Mexican-American

Spanglish was spoken inside my home as a kid. I never minded the gaps where my English filled the spaces in my mother’s native tongue. By the time I reached the peak of growing pains, suddenly the gaps in my speech mattered.

I have learned to love and accept my body. Unlearning society’s obsession with tying beauty to body shapes has been a journey. I can now confidently say that I represent the beauty of Mexican American women. I no longer feel stigmatized for my body shape. I am proud to be a “curved beauty.”

Sylvia Mendez was the plaintiff in the landmark 1947 case Mendez v. Westminster. The case challenged the “whites only” policy of four Los Angeles school districts, and ultimately the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Mendez.

I would hope that UC Berkeley would recognize the importance of supporting language learning and choose instead to invest in the diversification and cultural awareness of its students.