Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96437
To me, community is all about family. My paternal grandfather crossed the border from Mexico in search of the American Dream. When he settled in Chicago, he sent for his wife and kids. They all depended on the money my grandfather made to survive. My grandparents' dreams were crushed when reality came into play. Supporting a large family in the United States was hard. And, my grandparents had to make many difficult sacrifices to provide a better future for their children. Knowing about my family's history, and appreciating the sacrifices they have made so that I could live a good life and get a good education, makes it easy for me to fit into this community. Being a student of Hispanic heritage at Latin is simple. All you have to do is make your friends and do well in school. I feel no different than anybody else. The student sitting next to me in class is not better than I am, and I am not better than he or she is. We are both equal human beings. I take pride in my heritage because I was raised to. My parents made me aware that there is a lot of racism in the world so the occasional snide comment should be expected but not dwelled upon. I was also taught to see the good in the world and the good in people. Some people hate the world, and forget about the good in their life. Many students at Latin, along with Parker and Lab, come from wealthy backgrounds. This is the common ground. To some of them, the word "rich" means having a lot of money, a big house and a nice car. If you do not have these things, you are considered poor. The word "rich," to a person like me, means having a roof over your head, being with your family, and having you and your family members healthy. This is how I was raised to think of the word "rich." Money, houses and cars can all be taken away, and then those families will have nothing. If everything is taken away, in a family like mine, we will have each other to fall back on. "I was taught to see the good in the world and the good in people." Alex with his grandfather, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. Latin School of Chicago 23