Retana 1

Jonathan Retana

Holly Batty

English 101

25 September 2019

Start of something new: first-generation Latinx students

When I finished high school I thought I was just going to another high school but I was

wrong. College was something new and something that I had no knowledge of. None of my

family has been to college so they can’t really explain it to me what it really was and every

teacher that tried explaining it to me always summed it up saying it was like an A.P class. Most

Latinx students were in this situation. They were new to the whole idea of college and got lost

when exploring the concept of it. Since their parents didn’t fully understand college they also

didn’t understand how much of a hassle or responsibility it was. They kept putting pressure on

their children to do their best or kept putting a lot of house chores to do while they had a

tremendous amount of homework building up. If this keeps going on in the household some

students can get depressed and start coping habits that can not be safe and might even get

serious to a point where a student feels overwhelmed by everything and might want to take

their life.

To begin with, First-generation college students struggle with making their parents

comprehend that college is a big responsibility. When it comes to Latinx and their parents,

situations can get really complicated. Families can't take into consideration that college is the

main focus of their child’s career goals and other parents don't completely understand that at
 Retana 2

times they start to overwork their child with chores or by putting pressure on not failing in

anything. Lauren falcon states in the article Breaking down barriers that,

While parents of FGCS have a range of personal opinions about college, many low-

income parents view college as a venture for the rich and may look upon their child's desire to

go to college as offensive or arrogant.

Lauren falcon is implying that parents don't see it as something their child needs to

improve in life. Parents are completely oblivious to how important college can be, even by just

attending 2 years of it a student’s life can greatly improve. We have to find a way to properly

explain to parents how serious further education can be or how it can be a life-changing

experience for Latinx students that attend it.

Another thing that comes from families is putting a lot of pressure on kids and making

sure they are always getting the best grades they can get no matter how they are mentally

feeling. weather they are exhausted or need to take a break, Latinx parents are always pushing

their child to do their best and making sure they do not fail or let them down. Although it's okay

for your parents to care for your education, it also puts a lot of stress on you because you don't

want to disappoint your parents in any way. In the article, Latino Parents Value College More

Than Anybody Else author Yvonne Ruiz concludes,

The majority of Latino parents are foreign-born, and a large motivation for

immigration is on the opportunities for their children, including academic and financial

success. Latino parents come to the U.S. well aware that schooling is essential,

the author is stating that parents are pushing their child to a limit that might exceed one’s

mental fatigue. This is not fine because there is a point where some parents even stress their
 Retana 3

child out and then their child becomes ill with depression. Latinx families household can be very

difficult but when piled on top of school work, the situation gets out of control and the students

then start to compare themselves to their peers and wonder if they are intelligent enough to be

in school all in fear of letting their parents down.

Although parents pushing their kids can be bad, many times it's okay because their child

might need the encouragement of doing good in college and sometimes might even need to be

reminded how big of an opportunity this is for them. It can also be good because they make

their child take it more seriously instead of wasting their time. Flores states in the article, Latino

Parents Value College More Than Anybody Else, that,” The support has to start early and be

done in an intentional way, not when students are in their senior year and completing high

school. By then it’s too late”. This breaks down that parents just want to ensure that their kid

doesn't get discouraged that they don't want to try anymore in school. That parents just want

what's best for their children and to make sure they do not end up like them in a bad place in

time paying a lot of debt and bills. They just want to push their child to their fullest potential.

This can be well in many ways, but one way it can really backfire is if their child thinks that they

have to be always perfect for their families and surpass all their peers in order for their parents

to be proud of them.

To conclude, we should establish a ground where we explain that students should try

their best at school but also know when to not push themselves to a level of stress that can lead

to depression and self-harm. The school needs to find ways to solve a parent and student

relationship by not get themselves involve a lot into the family so that the student can be

mentally stable and understand its ok to try your best and fail. With this being in effect and the
 Retana 4

school helping, the school can get higher graduation rates of first-generation Latinx.

Holly Batty comments:

Name: Jonathan Retana

Topic Selection: The essay focuses on a specific challenge faced by Latinx students.

3/5

Title: The title is both creative and informative.

2.5/5

Thesis: Essay states ONE specific solution to a challenge faced by Latinx students.

Counterargument is also addressed.

6/20

Development/Support: Ideas are fully developed. Three reliable sources used to support

your thesis.

21/30

Organization: The ideas appear in a logical order; the paragraphs are internally

organized; the paper uses transitions to move from one idea to the next.

15/20

Spelling/Grammar/Mechanics: The paper is virtually free of spelling, grammar, or

mechanical errors.

7.5/10

MLA Citation: The paper uses MLA style citation for quotes, paraphrases, summaries,

and a Works Cited page.

 Retana 5

0/5

MLA Formatting: The paper uses MLA formatting, including 12 point Times New Roman

font, double spacing, one-inch margins, etc. (See your handbook for a sample paper.)

4.5/5

Page Length: The paper is 3-4 complete pages long. Papers less than 3 COMPLETE pages

will not earn a passing grade.

No

Total: 59.5/100

Comments: Jonathan, this is a good start. Your intro needs to state the specific problem.

I can’t tell if you are focusing on Latinx parents caring too much or too little, as you discuss both

in the body. Perhaps one of these should be the counterargument. In either case, you need to

have a thesis in the intro that spells out a specific solution. You rather vaguely hint at a

suggestion in the conclusion, but it’s too little too late by then. If you are focusing on parents

caring too little, for example, then you could discuss what colleges can do (like Puente Noche de

Familia). As a counter, one may argue that Latinx parents care too much, as you have stated. You

need to combine the first three paragraphs, as these are all the pieces of your quote sandwich

that you need to assemble. You have no in-text citations or works cited, which makes you

bordering on plagiarism. Be sure to proofread carefully for capitalization. Overall, this is a good

draft. I’m looking forward to seeing how you revise it for the portfolio!