just shakes it off and calls it ignorance. Its important to keep in mind that the median outcome
for single moms per year is $26,000 and the statistics show that 23.2% are jobless the entire year.
This absolutely backs up Lilianas argument of wanting to stay home, or having her hands tied.
After a long sigh, she tells me that there are so many challenges, but most of all she just
wants to be part of her kids life. She doesnt want a job that limits her job as a mother. Her
biggest hope is to be part of a society which lets her stay with their kids and be part of their
childhood, because its the time where she needs to teach them essential life values. With a
laugh, she says that shes always improvising. She has to create her own rules and learn to know
oneself and her children as well. A good outcome isnt guaranteed in parenthood. She considers
moving forward her essence. Shes learned to think about her situation in a healthy way which
has taken many hours of self psychology. She admits that she cant complain. She think shes
done a good job so far. Everything she does she does it with love and to provide safety and
security to her kids, even when shes got to put aside her personal life and focusing on just them.

Some tips Liliana has for other single moms:

Try to identify the root of the sentiment youre feeling at that moment (anger, loneliness,
etc). Find a reason for that feeling. Accept that reason that generated that feeling. Most
often they come from ones childhood.
Nothing maintains ecstatic. The cycle of life never stops and it keeps going regardless of
the situations. Feelings can always transform.
Always look for your kids happiness. Focus on that. Theres no guarantee. Be more
open to you kids to create a stronger link.
Kids are very smart from the beginning. Be clear to them, they can become a support
for you, if you ever feel vulnerable with what comes with being a single mother.