Final Assignment

Society often holds attitudes or beliefs about the kinds of roles that different groups of people are expected to play and how successful they’re meant to be. Still, José Hernández went from farm worker to astronaut. Judy Reyes has played leading roles on long-running TV series. Lin-Manuel Miranda won awards and set box-office records on Broadway, which has traditionally had very few Latino productions and performers. They all achieved success in their career fields and broke barriers along the way, defying many people’s expectations of Latino Americans.

Using what you’ve learned from these stories, choose one of the following prompts and write a short essay that addresses the challenges of growing up as a member of an ethnic group in America.

• What did the interviewed people have in common? How were their life experiences different? How did they build upon their heritage to develop a positive identity as Latinos in America?
• Whose story affected you the most? Describe how that person's success reflected the qualities and experiences of their Latino American background. Why did this person's story have an impact on you?
• In what ways did these stories help you understand the challenges and paths to success that all people face related to their backgrounds?

To begin, you can review your notes in MY WORK and look back at the media in this lesson (see below). Then click Write It to get started. You have the option to upload your essay, provide a link, or write the essay in an online editor.

You can watch the interviews again here, if you would like.