Attach

your photo

here

For information or to order ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! campaign materials,

call 1-800-773-8546 or visit

www.soyunica.gov
Luisa del Carmen Pollard, MA

Chair

SAMHSA's Hispanic/Latino

Initiative Steering Committee

Rockville, MD

Ana Anders, LICSW

Senior Advisor on Special

Populations

National Institute on Drug Abuse

National Institutes of Health

Bethesda, MD

Myrta Cardona

Coordinator

LaJoya Independent School

District

ACE Program

LaJoya, TX

Jaime Delgado

Director of Services

School of Public Health

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, IL

Patricia B. Fennell

Executive Director

Latino Community Development

Agency

Oklahoma City, OK

Eduardo Hernández-Alarcón, PhD

Director

CalPartners Coalition

Sacramento, CA

Guadalupe G. Lara, MSW

Manager

Supporting Children & Families

Through Peaceful Mediation of

Conflicts

Children’s Hospital of Michigan

Allen Park, MI

Henry Catano Lozano

President and CEO

Californians For Drug-Free

Youth, Inc.

Big Bear City, CA

Mireya Martinez

Coordinator

Girls Advocacy Project

Department of Juvenile Justice

Miami, FL

Norma Nieves-Blas, MSW, CPP

Deputy Director

Bureau of Alcoholism &

Substance Abuse Services

(BASAS)

Department of Mental Health,

Mental Retardation and

Alcoholism Services

New York, NY

Eduardo Olivarez

Executive Director

Rio Grande Valley Council on

Alcohol & Drug Abuse

Edinburg, TX

Vera O. Pina, MSW

National Consultant in Human

Service Leadership

Oconomowoc, WI

Irene Redondo-Churchward

Executive Director

SPIRITT Family Services

(formerly Project INFO

Community Services)

Whittier, CA

Comité Asesor de la

Iniciativa Hispano/Latina

En nombre de los 7 millones de niñas latinas

viviendo en los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico,

deseamos expresar nuestro agradecimiento al

Comité Asesor por su infatigable y valioso

aporte en la preparación de la primera campaña

bilingüe que usa los factores culturales para

realzar la autoestima y fomentar la salud y

bienestar de nuestras niñas.

Hispanic/Latino Initiative

Steering Committee

On behalf of the 7 million Latina girls living

in the United States and Puerto Rico, we would

like to express our appreciation to the Steering

Committee for their tireless guidance in the

development of the first bilingual campaign

that uses cultural factors to enhance the girls’

self-esteem. Their efforts will foster their health

and well-being for years to come.

Ruth Sánchez-Way, PhD

Director

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Unique and Latina

For you:

From the day you were born, your life has been filled with special

moments, which have made you the unique girl that you are. There

is no one like you in the whole world!

At your age, you probably have many questions about your feelings,

your body, and especially the people around you. You may have

already realized that your friends are very important to you.

Since you are going through some changes, we would like you to

have this activity book as your guide. It will teach you and help you

clarify your thoughts and emotions. Of course, we invite you to share

it with your parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, and other

important people in your life.

Through several simple and fun activities, we will show you how

you can get to know yourself. We will show you how to recognize

your abilities. Once you learn these things, you will improve your

self-esteem.

Do you know what self-esteem means? Self-esteem is knowing

how to love, respect and believe in yourself. All of these things will

make you feel happy and above all, they will help you get along well

with others.

This book is divided it into four parts:

❀ Me

❀ Me and others

❀ Me and my abilities

❀ Me and my future

2
Pssst... Pssst...

3

Do you know what shyness is?

It is when you are afraid to speak or act in front of other people.

This is natural. It is often difficult to say "out loud" what we are thinking

or what we want. The activities in this book will allow you to write

everything that comes to your mind.

Once you have thought about your feelings, write them down. You

will then find it easier to share your thoughts.

The following box contains a secret code, which you can use in any

of the activities. Oh! You can also invent your own code!

Your Secret Code

A J S

B K T

C L U

D M V

E N W

F O X

G P Y

H Q Z

I R

Example: I like you =

queen

rainbow

sun

telephone

umbrella

vase

yoyo

zebra

witch

apple

butterfly

cat

diamond

eye

flower

goldfish

hat

ice cream

jar

kangaroo

lemon

moon

nose

orange

popcorn

xylophone
4
This is who I am

At some time in our lives, we all ask

ourselves: Who am I? What will become

of me? At your age, you may have already

begun to ask yourself these questions.

Because you are entering "adolescence," a stage of

changes which lasts several years, you will become aware

of some changes in your way of thinking, feeling, dressing,

and reacting.

You may already feel these changes. For example, you

may realize that your thoughts and interests are different

from when you were younger.

A good way to prepare for these

changes is to think about yourself.

 That way, you will get to

know, love, and

accept yourself just

the way you are.

5
Who Am I?

Ask yourself over and over again. “Who am I?” That way, you will know

what you like, what worries you, and what your feelings are.

My name is ___________________________________________ I am _________________________________________years old I was born in _________________________________________ My ethnic background is _______________________________ I feel important when __________________________________ I feel happy when _____________________________________ What I like most about school is _________________________ My favorite book is ____________________________________ My favorite food is_____________________________________ My favorite hobby is____________________________________ My favorite song is _____________________________________ My favorite celebrity is _________________________________ I feel sad when ________________________________________ I get angry when _______________________________________ I feel frightened when __________________________________ What I like most about my family is _______________________ What I like the least about my family is ____________________ I feel I should improve __________________________________

Think and discover what a wonderful person you are!

6
What does it mean to accept yourself

as you are? It means that you know

how to appreciate your good manners,

and how to improve those that are not

so good.

This means that you have created your

own image. It also means that

everyone who cares about you has

helped you form that image.

Through this exercise we invite you

to think about what you are like and

how you act in your everyday life.

Pay attention to the way you behave

at home, at school, and with your

friends. This will help you know

yourself better and it will help you

answer the question, “What am I like?”

What am I like?

As a friend I am...

As a daughter I am...

As a sister I am...

As a granddaughter

I am...

As a student I am...

7
My ABC’s

e traordinary

ispanic

urious atina nique

When you have finished

the previous exercise you

will be able to see what

you like about yourself.

And when you know more

about your qualities you

will know if there are

certain things that you

don't like about yourself.

These exercises are very

important since they are

the first step toward

knowing how to obtain a

positive self-esteem,

which will make you

happier.

For each letter of the

alphabet, write down a

word which best

describes you. We have

given you a few examples.

8
What do I want to change and what can I change?

9
Interview

Do you remember what “self-esteem”

means? It means to love, respect,

and believe in yourself. That way,

you will feel more secure and you will

be able to do anything you want.

Since you can't obtain self-esteem

by yourself, you need support from

your family and the people that are

a part of your life. Their advice and

affection will help you succeed.

In order to get to know yourself better,

ask them what they think of you.

What do you like about me?

My father

1

2

3

My brother/sister

1

2

3

My mother

1

2

3

A teacher

1

2

3

A friend

1

2

3

Who else would you

like to ask?

1

2

3

10
Well, you know how important your selfesteem is. Now you should learn that

your self-esteem is a part of everything

that you do every day. From how well

you do in school to how you behave as

a daughter, sister, or friend.

If you have a positive self-esteem, you

will feel better about yourself. As you

grow, you will feel sure of yourself and

be friendly, lively, happy, and affectionate.

And most importantly, you will be

successful in life.

If you have a poor self-esteem, on the

other hand, you will feel insecure, sad,

and as though you are a failure.

Your self-esteem can vary because of

different things that can happen in your

life. Maybe you can't even explain some

of them. Others can make you feel as

though you were in the middle of a

puzzle. Don't worry; this is normal.

The important thing is that you realize

which things make you feel secure and

happy.

Happy and sure of yourself

Jealous

Respectful

Affectionate

Aggressive

Scary

Timid

Secure

Optimistic

Pretty

Clever

Ugly

Weak

u n o p o z x t l g t a r x w

s l t p l u f t c e p s e r x

k o s w t d n h o n r x e e z

j m c e k i j j d o n x t u o

x o a a v b m f b d q a f g f

r n r j v i q i b z n s b l u

g z y r e a s f s o y r h y d

d w b e p a i s i t d f a z w

i k y v i s l t e q i y q m c

m f k e c u c o o r r c z v i

i i s l a e q p u d g z u t d

t r v c f i z z k s p g g f z

a y k f q s r a r e l v a l u

p r a p j k e p r e t t y r v

k f n p p w u e r u c e s a d

Read the following words. Using red ink, circle those that describe a positive

self-esteem. Using green ink, circle those that indicate a low self-esteem.

11
What I think

Knowing yourself means that you know who and how you are. This is a big step

toward developing your personality and self-esteem.

By recognizing your qualities, and the things that require more effort, it will be easier

to know what helps you have a high or low self-esteem.

If you try, this can help you improve the way you act.

Look at the following situations. In each square, draw the matching symbol to show

which ones you think will help you improve your self-esteem and which ones won’t.

= Lowers my self-esteem

= Helps improve my self-esteem

I eat fruits and

vegetables every

day

I feel loved by my

parents

When my parents

argue, I feel

responsible

I don't care about

my personal

cleanliness

My friends don't

talk to me

I like what I see

when I look in the

mirror

I eat a good

breakfast every

morning

When I am angry I

become aggressive

I choose my clothing

carefully

When I don't

understand

something, I feel

dumb

When I feel sad, I

lock myself in my

room and I don't

seek help

I treat all people

with respect

I care for and

groom my hair

I never say “no,”

in order to have

friends

My favorite foods

are pizza, french

fries and sweets

When others make

fun of me, I feel

dumb

No one pays

attention to me

I like to find out

about my family

history

I practice my

favorite sport

I feel sure of myself

when I give my

opinion

I feel loved when my

parents hug me

I recognize my right

to say “no”

I ask for what I

need

I watch TV for many

hours

I feel proud of what

I do well

Example

Example

12
A day in my life

Write down your morning, afternoon, and evening activities.

Then, think about them so that you can get to know yourself.

5:00 am Sleep

6:00 am

7:00 am

8:00 am

9:00 am

10:00 am

11:00 am

12:00 pm

1:00 pm

2:00 pm

3:00 pm

4:00 pm

5:00 pm

6:00 pm

7:00 pm

8:00 pm

9:00 pm

10:00 pm

13
Activities that made me feel good Why?

1 I helped my brother with his art project. Because I like to help him.

2 I played soccer. Because I got together with my friends.

3

4

5

6

Activities that did not make me feel good Why not?

1 I watched TV and talked on the phone. I did not do my homework.

2

3

4

5

6

Think about what you did today. You will notice that it was many things.

Think about which ones made you feel good and which ones didn't.

14
15
If you are following the activities

in this book you are certainly

part of two cultures: one from

the country your family

originally came from and the

other from the United States.

Each person is born in a

country and continent. Maybe

your parents, brothers or

sisters, aunts and uncles,

cousins, and grandparents

have told you a little about their

own country. When they talk

about their customs, this is

called “culture.” What does

culture mean? It is your way of

thinking, your way of being,

and your values.

With the following exercise,

you will get to know more about

your family and your cultural

background. On the next page,

below the photos, write down

your relatives’ names and

something you know about

them.

To give you an idea, ask

yourself the following questions

as an example.

Who were your greatgrandparents?

Who are your grandparents?

Where do they live or did they

live?

What is their background?

In what part of the country do

they live or did they live?

How is it different from other

areas?

How do they spend their time?

How many aunts and uncles

do you have?

What do they do?

How many cousins do you

have?

What are their names?

What grades are they in?

If you don't know the answers,

ask! Maybe your parents,

grandmother, sister,

godmother or godfather

can help you.

Me and Others

16
My family is...

Paste photos of your friends and family here.

Write some information about them.

17
My Culture

“Culture” is a group of customs, values and traditions of a country or region

that is passed down from parents to their children. It is the language, history,

and religion of each one of us.

The traditions of your family and the customs they observe are part of your

culture. Through them you can better understand your parents' and

grandparents' way of thinking. When you understand it, you will feel very

proud of your culture.

As you answer these questions, you will have a clearer understanding of

your family and culture.

Where were my parents born?______________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

My background is_______________________________________________

Where is this country? ___________________________________________

How many people live there? _____________________________________

How many races are there? _______________________________________

What race (or races) is my family? _________________________________

The most popular traditions of the country are: ______________________

_______________________________________________________________

The most important celebrations are:

1)_____________________________________________________________

2)_____________________________________________________________

3)_____________________________________________________________

How and where are they celebrated?_______________________________

_______________________________________________________________

What is the most popular food? ___________________________________

How is it prepared?______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

What is the favorite music? _______________________________________

18
My Values

It is very important to know yourself and feel good about yourself.

Knowing about your heritage and values will help you understand

yourself and your background better.

What are values? You get cultural values from your family and the society

in which you live. They are guides that show you how to live and how

to act. Therefore, they have great meaning in your life.

If you don't act according to your values, you can't be happy!

My Two Worlds

Things that I like about North American culture:

Example: the music

Things that I like about Latin American culture:

Example: the food

19
I treat others with respect so that

they will respect me

What do I value? How do I practice it?

Example: Respect

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Knowing Yourself Better

Understanding your values will

help you get to know yourself

better. Recognizing them will

also help you raise your selfesteem and feel happier.

Write down five of your most

important values and explain

how you practice these in your

daily life.

20
 Name What do you like about her? Which qualities would you like to develop in yourself?

1. Aunt Victoria She is very generous Share more with my sisters and brothers

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Identify some women you admire who you would like to interview.

Write down the qualities that you like the most about them and that you

would like to develop in yourself.

As you grow up, many people and things will influence you.

They will help you think, feel, and act in a unique way.

Among these people are your parents, grandparents, sisters

and brothers, teachers, friends, godparents, and acquaintances.

Many of these people are probably women that you admire and

that are very important to you.

Important Women

in My Life

21
At your age, your friends are very

important to you. While you are

with your friends, you feel that

you are part of a group. Like you,

all of them are developing.

Almost all have the same

feelings, taste, and behavior.

That's why they are so special

to you and you feel good when

you are with them.

But even though they are friends,

sometimes they will pressure

you to do things that you don't

agree with, don't like or that are

against your values.

Cigarettes and alcohol are not

good for your health. Your friends

can't make you smoke or drink.

Remember that a good friend

will not make you do things you

don't want to do. A good friend

will respect your right to say

"NO."

My Friends

22
If you can say what you

really feel firmly and

clearly, this means you

are assertive. It also

means you can

exercise your rights

while respecting others.

On the other hand, if

you become angry or

aggressive, you will get

nowhere.

Sometimes it is hard to

say "NO." But, if you

prepare yourself to

respond to your friends

with confidence, things

will turn out easier.

You will feel good

about yourself,

Be assertive!

your family, and

your friends.

Always Sure of Yourself

23
To learn to be assertive, keep in mind and practice the following:

❃ Clearly express your needs, ideas, and feelings

❃ Say "no" without feeling bad or guilty

❃ Express your feelings, whether they are good or not so good

❃ Try to find the cause of your anger

❃ Try to find a solution to your problems

❃ Express your anger without hurting others

❃ Treat your feelings and needs as important

❃ Demand to be treated with respect

❃ When you have problems, seek help from your family, your

teacher, or someone you trust

❃ Respect the rights of others

Practice Your Assertiveness

Now that you know how to be assertive and firm, practice together with

your friends different ways to say NO...when others offer you cigarettes,

alcohol, or illegal drugs.

THEY SAY... YOU RESPOND...

Example:

Come on, smoke with us; or are you a

baby?

If you don't drink with me, that means

you don't love me.

Have a beer; it won't hurt you.

If you want to be popular, learn to drink.

In order to be part of this group, you have

to do drugs.

Example:

I don't need to smoke to feel big.

24
Friendships are a great source of well-being...

What are yours like?

Example: My best friend is Sofía.

My best friend is

What is his/her cultural background?

What I like best about his/her personality is

What are his/her interests?

What values do you admire in him/her?

His/her best quality is

He/she is best at

How well do you and your friends relate?

Example: What interests do you have in common? Sophia and I both like the

same music.

What interests do you have in common?

What does the friendship offer?

What do you offer?

What do you need from him/her?

In what way have you helped him/her?

In what way has he/she helped you?

In what situation?

What did you learn?

25
26
Abilities

We have taught you that in order to have a high selfesteem, you should get to know yourself and how to

act with others.

At your age, you already know how to distinguish your

abilities. Speak clearly and express your feelings and

emotions.

We know it isn’t always easy. Sometimes we think

others will laugh at us. Other times we don't explain

well what we want to say. Try to be sincere and clear,

and everything will be much easier.

When you give your opinion it is better to start by

saying “I believe” or “My opinion is...”

Practice communicating your feelings and emotions

with confidence. The more you practice, the easier it

will be to say what you want to say.

Example: Instead of saying, “Don't take my place,”

you should say, “Excuse me, I think I am next in line.”

27
28

1. Happy

2. Sad

3. Interested

4. Bored

5. Proud

6. Guilty

7. Self-confident

8. Confused

9. Angry

10. Calm

Emotion/

Feeling

When do you feel

this way?

How does your

body react?

Example:

Shy

I feel shy when I am with

people I don’t know.

I blush.

My hands sweat.

Feelings

It’s important to understand that the way you feel affects

your health. For starters, write down how your body

reacts when you feel:
We all have emotional needs. Talk with people in your family so they can help you

find out what things are most important to you.

Using the secret code provided on page 3 of this book, write down the most important

emotional needs. If you don't understand some of the words, look them up in the

dictionary or ask your parents or a teacher to explain them to you.

Emotional Needs

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

= Protection

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

29
Anger Grrrrr!..

How do you react when you are angry?

❧ Anger is a deep and normal feeling that you have a right to express.

❧ If you express it in a positive way, that means you are direct,

honest and open. Therefore, you are assertive.

❧ If you express it in a negative way, that means you are passive

or aggressive. This is not good for you.

❧ If you are passive, this means that you avoid problems and

disagreements. Therefore, you can't defend your rights or express

your anger, which leads others to take advantage of you.

❧ If you are aggressive, this means that you don't respect the rights

of others and at the same time, you take advantage of them. You

will not gain anything good with this attitude.

❧ On the other hand, if you decide to be assertive, you can express

yourself with certainty and confidence in yourself. Thus, you will

be able to recognize your rights and respect others.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

30
If it's hard for you to manage your anger in a

positive way, practice the following:

Keep this in mind!

❖ Walk

❖ Write in your diary

❖ Exercise

❖ Draw

❖ Read

❖ Talk on the telephone

❖ Listen to music

❖ Talk to people you like

When you are angry, what calms you down?

31
A. Think about the situation or problem

and describe it clearly.

B. Look for solutions.

C. Choose the one that is best for you.

Decisions

In this book you can practice learning

how to make decisions. Every day

we make decisions, some more

important than others. Maybe you

don’t even realize when you decide

what time to get up, what to wear,

and if you are going to have

breakfast. Since you do this daily,

you don't even realize that these

things are decisions.

As you get older, you will make more

and more important decisions. For

example, you will decide what

classes to take and what job/

profession you will have.

Choosing what is best for you is a

skill you can learn little by little.

For example, learn to reject pressure

from other people who push you to

do things that are not good for you.

Make your own decisions freely and

responsibly and you will show that

you are capable of choosing on your

own.

For example, you will show firmness

when you decide not to smoke,

drink, or use illegal drugs, even if

your friends insist that it's fun.

Below are some simple steps that

you can use to make your own

decisions.

32
The following exercise will teach you how to make decisions

responsibly.

Different Solutions

Write down the different solutions that you have thought of to resolve the situation

or problem. For each solution describe the advantages and disadvantages.

Situation or Problem

Clearly describe the situation or problem you want to resolve.

Solution 2

Advantages Disadvantages

Solution 1

Advantages

Disadvantages

33
If you have more solutions, add them

in the same way.

My Decision

Out of all the solutions you wrote down, decide which is the best and

make a list of the reasons for your decision.

Now that you made your decision...

Act responsibly.

Solution 3

Advantages Disadvantages

34
35
My Future

We know that at your age it is hard to think about the

future. It seems too far away. Even so, it is important

that you learn to make plans for later on. These plans

are called goals.

You can establish short-term goals, which means that

you want to achieve something soon, maybe within

a few days or a week.

You can also set long-term goals, which means that

you want to achieve something later, maybe three

months or a year from now.

The goals that you establish relate to your values, your

wishes, your way of thinking, and with how you are

as a person.

You already know that there are short-term and longterm goals. For example, straightening your bedroom

tomorrow is a short-term goal. Studying to get an

“A” on your English exam, at the end of this

month, is a long-term goal.

36
What are your short-term goals?

My Goals

Examples: Studying for a science exam next week.

Saving money to buy a discman.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

8

2

9

3

10

4

11

5

12

6

13

7

14

15

22

16

23

17

24

18

25

19

26

20

27

21

28

29 30 31

37
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

8

2

9

3

10

4

11

5

12

6

13

7

14

15

22

16

23

17

24

18

25

19

26

20

27

21

28

29 30 31

What are your long-term goals.

Example: Practicing my Spanish every day to improve my ability to write

and speak it.

Plan your future and you will be more likely to succeed!

38
Optimistic

Different things happen to you every day. These things

include beautiful surprises, fun-filled adventures, or

bad moments.

Life is full of nice and not-so-nice surprises! The

important thing is how you deal with them. If they are

not pleasant, don't be discouraged. These are just

temporary setbacks. Don't give up!

Be optimistic! Always try to think of higher goals and

don't set aside your dreams. And above all, love yourself

and try to build a nice future.

39
I follow my dreams.

It’s not impossible.

I need to try harder.

I can do it.

Wrong

way.

Oops!

Try again.

I’m going to make it. I’m going to reach my goal.

I’ll get there.

I can start again.

I’m unique!

I can do it!

40
Remember that you are not alone. Lean on your family, your friends

and the community. Surround yourself with people who love you,

respect you and can help you grow!

Contact information for people who can help you:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

e-mail:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

e-mail:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

e-mail:

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