Span 301S: Service Learning in the Chicano/ Latino Community This course is part of your Spanish language learning experience, and offers you the opportunity to interact in a personal way with members of the local Latino community, thereby enriching your understanding of Hispanic cultures and the Spanish language. As a community-based learning experience, the course provides students with career-related experience working collaboratively with community agencies to address community concerns / issues. What is "Central Coast Citizenship Project? The Citizenship Project is rooted in and around twelve immigrant communities in California’s rural coastal valleys, centered in the heart of the fresh vegetable industry, the Salinas Valley, and also moving with the harvest to the rural borderlands of California, Arizona and Mexico. Although our region is still dominated by conservative agribusiness interests, between 66% and 90% of the population in our communities are Mexican immigrants or their children. Overwhelmingly, they are from rural regions of Mexico with a fairly low level of education (averaging 4-8 years), and drawn to this area by the demand for labor in the region’s major industries of agriculture and food processing. Most have very low and seasonal incomes, and they are on average less literate, with less residential stability, weaker language skills and more likely to face other barriers to citizenship than other immigrant populations. They are more likely to under-use rather than utilize available social services. Over half are women. Over 80% are parents of U.S.-citizen children, and are concerned about their children's future.
My experience in this project was amazing. During my time in this project I was able to help people to study and prepare for their citizenship test and interview. I had the opportunity to meet my new students and learn from their experiences also they help me to get more motivated and made me feel so welcome everyday. In this project i was able to used my skills , we have class 3 day during the week. We created different activities that help them to memorize or learn about the history of the United States. Also we help them to filling out all type of paper work. All this people have a dream to become a U.S. citizen and that made me feel so proud, because no matter of the lack of the language they try their best to improve everyday and make their dream come true.