Section: Metro State News
Latino youth learn cultural identity during bridge program
Jun 25, 2008

Ramon Del Castillo told the students he hopes they never forget where they came from.

Tu eres mi otro yo. You are my other me.

Those words conveyed the theme of the cultural identity workshop presented by Chicana/o Studies Chair Ramon Del Castillo to 20 Latino recent high school graduates, many who will attend Metro State this fall.

Aztecs would use this saying with each other describing how unity and love create a bond with one another, Del Castillo explained.

During the lecture, the students discussed the origins of Latino culture and of the uprising and movement of the United Farm Workers led by civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

The workshop was part of the weeklong Hispanic Scholarship Fund Rising Star Scholars Summer Bridge Program held on campus June 16-21. The program included a campus scavenger hunt, learning the importance of financial aid, test-taking strategies and more.

Del Castillo emphasized to the students the importance of having pride in one’s heritage and culture.

“Identity is critical for all mankind. Failure of identification can cause inequality in this country,” Del Castillo said, adding that a workshop like this gives the students a deeper sense of themselves.

Del Castillo wove his own story of perseverance throughout the lecture. He spoke of his participation in protests and boycotts of lettuce production during the 60s because of the oppression of Hispanic workers.

“It was hard work, and I thought about giving up,” Del Castillo said. “But when you’ve lost faith you’ve lost everything.”

Future Metro State student James King says he benefited from the weeklong program by seeing the campus and meeting professors, but hearing Del Castillo was a great experience.

“When (Del Castillo) talks, he has a beam that targets your eyes and heart,” King said. “He opened doors to let us see things differently.”

To wrap up the workshop, Del Castillo left the students with a few words of advice:

“I hope you want to make a lot of money in your life and I hope you do, but don’t forget where you’ve come from.”

The Rising Stars program was a joint effort of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the following Metro State groups and programs: Latina-Latino Faculty and Staff Association, Diversity Initiatives, First Year Success Program, Metro Scholars Program and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

To read more about Del Castillo, go to http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/success_twv5012308.shtml.