When I was in the third grade, I always did my class work and finished it quickly. I had just started my first year in my school’s gifted and talented program, which put a target, invisible to me, on my back. I wasn’t aware that people didn’t like me when I was in third grade. How could I have been? I had a group of close-knit friends and all the teachers liked me. As far as I knew, everyone liked me. As it turns out, that wasn’t the case.

One day during recess, I was cornered by three of my classmates, two girls and one boy, who were known for causing trouble and each Hispanic. Somehow we got out of the teacher’s eyesight. Suddenly, the girls were on either side of me, one holding my right arm and one holding my left. The next thing I knew, the boy punched me in the stomach. As quickly as I was cornered was how quickly it ended.

Although it lasted for only a moment, harming someone in any way because you don’t like something about him or her is bullying. Recently there has been a rise in Hispanic students bullying other Hispanic students. With Hispanic girls having the highest rate of attempted suicide, one has to think this rate might be directly connected to the rise in bullying.

So what’s the definition of bullying? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, bullying someone means to treat someone abusively or to affect by means of force or coercion. According to Stopbullying,gov, bullying is “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.” There are several different types of bullying such as physical, verbal, spreading rumors, excluding someone, intimidation and cyberbullying.

Why are kids being bullied? Appearance and social status are two of the main reasons people are bullied. Bullies pick on the people they think are different for some reason or do not fit in. Being able to identify who the bullies are is also a critical step in stopping bullying. Most bullies share some common characteristics. They like to dominate others and generally only care about themselves. They often have poor social skills and poor social judgment. Sometimes they are actually jealous of the person they are bullying or want to act out because they were once hurt by a bully them selves. Bullies put down others in order to feel more interesting and powerful. Today, bullying is on the rise within the Hispanic community. Sometimes young Hispanics who are second or third generation Americans are bullying others who are first generation Americans and those who aren’t citizens.

What can you do if you are being bullied or if you see someone else being bullied? I think girls need to know what bullying is so they can easily recognize bullies. They should also know what to do when they’re bullied or witness another being bullied.First, tell either your parents or a trusted adult at school. Don’t be afraid that telling on the bully will get you in trouble. Adults can often devise a way to get you or others out of the bullying situation. This can be done without the bully ever knowing how they found out about it in the first place. Also, if you or your friends are worried about the bullying escalating to violence, avoid being alone.

Tips for you/others about surviving bullying:
1. Ignore the bully and walk away: Don’t be bothered by them and eventually they’ll give up. Getting angry or physical is exactly what the bully wants.
2. Take charge of your life: Join an extracurricular activity, club, or class. These places are the best places to make friends and gain the confidence you can use to avoid bullies.
3. Talk about it: Talking to someone about what you are going through is sometimes the best therapy. Confide in someone and you’ll feel better.4
4. The best thing to do to stop bullying is to tell someone when you get bullied and don’t be afraid to speak out on someone’s behalf if they are being bullied. Speaking against a bully sometimes isn’t the easiest thing to do, but realize that many of your classmates probably feel uncomfortable when they witness someone getting bullied.

A quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel can be applied to bullying. He said, “Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” Though you may not be guilty of being a bully, it is your responsibility to do the right thing by helping those being bullied in whatever way you can. If you stand by and do nothing, you are responsible in part for that person’s pain.

Young Latinas are taking a stand against digital photo altering in magazines for teens and women to redefine what is beautiful. Many fashion magazines feature pictures that are “perfected” with the help of technology tools like Photoshop.  Digital altering can completely change the image of model from hair color to waistline and blemishes to weight. How does that affect girls? Many young girls are going on diets and even getting eating disorders in an attempt to keep up with these false standards of beauty. These Latinitas sound off sharing their frustration in seeing unrealistic images of girls in media and their thoughts on real beauty.

• “Dear Teen Magazine Editor, Please stop using Photoshop because it is damaging women’s self-esteem.” -Jenna Aguilar, age 12
• “Dear Teen Vogue, Don’t  put Photoshop pictures because girls are hurting themselves.Every one is different and people can’t relate to this. If you may, please no more Photoshopped pictures.” – Katrina Estrada, age 13
• “Dear 17 Magazine Editor, Do you know what it’s like to be charged with murder? Many girls, teens, and women take there life every single day. Why? Because they can’t “fit in.” Sure Photoshoping may not seem like a big deal but in reality, it’s bigger that it can ever seem.  It would be better if you stop but even if you don’t, maybe cutting down on Photoshop might help. Take it into consideration please!”- Sincerely, Maria.
• “Stop changing people’s look because it is causing kids to feel bad and get surgery. Please stop Photoshopping.”- Yoselin Martinez, age 13
• “Dear Teen Vogue, Can you please stop Photoshopping? It is making girls insecure because they want to be or look exactly like the models and have gone through Anorexia or Bulemia just to look like them. Can please stop? Thanks.” -Frida, age 13
• “Dear 17 magazine, Why would you change someone else’s body? They are perfect the way they are! If you don’t think so then you should be fired! Stop Photoshop!”-  Faith, age 11
• “Dear 17 magazine, Please stop changing the girls because I want to see who they really are. No more photoshop!”- Ashley, age 10
• “Please stop using Photoshop pictures, it makes girls want to look like models.” – Kimberly
• “I think you shouldn’t edit because it’s fake and when you see a famous person it looks totally different and they disappoint people.” -Cynthia
• “Dear  Teen Vogue Editor, Please stop using Photoshopped images in your magazines it is very harmful to girls and their bodies.” Sincerely, Natalina Acosta.
• “Dear Editor, I think that you should stop Photoshop. I think people will love them (models) even if you don’t edit it. They look fake when people see them in real life! Everybody can tell and people will notice. Just saying!” -Sincerely, Delilah.
• “Dear Editor, I think Photoshop is a bad example to little kids and they get the wrong idea of how girls should be.They want to be like the celebrities on TV and magazines.” -Deseree Martinez
• “Dear Designers, I think you should cut down on  Photoshopping, that way girls and women can stop trying to be like the women on TV that are not real. I think little girls start to get that in their head and when they get older they do the same and then don’t look as pretty as they already are.”  - Desiree Tarango
• “Dear 17 Magazine Editors, I think you should stop using Photoshop because it makes us all feel bad about our bodies.”
• “Dear Editors, Please stop using Photoshop it discriminates women.There are 8 year olds who want to use Botox just to be like the girls on magazines who are fake. Please Stop.”-   Maria G. C.
• “Dear Teen Vogue, Photoshop is stupid it makes girls feel insecure. It’s not about the looks its about what they feel inside.”-  Sincerely, Lauren
• “Dear Editor, Hi my name is Jessica and I’m 12 years old.I wish you could really stop using Photoshop in most of the photos. I think it’s really hurting girls my age. Please! I would really appreciate it.”   -Jessica Ceballos
• “Dear 17 Magazine, Please stop using Photoshopped images in your magazine. Those pictures have negative effects on girls like me.” -Deliah age 13
• “Dear Teen Vogue, Can you please stop using Photoshop because 5th graders worry about their weight and feel really bad. It’s only hurting girls.” -Katherine Vazquez, age 11
• “Dear 17 magazine, Please stop using Photoshopped pictures in your magazines, they make young girls feel bad about their bodies.”-  Miranda Galindo, age 11
• “Dear 17 Magazine, Please stop using Photoshop pictures in your magazine, they make young girls feel bad about their bodies.”  Desiree Ramirez, age 12
• “Dear 17 Magazine, Please stop the Photoshoping.”- EMM

Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, with his boyish charm, has made girls around the world swoon in stadiums everywhere. Since his discovery in 2008, he has topped the Billboard charts with his hits such as “Baby” and “Boyfriend,” been on the cover of nearly every magazine and has even been featured on the big screen with his documentary “Never Say Never.” Many may call him lucky, but it isn’t his good looks, fame, or fortune that make him lucky. Let’s face it, it’s his lady by this side, Selena Gomez.

Let’s start off with the fact that she’s Latina and proud of it. She was born in Grand Prairie, Texas in 1992 to Italian mother, Amanda Dawn Teefy, and Mexican father, Ricardo Joel Gomez. Named after the famous Latina artist, Selena Quintanilla, Selena Gomez has shown from the get-go that she really embraces her culture as a young Latina. In her interview with Elle Magazine, she comments, “Growing up, [teen idols] were all blond, with light-colored eyes. I wanted to be that. I didn’t realize how important it was to represent my background and my culture until parents of Latin descent started coming up to me. Then it clicked. I can represent a different generation and a different culture.” Aware of the few Latinas in the entertainment business, Selena strives to represent a positive figure for the number of young Latinas in the U.S and the world. Many would say that she’s been a great role model for Latinas, surely Justin would agree.

Not only is she proud of her roots, she also works to empower Latinos and others who are less fortunate, and she encourages Justin to do so as well.  A project that highlights her desire and motivation for the cause to empower the Latino population in particular, is the program she participated in called “Programa Puente.” It is a movement in Chile that seeks to end poverty, prevent violence within the home and empower people through education.  Since she’s been with Justin, he’s gotten involved, too! The couple raised over $200,000 earlier this year at the second annual benefit concert in Los Angeles for UNICEF. You see, Justin? Just because you’re young doesn’t mean that you can’t get involved!

Justin would probably be the first to say that creative expression is important, but there are other ways to let the world know who you are and what you represent other than music. Launched in 2009, Selena Gomez expressed her personal sense of style and individuality by starting her fashion line Dream Out Loud. Not only is it a way for her to express herself in a positive way, but also a means to send out a message. An inspirational message is attached to the clothing tag, promoting positive messages to girls who buy her clothing! A girl who can motivate people through fashion, Justin’s has a creative girl on his hands, huh?

More than just a creative girlfriend, Selena is a good friend. She’s extremely supportive and encouraging. She was the first to be notified when long-time Disney friend Demi Lovato decided to check herself into rehab for an eating disorder. She was a huge support for her friend and publicly made all kinds of statements offering positive messages and encouraging words to her friend while she was in recovery. Fellow Latina Demi Lovato comments, “…the people that are really there for me are the people that were there for me when I went into treatment.” Guess who? Selena, of course. Supporting her friends in times of need is something that is clearly important to her. What’s really admirable is her ability to balance a busy schedule, a boyfriend, and maintain strong friendships. She’s quite the catch, Justin.

We all see the Biebs on the television, hear him on the radio and even in the news and we think, “Oh, he’s so great!” We never stop to think about why he’s so great, so lucky. Not only does he walk hand-in-hand with a beautiful girl, but he also has the support of a strong and independent woman. She’s a role model, generous, creative, a great friend and she’s Latina. What more could you want, Biebs?

Latinitas speak out about all the photoshopping done to magazine covers and advertisements.  With the ease of photo editing software, magazine editors are altering the images of models and what you see isn’t always real. Find out what these Latinitas readers think in their letters to the editors of teen magazines expressing their opinions.

Dear Editor,
It’s rude to make women too pretty and too skinny. You shouldn’t do that because God gives the models their bodies. I don’t like the pictures of your “models” because some of your pictures on the magazines look weird. I don’t like the way you lie to make the girls in the world try to be like the pictures in the magazines.
Erika

Dear Editor,
How could you do this to girls? How could you change the faces of the models in the magazines? I don’t want any girls or boys to believe they are real. You tried to make them beautiful but you made them look bad. Stop changing the way they look. Don’t you feel guilty for what you have done?
Sinthia

Dear Editor,
Stop changing women’s faces just because they look different than you how you want them to look in the magazines. You don’t have to change their look! They should not be changed because of how they look. If they say they want to change their look then it is okay. It is better to get people to see the real you! Think about it please. Do you really think you are doing the right thing?
April

Dear Editor,
I feel bad about what you do to the people that like to have their picture taken. They think that they are cute in the pictures but it is not true. When Latinitas told us about what the magazines are doing it made me feel bad.
Karyme

Dear Editor,
I think it isn’t nice to change people’s faces on the computer. I think they are pretty just the way they are.
Michelle

Dear Editor,
I don’t think you are making your models look better because you are actually making them look bad. It is not ok.
Stephanie

Dear Editor,
You should be ashamed of yourself. You are changing girl’s faces and making younger girls believe that’s how we should look.
Jacqueline

Dear Editor,
We, the girls of Latinitas, have seen your magazine and are very mad because we saw the video online of the woman you picked to be in the magazine. The pictures were amazing but that’s not how she looks in real life. You did her hair and makeup but then you made changes to the picture on your computer. We have no chance to look beautiful anymore because now that we know you made changes to the pictures, people will now try to change their faces so they can look like the girls in the magazine. But you should know that beauty is in the inside not on the outside.
Anonymous

Dear Editor,
I’m very mad because of what you do with your magazine. After you take pictures you think you make them look better but all you are doing is making girls and women feel like they’re not pretty enough. That’s not fair to them or to us! Please stop and leave the models how they are.
Anonymous

Dear Editor,
I think you shouldn’t change models. It’s like you’re telling her she is not good enough. There is no point of having a model if they can’t stay the same way they are. You make me feel like nobody is pretty enough. I don’t like that you lie to us about how they look. I want to see their true beauty, not someone they aren’t.
Alyssa

Dear Editor,
We saw an ad of a girl that wasn’t the real picture of her. I didn’t like it because it wasn’t really her. It wasn’t her real body. If we were you, we wouldn’t have changed her.
Anonymous

Feel free to participate and send your comments below.

A special mom would help her daughter with her first steps,

A special mom would help her daughter up when she falls,

A special mom would tuck her daughter in at night,

A special mom would hug her daughter when she has a bad dream,

A special mom would be there when her daughter has her first break-up,

A special mom would not give up on her daughter when she made a bad mistake,

A special mom would be there when her daughter marries that perfect guy,

A special mom would share every single moment and day in her daughter’s life,

A special mom would love her child unconditionally.

May 2011