I have worked in higher education for six and a half years, as chief assistant to a Spanish professor and Hispanic student liaison at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. I would describe myself as being organized, empathetic and skilled, three characteristics that are vital to the specialized work that I do.
I am a Latina woman who feels that I have benefited greatly from the honor of being a part of this heritage. Although discrimination still exists, I have tried to ignore it when it has happened to me personally, but only if it was minor and not oppressive in nature. For example, I was once denied entry into a specific dining establishment because I was wearing traditional Mexican celebratory costuming. This, I did not ignore. I found the best solution was my going directly to the owner of the restaurant achieving an amicable resolution by using my best English communication skills to convey my feelings.
As a Latina woman living in a part of the United States that was once Mexico, I find that there are many Mexican students with whom I must communicate and instruct about basic things. These are students who do not have adequate college-level English skills. Likewise, there are English-speaking students who do not have strong backgrounds in speaking Spanish. Since the classes taught by the professor for whom I work are full-immersion classes in which absolutely no English is spoken, I must convey instructions and help with tutoring students. I am additionally required to keep records about each student’s progress or the issues that the students may present with . I have one-on-one meetings with students and faculty department members. I advise the professor about designing his curriculum to best reflect the needs of the Spanish-speaking student and dozens of other related things.
If I could correct a common misunderstanding, it would be that I could convey to people of non-Hispanic backgrounds that the Latino/a population has deep roots in a very rich and fulfilling tradition. Those traditions should be honored and respected, not discouraged and coaxed to change. I am, however, not allowed to convey this kind of message on my job, as I am instructed to treat all people the same way.
On a scale of 1-10, I would rate my job satisfaction at about 9.5. If I could change something to make myself more enthusiastic about my job, I would probably try to integrate more “multi-cultural understanding tools” into the work that I do.
I carry my work in my heart at all times by remembering what it was like before I honed my English skills in a way that let me easily survive in an urban environment as large as Houston. I feel great when, because of my work, an English speaking student gains a better understanding and appreciation for his or her Latina classmates’ cultural differences, and vice versa. Sometimes, I wish I had gone into politics so I could be an ambassador who tries to bring other cultures together.
Anyone who considers doing the type of work that I do should be bilingual, patient and have good people skills, and be willing to work very hard. The job is hard, but it is exceptionally rewarding.
I got started in this line of work when I was hired to work part-time doing clerical work four years before I started doing what I do now. One thing lead to another and I got my degree. I don’t think I would change a thing about how I got here, because I learned every step of the way. The single most important thing that I have learned outside of school about the working world is that a person should do what his or her heart calls him or her to do.
The strangest thing that ever happened to me on this job was the time when a dozen Swedish students came to the University of Houston from Sweden to learn Spanish. I had to learn a lot about Swedish culture in order to accommodate their needs. However, I don’t speak a word of Swedish, so I could imagine what it would be like for them!
I find my work rewarding, and this is why I get up and go each day. I feel good when I receive a note from a student crediting me with helping him or her get through their Spanish studies. However, sometimes I have to face challenges that have to do with racism. Those are the times when I want to quit.
My job is a fast-paced job where I am sometimes expected to do five things at once. I learned early on that I have to make time for myself first. Then I can handle the fast pace and multi-tasking a lot better.
People who do my kind of work start at roughly $40K a year and eventually go up to around $65K. I am happy with my salary. As part of my benefits, I get a 3 week vacation each year, but I usually only take 2 weeks of it.
Having a solid knowledge of two languages is imperative to do this work. I would advise anyone who is interested to major in a second language when they go to college. I would advise a friend to be in good physical and emotional shape before considering this line of work. I think I want to do this for the rest of my life.
This is a true career story as told to AllBilingualJobs.com and is one of many interviews with bilingual professionals, which among others include a spanish teacher and a special education teacher.
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