It's Who I Am and What I Am
Being a first generation Mexican American student coming from a low-income household is truly a great honor. It has taught me humility, hard work, the importance of using what you have, and to enjoy the little things in life. I respect and value the sacrifices my parents made to come to the U.S and leave everything they have ever known behind. My parents, who should be mentioned; Maria Dominguez and Francisco Dominguez, immigrated to the U.S, aspiring to the American Dream: to seek new opportunities, get better pay, continue their education, and give their children a better life.
For all of this and more, I work hard every day to get good grades, maintain them, and to be involved in my school and community. Unfortunately, some don't fight for all these things but are still rewarded at the end. Others being granted a loophole to success is what bothers me the most. For example, the College Admissions scandal a few years back, where rich celebrities paid their way for their children to get into a good college. Paid their way! Outrageous! Hearing this on the news made me open my eyes to what money can do: cheat the system, break the rules, and allow people to get the easy way out. It's insane, and it should be definitively un-American.
Sometimes it seems that the people who actually work hard to keep the country going are the ones who get treated the worst. My people take jobs others wouldn't want, like being a farmer, out in the hot sun, with some not having access to a bathroom or water, the necessary essentials that we all need and being paid less than the minimum wage. These people make sure there is food for everyone, food being transported to a supermarket to a home and to a mouth.
They are the root of it all.
I take pride in being Mexican- American, so it is petrifying to see how this country discriminates against us. A political leader who doesn’t need to be named said that my people were criminals, drug dealers, and overall bad people. This was beyond me, and yet he was the face of the country. Incredible!
With this, the topic of immigration hits deep in my heart. My people are being dehumanized at the border, and being placed into cages with limited resources to barely survive with. As I have stated, my people and so many others who immigrate to the U.S come simply to live a better life, give their children a better life; all the things my parents came here for. I see my parents in every single one of them. All with eyes of desperation for change. Some with their eyes filled with hope while others in loss of it.
It's not the first time the United States has put immigrants into concentration camps. Sadly, we do not seem to learn from our sins and shortcomings to do better over time. It is all a cycle, but if we find a way to break it, we have the potential to live in a closer-to-perfect world.
And let's not forget about other minorities and how they are affected, from African- Americans with police brutality, to Asian-Americans with the increase in hate and violence especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to Muslims dealing with islamophobia, and so much more. It's incredible how nativist this country can be despite it being founded and run by immigrants. But just because I have strong opinions in these areas doesn't mean I am not open to those who think differently. I grew up in a very comfortable and open-minded household. Each of my family members has their perspective on society, and we all are willing to hear each other out though we may not agree. At the end of the day, we all have a common aim: to make the world a better place to live, for us and the future generations.
That's what caught my attention about the Next Gen Civic Fellowship, the emphasis on hearing different opinions than my own. Not many people really hear one another which limits our knowledge to our own ideas only. I always like listening to others ' points of view to get a glimpse of what they see, face and feel about the world around them. Though I may not necessarily agree with them, I just want to learn from their thinking process on how they got to their conclusion.
It was a pleasure being a Next Gen Civic Fellow and participating in cross-partisan conversations about different aspects of civic engagement this summer. I always had an interest in the history of critical issues in the United States. It started with the criminal system. I read ‘Just Mercy’ by Bryan Stevenson and it made me realize how flawed it was by targeting minorities, racism embedded into the system, how barely any representation is given to these minorities, and how laws make it hard for people of color to receive equality. It was mind-boggling to hear the people's stories and the struggles they faced just to get what they need: justice.
The experience in the Summer Civic Fellowship was one of a kind for me. I was able to educate myself in topics I was unfamiliar with, develop ideas, meet with amazing people as well as speakers and hear the multiple perspectives of others. It was fun and I was always looking forward to the next session. Next Gen gave me a push to become more active and involved in my community and eventually to make an impact in the world. Thank you Next Generation Politics for this opportunity!
Michelle Dominguez is a senior at Math, Engineering, and Science Academy (MESA) Charter High School, a Next Gen Civic Fellow and is involved in the Next Gen Social Media Creator Corps. She finds interest in U.S history, College Statistics and likes helping people and her community out. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, but especially loves spending her time with her lovely dog Remy.