‘Universidad de Familia’ is an opportunity for parents to experience college for a day with their children

A Chicano and Latino Studies class at Cal State University, Long Beach (CSULB) had everyone engaged on Saturday morning, answering questions that varied from which is the better menudo, rojo or blanco, to which ethnic group is more likely to obtain higher education. 

The bilingual conversation–English and Spanish–had a special touch; those raising their hands the most were not students but their parents.  

This was part of “Universidad de Familia,” a session where students share the classroom with their parents and other family members to allow them to experience a real college class. At the same time, the family members learn more about the campus.

The Saturday class is part of the curriculum and is meant to prepare students, many of whom are interested in teaching, to learn how to approach younger generations without feeling intimidated. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to realize that parents shouldn’t have to be treated as a category, said Professor José Moreno, who teaches the class.  

He said parents are often seen as a vital piece just when the students are young. They are needed to take them to school, to help them do homework, to learn the rules of the school, but once the student goes to college, parents are no longer seen as intellectual people who have experience and have an understanding of the world.

“So it’s a way to break those boundaries that are often created of, ‘well, it's just my mom, she doesn’t know,’ or ‘I can't ask her questions about what I’m studying because she doesn’t know,’” he said.

“Universidad de Familia” often helps students change their mentality. Mainly when they see their parents asking questions and even challenging the professor in front of the class. 

“And you can even see students like, ‘Who is this person, questioning my professor?’ or ‘¡Ama! What are you doing?’ but I also see the change in the students’ eyes when they see their dad asking a question in the classroom.”

Worth the trip  

Liberal Studies major student Yasmine Martinez was nervous but happy to present in front of her parents. They made an almost six-hour drive from Mammoth Lakes in Northern California to Long Beach to participate in the class.

She said she was extremely grateful to them because that made her feel supported and seen.

“I was excited to bring them because I’m the first student [in the family] to come to a university and I was excited to bring them and show them the experience that they haven't had,” she explained.  

Her parents, Hector Martinez and Rocio Miranda, said they traveled with their two younger children to see Yasmine in a different environment than what they are used to at home.

Hector said they were made aware of the one-day class ahead of time and attending was vital. They took some days off from work to arrive on time.

“We are always supporting her and we trust her on what she needs, so this project was part of it,” he said. “We always tell her how we grew up and how our situation was completely different and this helps her see things differently and put in the effort.”

Rocio Miranda, mother of Yasmine, said she was very proud to help her daughter as she has done since she was a little girl.

“She is the first one from my side of the family to attend college, so that makes me feel very proud,” Miranda said. 

A bilingual presentation

The three-hour class was divided into two sections. In the second part, students were required to do presentations in front of their parents. 

Moreno said none of them realized how important it was to show the presentation in Spanish until they saw that some of the parents don’t speak English. Therefore, some made the effort to explain the text in Spanish. 

Miguel de la Cruz, who arrived to support his daughter Kimberly de la Cruz, said it is very motivational for his daughter and for all students to be able to appreciate education.

“We are immigrants, and I work very hard [physical] labor, same with my wife, to create a better life for our daughter,” he said. 

Miguel said he appreciates the professor opening the classroom to the families and also for all the students to hear from parents and learn more from their own experiences. 

Miguel, who drove from Anaheim, said it was equally important to take the day and the time to support his daughter. 

Moreno said this is a great exercise because he often notices how in the second part of the semester there is a change in many students. They feel more comfortable in class, lose a bit of that imposter syndrome and feel more connected with each other once they meet each other’s families.