secret life of janiners

Who I Am and My Why

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Who I Am and My Whys

Hi my name is Janine Benedito. I am a straight, middle class, woman of color. I identify as Filipino, but I'm still learning the culture and the history of my country. It's my parents, my siblings, my grandma, my chosen family, and me that motivate me to keep going through all the hardships thrown at me. I'm pretty athletic and I enjoy exercising. I have been part of the Logan girl's basketball varsity team since I was a freshman. Besides basketball, I also enjoy building stuff. I like building any type of furniture or building something random with popsicle sticks. I'm usually listening to music when I'm doing everything. I listen to all types of genre, but my favorite genre is R&B.

I chose these people because they have all impacted my life in such a way that shaped me into me. Everyone here has done something different that affected me. Some of these people have helped me through some of my hardest times, some I connected with in a way that has never happened between me and anyone else, and etc. I love each and everyone of these people. They are a big part of my why.

My History

My family originated from the Philippines. My grandparents on my mom’s side struggled through poverty and many hardships. They both worked full time to provide for their five daughters, including my mom. Their living conditions were not ideal. Due to money tightness, they could only afford a house with two bedrooms and no bathrooms. My grandparents slept in one room and their daughters in the other. In order to go to the bathroom, they had to use a public restroom that was shared between them and their neighbors. There would be nights where they had to skip meals because they didn’t have enough money to buy anything. When they did have food, it wasn’t enough to fill their stomachs; it was only enough to survive. For example, they had to share one small fish between seven people. To try and get out of this situation, my mom and her siblings started work at a young age.

To get to school, my mom had to walk several miles and walk across a lake. My mom excelled in school but was also overworked. She started working at the age of fifteen at Jollibee to save money. My mom would go straight from school to work in order to earn more money to help out her family. It was hard for my mom to balance school and work but she pushed through. She eventually went to college and also got promoted. My mom and my dad met soon after and they had my brother and me. They bought a much bigger house for our family. The rest of my mom’s side also bought houses that were in much better condition than the house they live in before. In 2005, my mom got promoted again but they asked her to move to the United States as a manager. My brother and I stayed in the Philippines with my dad but after five years, we moved to America with my mom.

This represents me and my culture. The colors of this image and the distinct sun represents the flag of the Philippines, my family's country of origin. The lady in the middle reminded me of the struggles that my family had to go through. It represents hardships but the sword also represents my ancestors fighting through and enduring the obstacles that they faced.

My Hxstory Poem

The X in hXstory is for

the LGBTQ; looked down upon, shamed, attacked.

the women; restricted, limited, confined.

the indigenous; marginalized, discriminated, killed.

the people who weren't represented: quieted, suppressed, hidden.

the struggles; concealed, covered up, buried.

The X in hxstory represents everyone and everything that was lost and forgotten.

The X in hxstory is to acknowledge that our "history" isn't really ours; it is those who oppressed, who controlled, and who killed.

My X in my hXstory is for

my family; they have all taught me something.

I learned to be disciplined, responsible, and independent.

My X in my hXstory is for

my chosen family; they have changed me into someone better.

I learned how to love, trust, and laugh.

My X in my hXstory is for

my Filipino background; the different ways I do things from others, the different foods, the superstitions.

I learned to be proud of my culture.

My X in my hXstory is for

my mental health; the fights, battles and war against myself.

I learned the strength I have within me.

My X in my hXstory is for

my mistakes; the stupid choices, decisions, and actions.

I learned to be accountable.

My hxstory is the people that have taught me something. It is the experiences that I have lived through. It is everything that has shaped me into me.

Where I'm Headed

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My Plans After High School

After graduating, I want to go to a four year college and major in nursing. Although that is my main focus, I still want to participate in any clubs related to social justice. I chose nursing because it gives me many different career options to choose from. The career I want to pursue the most is a physical therapist, but any career in the medical field would be okay with me. Later on when I'm financially stable, I hope to open up a free clinic for those who can't afford to go to the doctors or can't go because they are illegal immigrants. This would be my way of serving the people.

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