"Yo Soy..." Project
This was an assignment inspired by the project “‘Yo Soy…’: Perspectives on Queer Latinidad,” a collaborative art piece created by the Coalition for Queer People of Color (CQPOC) and the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) at the University of Michigan in order to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2012 and National Coming Out Day. View their project here: http://mesa.umich.edu/yo-soy
As a way to show our support for El Camino High School’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and the LGBTQ community for National Coming Out Day in October of 2013, we had a class discussion about the concept of identity: What is an identity? What qualities, groups, movements, communities and families do I identify with personally? What does it mean to be an ally? How can I show support for friends, family and community members who identify differently than I do?
Students were then asked to examine their own identities and to choose at least two defining characteristics, qualities, community affiliations or traits that represent them as individuals. Spanish 1 students created their own “Yo Soy…” statements and signs in Spanish, using their knowledge of adjective agreement, gender, and the verb ser, and were photographed with their signs.
Many students used this as a platform to proudly share their alliance with the LGBTQ community. Others proudly expressed their religions, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, identities within the campus community (e.g. membership with specific organizations/athletic teams), character traits, and personalities.
Photographs and signs from the project were displayed in the classroom during the year as a reminder of our acceptance in the classroom, the strength and beauty in our diversity, and what is most important to each one of us as individuals.
This was an assignment inspired by the project “‘Yo Soy…’: Perspectives on Queer Latinidad,” a collaborative art piece created by the Coalition for Queer People of Color (CQPOC) and the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) at the University of Michigan in order to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2012 and National Coming Out Day. View their project here: http://mesa.umich.edu/yo-soy
As a way to show our support for El Camino High School’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and the LGBTQ community for National Coming Out Day in October of 2013, we had a class discussion about the concept of identity: What is an identity? What qualities, groups, movements, communities and families do I identify with personally? What does it mean to be an ally? How can I show support for friends, family and community members who identify differently than I do?
Students were then asked to examine their own identities and to choose at least two defining characteristics, qualities, community affiliations or traits that represent them as individuals. Spanish 1 students created their own “Yo Soy…” statements and signs in Spanish, using their knowledge of adjective agreement, gender, and the verb ser, and were photographed with their signs.
Many students used this as a platform to proudly share their alliance with the LGBTQ community. Others proudly expressed their religions, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, identities within the campus community (e.g. membership with specific organizations/athletic teams), character traits, and personalities.
Photographs and signs from the project were displayed in the classroom during the year as a reminder of our acceptance in the classroom, the strength and beauty in our diversity, and what is most important to each one of us as individuals.
