Reflection about the panel: “Immigration and Puerto Rico Today”

                                

This week at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, was held the Student Interventions in General Studies: Interdisciplinary Project and Creative Initiatives on March 25 and 26, 2014. In this conference undergraduate students participate submitting papers about their research of different topics. The second day of the conference I attended to the panel “Immigration and Puerto Rico Today” supervised by the professor Petra Avillán. This panel was presented by two Dominicans girls enroll in the course of intensive English. The topic or theme of the panel, like its title says, is the immigration in Puerto Rico today from the point of view of two immigrants.  

In the panel the students presented their perspective of the topic and their personals stories. The students where both Dominicans and came to Puerto Rico with their families to look for a better future and opportunities. For them, being immigrants represents being dedicated and responsible; to have the strength to leave thing behind for a better future. They speak about xenophobia, the aversion towards people who are not of your own race. They said that the discrimination is a historical thing, that there are a lot of historical events that prove it and that immigration is in every part of the world; for example, the discrimination between United State citizens and the Mexicans. One of the students told us her experience in a beauty pageant where she participate representing Puerto Rico and one of the judges told her that she never could win because she was Dominican. She was judged for being Dominican and not for her talents; this was an example of discrimination. But the girl doesn’t let that experience change or hurt her, because she believes that she is who she is because of the formation she received in Puerto Rico.

For the panelists, studying English in Dominican Republic was not important, but when they arrived to Puerto Rico they understand that they had to learn English. They had to learn English quickly. That’s the reason why their teacher was so proud. They where there in the conference speaking English in front of a bunch of students and professors proving that they did it right, that they learn and overcome every obstacle of discrimination for being immigrants. They concluded the panel saying that Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic needed each other. This was my favorite panel because it was not only a simple research, it show their experiences and feelings in life. They had to be braver than any other panel because the topic was a personal one. I admire both of them for being so brave. In conclusion the activity was very educational and it allows the student to share knowledge to learn new things.