# data[].attributes.body
-Being a second generation immigrant I learned from a young age that the United States didn’t want me

-experienced a kind of race schizophrenia in that I knew my people had a long and important history and present in the US yet much of the world was not for me

-Many conservative talking points were heavily anti-immigrant and derogatory towards Latinos, especially Mexicans

-The cultural disconnect between my generation and that of my parents only added to the confusion

- I felt shame towards my race and self and began working towards becoming a model minority

# data[].attributes.body
- Grew up around a branch of feminism that was not pro equality but anti-men.

- taught to believe that men were all lustful, toxic, and selfish beings who needed to control themselves

- spent much of my childhood trying to subdue my masculinity, becoming passive and overly agreeable in the process

- did not have good adult male figures in my life and did not know how to process my trauma

- Ironically formed toxic traits to subdue my trauma, specifically being overly rational, subduing my emotions, and a lack of empathy

# data[].attributes.body
- grew up in middle class family in Bay Area

- went to public schools with high minority demographics

- always had the material resource I needed to live and succeed in education

- mother with experience in higher education who could help me with school work and administrative

# data[].attributes.body
- In university I began to learn a more inclusive form of history

- I learned that the relationship between the US and Mexico was one of abuse for cheap labor

-This realization lead to a better understanding of the systematic oppression and cultural stigmatization that immigrants face in this country

-led to an identity defining moment in which I realized I was playing into the hand of the system by becoming a model minority

-became aware of my positionality as a Mexican and American and rediscovered the love I had for my people and color

# data[].attributes.body
- As I worked on my self reflective healing process, much of this work was facing my own toxicity

- had to learn to express myself and embrace my masculinity in a healthy and useful way

- also had to come to terms with the privileges that come with being male both in my family/culture and society

# data[].attributes.body
- grew up economically privileged and this gave me a skewed perception of students coming from working class families

- did not understand why some students wouldn't do their work or behave in class

- would assume they were just irresponsible or lazy

# data[].attributes.body
-As I work to become a teacher, I want a classroom that is a social and cultural arena

- I want to be critically reflective towards what I am teaching and why

- teach history that in both engagement and analysis develops a student’s critical thinking and agency as active members of their community

- use my experience as a minority in an oppressive sysyem to connect to underrepresented students

# data[].attributes.body
- As a Latino male I want to help other young men who do not have healthy father figures be healthy men

- setting an example of what healthy masculinity looks like

-represent Latino males. Many Latino children are not taught healthy masculinity due to the social and cultural foundations of many Latino cultures.

- classroom work that requires critical reflection of society and self by putting students in situations where they discuss their positionality,

- Part of these realizations would be the paradoxical nature of masculinity and the common toxic traits that are accepted as normal

# data[].attributes.body
- critical self reflection and a better understanding of world led to understanding my positionality

- need to make sure my previous biased perspective does not arise in the classroom and deter me from my teaching pedagogy

- do not want to use power to control and assume but rather guide students and my curriculum