Jessica, a 22-year-old Mexican American from central Illinois, left home to attend college in California. A few weeks into the semester she noticed that the majority of Hispanic students were able to...

Jessica, a 22-year-old Mexican American from central Illinois, left home to attend college in California. A few weeks into the semester she noticed that the majority of Hispanic students were able to speak both English and Spanish fluently. Although her parents spoke Spanish at home, they did not insist that their children become bilingual, so Jessica could understand Spanish if someone spoke to her, but she was not a fluent Spanish speaker. Jessica talked to the Chicano studies professor after class, who assured her that not all Mexican Americans share the same sociocultural experience, but that all people needed to understand and respect the values of others. He also suggested that if this situation continued to bother Jessica, she should consider seeing a counselor. In her English class, consisting primarily of white students, Jessica felt comfortable and relaxed; however, in a Chicano studies course, she felt out of place because she did not share the experiences of the other Hispanic students.