Hispanic students pay price for extended Christmas vacations, officials say
"Martha Padilla-Ramos and Jose Barrera fondly remember the long car rides south to Mexico each December when they were children. At the end of the trek awaited their cousins, delicious food, trips to church and days of parties to celebrate Christmas.It was a beloved part of their childhood, so the Chicago-area school administrators understand why families make the annual trek to their homelands. But they can't understand why so many families -- an estimated 10 percent of the Hispanic students in Waukegan, for example -- plan these trips to last a month or more, far beyond the traditional two-week holiday break Illinois schools allow."
This was definitely my family and I. Ever since I was a baby until about 3rd or 4th grade, this is what we did every year. We would drive in our car or truck every year from IL to Guanajuato (pretty deep into Mexico) for about 2 days non-stop. Of course we would stop for the bathroom break and perhaps a nap for my parents who were driving. One year we drove down in a 2-door car with no air, with 3 adults, 3 kids, and a tire in the backseat. ?!?!?! I have no idea why we had a tire with us, but maybe so we could fit all of our bags and suitcases? We definitely ghetto-packed that car. It was our own version of a clown car. Memories of having to have my teachers prepare lesson plans for the next few weeks because I knew I'd be missing days..........having to do my math homework and memorize new prayers in Mexico ( I went to Catholic school)......Ah yes, I know this story all too well.
As for having to "pay the price," psh, I turned out fine.
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