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FOREWORD

 

We, Yetzenia and Jose, were given an assignment to do a documentary about something we were passionate about, something that had a lot of meaning for us. After a lot of thinking, we chose to document what it is like for young Latinos who are the first generation of immigrant families to graduate from high school or go to college. They are the first in their families to have the opportunity to sucwokringceed in a foreign land, and the act of achieving the goals that were predetermined for them when their parents came to America, is something to be noted. The odds are truly against them. It is only with the purest determination and perseverance, love and support from families, and a genuine desire for a beautiful life that makes it possible for people like us to succeed.

This topic has been the repeating theme of our upbringing. Both of us come from immigrant parents, who have pushed us our whole lives to lay the foundation for a better life. Not a day has gone by that we have not been reminded, consciously or unconsciously, of what our parents have gone through decades ago. What we truly know is that it does make a difference, that we do make a difference.

Making it through school and graduating is something to be recognized. Only 54% of Latino high school students graduate from high school1, which makes succeeding in high school that much more impressive for that Latino. The thing is, it doesn’t just end at that one individual. A diploma does not only stand for that one person. Graduating sets up that one person to live a better life than their elders had, but that prosperity will be reflected even more so on the generations to come. The future generations are guaranteed an American life, and have a decent shot at achieving the “American Dream.” The seed of comfort and security becomes planted with that one person, and will grow to give an everlasting fruit of opportunity and knowledge to more and more generations. This is why we had chosen to do a documentary on this issue, because it is something very dear to our hearts.