I and my classmates in My Spanish in Ohio class are required to make some kind of contribution to the ‘Spanish Speaking’ community in Ohio. To fill a need.
My classmates came up with ideas like brochures on fitness, heart disease, birthing, a list of free clinics in Columbus, what to do in case of a fire etc. The last student presented on making a brochure about Diabetes. Our lecturer recommended that she take the brouchure to my medical clinic on Diabetes night. I was honest and said I didn’t want the brochures. I was frustrated and explained that we get thousands of brochures about diabetes, glossy, expensive brochures that we just can’t use all of them.
The lecturer recommended maybe my classmate could create a brochure in Spanish on getting a library card. I also shared my frustration that every brochure that had been mentioned already exists. I can’t tell you how many brochures on exercise we get at the Clinic. Every single thing that was mentioned exists. It isn’t a matter of creating ‘brochures’ it is about getting the information out.
I guess I pissed off my classmates. I got the following email:
Elenamary-
I don’t mean to start an argument, but your comment at the end of class about everyone’s idea for a project was pretty deflating to me and the people around me. I don’t think you meant to offend, but it was taken as such.
Having said that, and I DO NOT mean this sacastically, what are some things that could be done to improve on our ideas?
I know you have a lot of contact with the Latino community on Columbus.
Perhaps you know of something of greater need or areas of distribution, etc..
If you have anything, email me or the class. I think we all are striving towards the goal of not just making a class project, but something that could help the Latino community.
Thanks
Name of Student
We are required to spend 100 hours speaking/reading/listening/writing in Spanish. My classmates have asked me if I know where they can go to practice their Spanish.
My sister speaks Zapotec. She learned it by going up to a woman at the grocery store and asking her if she spoke “dialecto” and would be willing to teach her. My sister would go over and cook and hang out and practice with them. I know not everyone can do that but how hard is it to find Spanish speaking people in Ohio?
I am thinking of gathering a ton of information, directories, brochures, resources lists. Then emailing my class and asking them if they would like to go to Latino neighborhoods and leave the information.
I don’t want to drive through neighborhoods or walk around neighborhoods and have it be them “Looking at the Latinos” like they are some kind of zoo exhibit. But it also seems like my classmates have very little interaction with Latinos. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get these people out into the community without having them be like this kind of person.