During my time in Sociology 273, I have learned a lot about cultural identity and how important it is for immigrants to not completely assimilate into American culture. I feel that it is absolutely tragic for an immigrant to enter the United States and completely forget who they are and where they came from. People should continue to practice their own traditions and adhere to the customs of their own people. While working for the Abbey Court Learning Center, I have learned a lot about the importance of diversity and how important it is for people to continue to observe their cultures. That is why I am so excited for participating in Las Posadas. Las Posadas is a nine day Spanish holiday tradition that celebrates Mary and Joseph’s trek around Bethlehem searching for a place to rest and give birth to Jesus Christ. At Abbey Court, we will be having an end of semester get together to celebrate the completion of the course, and most importantly, to see the kids one last time before the holidays. While tutoring at Abbey Court I have built a connection with the children and have looked forward to seeing them every Thursday when I volunteer. They have taught me a lot about their own cultures. After their math homework is finished, I often ask them to teach me some something about them, most often in the form of a brief Spanish lesson. My goal is to reduce the size of the table that separates our cultures from interacting at a deeper level.
What I take away from my experience in Sociology 273 is that human rights include more than just the right to freedom. It includes the right to a proper education, housing, food, and much more. I have learned that it also includes the right to cherish whatever culture it is that people have grown up in. Humans have no right to force people of other cultures to assimilate into the large society and give up their own traditions. Also, as a result of the increase in telecommunications and the World Wide Web, humans are now able to communicate and interact with a much wider scope of people. Therefore it is very important now, more than ever, to respect other peoples cultures and heritages.
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I would also like to comment on the great success of Las Posadas this afternoon. It was a lot of fun to see the tradition in action and it the kids appeared to have an absolute blast hitting the Piñatas and riding the horse. The core committee did a great job organizing the show and the entire Abbey Court community seemed to truly appreciate it. Thanks again.
I agree with Curtis, I think Las Posadas was a success. The kids seemed very excited about the novelty of the horse, as well as the drums and candles. I think the celebration was well organized, and utilized the given space effectively. The parents at Las Posadas were noticeably pleased with the effort being put forth for their children.
I also have to agree. Los Posadas was a huge success. All the kids had fun and everyone who wanted to ride the horse got a turn. The food and the pinatas also turned out great. I think it definitely brought the community closer together. It was a great way for the class to end the semester. Hopefully this will continue well into the future.
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