Pocho.com on LatinoGraduate.net

Latin@ Role Models and Academic Identity

In an interview with the cartoonist/author of "La Cucaracha" and Pocho.com's Lalo Alcaraz, the Latin@ Graduate gets at the issue of representation that Alcaraz faced in high school. Bussed to what Luis Urrieta Jr. would call a "whitestream" school, Alcaraz explains he was the only Latino to graduate from his bussed-in cohort.

When attending San Diego State University (home of Tex[t]-Mex czar/prof. Bill Nerricio), Alcaraz acknowledges the supportive role that MECHA played because the other students has similar experiences to what Alcaraz was going through as an undergrad.

 (art copyright Lalo Alcaraz, on the LatinoGraduate.net website)

Read the entire article and see some more of Alcaraz' art at:
http://www.latinograduate.net/new/rolemodels/alcaraz.shtml

Or of course check out Alcaraz's website at:
http://www.pocho.com/

When discussing an academic identity, there are many factors to consider. Alcaraz's experience as one of few Latin@s makes his background very much different from some of the students I speak with, who are from predominantly Latin@ schools, but feel the stark contrast in college of being one of few Latin@s.