BODEGA DREAMS: PRESENTING OBSTACLES TO THE LATINO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY

Chino’s frustration in Bodega Dreams reflects this pressure to assimilate.

In his view, the teachers have appeared to have already given up on the students they have yet to get to know because they do not fit the standard and are being stereotyped This causes the students to fall behind and develop a lower sense of self As these students' minds are developing, they question: If everyone around them has no faith in them, why have faith in themselves?

Although the schools might be at fault for Chino, there are other circumstances that play a role Factors like immigration status, language barriers, and economic instability can all play a role in the lack of a child's education As mentioned in the article “Bettering the Education System,” “Parents are not always able to access all of the educational resources that are created by the school district” (Viramontez et al). Because the Latino community is not the dominant culture, they have less resources to assist their children in securing an education The language barrier is not properly addressed Many Americans do not have patience to help someone who might not speak English well, or someone who might not speak English at all. The article adds that “teachers appeared unprepared and acculturated to differentiate the differences between ‘gangsters’ and Latino students who were simply trying to make friends ” Because of the preconceived notions regarding immigrants in America, there is this lack of understanding For Latino students who might not speak English or do not have a computer at home, proper accommodations should be put in place to help those students get the education they need and deserve.

Within the Latino immigrant community, there may also be a fear or distrust of asking others outside the community for help. People outside of the Latino community can be harsh, racially insensitive, and discriminatory, and prior experiences cause the hesitation to ask for assistance Viramontez et al note: “Political and economic issues led many Latino families to fear accepting aid from the community....Some other members of the community provoked this fear and acted as a form of resistance that encouraged discrimination and isolation of the Latino community.” Latino families that are immigrants may be facing financial and economical issues in addition to the aforementioned struggles These obstacles can lead students to engage in activities such as joining gangs, causing others outside their community to harshly judge them and become discriminatory against them. Humans have a tendency to stereotype people who do not share the same values, color, or language they do, making it very hard for immigrant and Latino families to settle

When entering America for the first time, some are very kind and welcoming while others can be the exact opposite. The authors of the article “A Study of Social Work,” state that “[e]vents during the stages of the immigration process can correspond with elevated trauma, risk of depression and complications related to grief and loss” (Held et al 61) Immigration is an extremely hard journey and more often than not it has lingering effects once people get to their destination.