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

Ruth Sanchez-Way, PhD

Director

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Comité Asesor de la

Iniciativa Hispano/Latino

En nombre de los 7 millones de niñas Latinas

viviendo en los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico,

deseamos expresar la agradecimiento al Comité

Asesor por su infatigable y valioso aporte en la

preparación de nuestra 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.
GROWING

UP:
For young ladies like you, the process of growing up is

called adolescence. It is a time of transition, during which

many things can happen. Some beautiful, others new, and

yet others may be difficult.

Growing up means learning to get to know yourself,

changing and facing easy as well as difficult times.

This activity book is designed to help you develop a positive

self-esteem.

Having such a positive attitude will let you face and

overcome obstacles. You will live a loving and happy life

among your family, friends, and others.

This book is divided into four sections:

✿ Me

✿ Me and others

✿ Me and my abilities

✿ Me and my future

Each one of these sections includes

activities which will help you think

about yourself and your world.

2

For you:

Unique and Latina
3
Who Am I?

Living implies constant change. This means that you are dynamic

and that you continue developing each day.

Now that you are beginning adolescence, your reality will change.

 What is adolescence? Adolescence is a several-year phase during

which many changes occur. As you begin the delicate process of

growing up, you will better understand how to adapt to new situations.

These changes will allow you to see yourself in a new way,

and you will have many opportunities to try to find your

true identity. This should not scare you; on the

contrary, you should consider this an excellent

opportunity to reflect and think about

your opinions and the

things you like.

4
✿ My name is

✿ I am years old

✿ I was born in

✿ My ethnic background is

✿ What I like most about myself

✿ What I like least about myself

✿ I feel happy when

✿ I feel sad when

✿ I feel uncomfortable when

✿ What I value most is

✿ What I reject most is

✿ My favorite hobby is

✿ My favorite food is

✿ My favorite book is

✿ My eyes are

✿ My hair is

✿ My body is

✿ My favorite class is

✿ My biggest responsibility is

✿ My best quality is

✿ My greatest weakness is

✿ My best ability is

Get to know yourself

A good way to get to know yourself is to start thinking of adolescence

as a trip full of many surprises.

To help you go forward in your journey, we have included the

following exercise to help you get to know yourself better.

For example: My name is Susan

5
I Am My Best Friend

As you grow up there will be moments in which you will

feel happy or sad. At these times, it is important that you

learn to recognize your qualities.

Your self-worth can be positive or negative. Learning to

recognize your strengths and weaknesses will allow you to

reaffirm the positive and overcome the negative.

Study and complete each of the following boxes:

Physically

Example: I am pretty.

I am

I can

I want to

I accept

I have

I feel

Emotionally

Example: I am strong.

I am

I can

I want to

I accept

I have

I feel

Intellectually

Example: I am intelligent.

I am

I can

I want to

I accept

I have

I feel

Socially

Example: I am a good friend.

I am

I can

I want to

I accept

I have

I feel

1 2

3 4

6
A J S

B K T

C Latina Unique

D M V

E N W

F O eXtraordinary

G P Y

Hispanic Q Z

I R

What I Can Change

A

L

T

I

N

A

Think about a few things that you would like to change.

For example: I would like to change my pessimism.

My ABC’s

You are unique and special. As you already know,

self-esteem is to love, respect, and have confidence in

yourself. All these things will make you feel happy and

most importantly, they will teach you to get along with others.

If you have a positive self-esteem it means you can recognize your

strengths and weaknesses, as well as what you can and can’t do.

For each letter of the alphabet, write down the word that best describes

you. We have given you a few examples.

7
Myself One of my parents My brother or sister

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

A teacher A friend Another person

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

My Characteristics

You can achieve self-esteem in many ways. For example:

✿ How you look

✿ How you value yourself as a person

✿ What you recognize in yourself

✿ How others view you

Mention 3 things that you like about yourself. Then interview the

people suggested in the following exercise and ask them:

"What do you like

about me?"

8
During adolescence, your self-esteem can become weakened because of

physical, emotional, and intellectual changes that are common at your

age. It is in this process of changing that you form your own

system of judgment and values.

If you have a high self-esteem, you can grow as a free, creative,

friendly, and happy person who is capable of giving, receiving,

and having success in life. On the other hand, if you have a

low self-esteem, you will feel insecure, useless, and

unable to be successful in life.

During this time of change, your self-esteem can vary

depending on what you are going through.

Remember that if you have a low

self-esteem, this doesn’t mean

you won’t be able to raise it.

You just have to work

hard in order to

increase it.

I love

Myself,

You love

Yourself,

She loves

Herself

9
In the following list, identify which

characteristics correspond to a high

or low self-esteem

If the word makes you think of low self-esteem, draw an arrow pointing

to the left. If the word makes you think of high self-esteem, draw an

arrow to the right.

Characteristics

Selfish

Jealous

Confident

Pessimistic

Positive

Respectful

Fearful

Optimistic

Aggressive

Depressed

Attractive

Ugly

Hopeful

Sure

Clever

Mention other characteristics:

10

+

_

+

_

For example:

For example:
and Others

and Others

11
Me and Others

If you are filling out this activity book, maybe it is because

you are part of two cultures: one from your family’s country

of origin and the other from the United States.

The term “culture” is defined as social heritage, traditions,

and values that families pass from generation to

generation. Everything that you think, believe,

know, do and value is a part of your culture.

Foods, dances, and the customs of different

regions are also considered “culture.”

12
Other Cultures

The celebrations and ceremonies related to your background are a

part of your culture. Your culture will help you keep your traditions

alive, better understand your family, and feel proud of being a part

of it.

Draw a line connecting the various cultures on the left with the

corresponding celebrations on the right:

If you were... You might participate in...

Irish Kwanzaa

Latin American Duvali

Afro American Pow Wow

Arab St. Patrick’s Day

Jewish Christmas

Indian Ramadan

Native American Passover

13
My Values

It is very important to know your values. What are values?

They are guides that show you how to live and act. Therefore,

they have great meaning in your life; they show that you are part of

your family and culture.

These are basic elements for your identification as a person, and to

learn about your cultural heritage. That way, you will feel proud of it.

These values are a part of your identity, and they influence the decisions

you make, your conduct, habits, ideals, rules, and goals.

Aspects of Latin American

culture that I like:

Example: the food

Aspects of North American

culture that I like:

Example: the music

My Two Worlds

If you don’t act according to your values,

you can’t be happy!

14
Important Women

in my Life

In every culture and social group there are different values, rules,

behavior, and customs. Each one of us incorporates these as part of

our everyday life.

Throughout your life, there are many people and experiences that

will influence you in your way of thinking, feeling, acting, and

viewing the world.

Among these people are your parents, sisters and brothers, teachers,

friends, and people that you know and will know. Each of these

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

Of course, many of these people are women that you admire and

have influenced the way you are today, and how you will be

tomorrow.

15
Women that have influenced me

Who? How?

From my family

Among my friends

Among my teachers

From my community

Women that I admire

From my family

Among my friends

From my school

On TV

Famous women

Think about how they have influenced

you and why you admire them. Mention

some of them in the following exercise.

16

Example: My Aunt Gloria For what she has achieved

Example: My mother With her advice

Who? Why?
Knowing your

Friends

During adolescence, friends are very important to you.

Through your friends, you will identify yourself as part of a

group. Like you, they are developing tastes, feelings, and

behavior similar to yours.

While you are with your friends, you feel as though you are

part of the group. For this reason, it is important to know the

values and qualities of your friends. It is equally necessary

for you to recognize the sincerity of your friends. This will

allow you, as well as your friends, to feel secure in life.

17
Knowing Your Friends

What are your friends like?

Example: My best friend is Sarah.

My best friend is

What is his/her cultural background?

What I like most about his/her personality

What are his/her interests?

What do you value in him/her?

How do you relate?

Example: We like the same music.

What common interests do you share?

What does he/she offer you?

What do you offer him/her?

What do you need from him/her?

What help have you given him/her?

What help have you received?

What did you learn?

18
and My Abilities

and My Abilities

19
It is very important to know your abilities in order to

relate to others in an effective way. Clearly and directly

express what you are like and how you feel. This is the

best way to communicate on a regular basis.

Learn how to develop, from an early age, a firm and

direct way of communicating. This will help you

become a unique and independent person.

Abilities that I Possess and

Want to Develop

20
Count how many times you have checked “almost always” and evaluate the results.

0-3 Not very firm 4-7 You‘re fine 8-10 Very good; Keep it up!

Almost Some- Almost

never times always

I clearly express my needs, ideas and feelings X

Example:

Almost Some- Almost

never times always

A. I clearly express my needs, ideas, and feelings

B. I can say “no” without feeling bad or guilty

C. I express my feelings, whether they are good or bad

D. I try to find the cause of my anger

E. I look for solutions to my problems

F. I can express my anger

G. I recognize my feelings

H. I demand to be treated with respect

I. I seek help from my family when I have problems

J. I respect the rights of others while being firm

Always Sure of Yourself

Being assertive means clearly and firmly stating

what you really feel without disrespecting others.

If you are assertive, you can say what you really want without hurting others.

But be careful, don’t confuse being “assertive” with being “aggressive.”

The difference between these two types of communication is that with

aggressiveness, you blame, humiliate, or criticize others and in general,

you cut off communication instead of keeping it open.

Assertive communication will let you firmly, directly, and honestly express

what you feel and think without injuring others, while inviting dialogue.

Be assertive! You will feel better about yourself and it will make it easier to

get along with your family and friends.

Complete the following phrases:

21
Speak Clearly

It is important to speak clearly in order to have a good relationship

with members of your family, your friends, and society in general.

It won’t always be easy. Sometimes you will feel scared that

they will make fun of your feelings and you may want to hide

the way you feel. Other times, probably due to the way you

express yourself—using negative words or body language—

people may misinterpret your words.

We recommend that when you want to express your feelings,

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

Here are some examples:

Teresa: Mom, you never let me go out with my friends.

Mother: What do you mean never? On Saturday you

went to the movies.

Teresa: I know, mom. But today I want to go to a party

with Mariana.

Mother: Oh! The fact that you want to go to a party doesn’t 

mean I “never” let you go out. Now I understand 

what you want.

By expressing your desires, feelings,

and opinions you will improve your

ability to communicate with others.

22
 Carefully Select a Way to

Express Your Feelings

Learning to express your feelings is important in order to

achieve good communication. As we have told you, it is also

important to understand what the other person is saying. This

helps us obtain better results through dialogue. That is, avoid

misinterpretations or misunderstandings.

In the right hand column below, change the phrases using “I.”

“You”

➽ You never let me go out with my friends

➽ You don’t respect my independence

➽ You don’t understand me

➽ You never call me

➽ You’re always late

➽ Don’t yell at me

➽ No one appreciates me in this house

➽ You always come into my room

without knocking

➽ You always make promises that

you don’t keep

“I”

➽ I would like to go out with my friends

➽ I feel that I need independence

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

23

For example:
Anger ¡Grrrrr!..

How do you react when you are angry?

1

2

3

4

Example: I slam the door to my bedroom.

◆ Anger or annoyance is an intense and normal

feeling that all people have a right to express.

◆ Dealing with it in a positive way means

expressing yourself directly, honestly, and openly,

in an assertive manner.

◆ If you deal with your anger in a negative way, you

can become passive or aggressive. These extremes

don’t allow you to express yourself effectively.

◆ If you are passive, you tend to avoid conflict and

disagreement; you don’t stand up for your rights and

you have difficulty expressing your anger, which leads

others to take advantage of you.

◆ If you are aggressive, you don’t observe others’ rights. You tend to

dominate and intimidate with immediate reactions.

◆ Being assertive, on the other hand, will allow you to express yourself

with firmness and confidence, recognizing your rights and respecting

the rights of others.

24
If you have trouble

dealing with your anger

in a positive way, try

the following:

✺ Go for a walk

✺ Write in your diary

✺ Exercise

✺ Draw

✺ Read

✺ Listen to music

✺ Talk

What helps you calm down when you

are angry?

Example: I talk to my friends.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

25
I’m Sad!

26

You have already read about how important

it is to have a high self-esteem, accept

the way you are, and be unique.

At those times, you will see that

everything in your life is

smiling; school seems great, you

look beautiful in the mirror, you feel

that your friends are the best and your family is very special.

Nevertheless, under certain circumstances you will sometimes feel

that this wonderful world is crumbling around you. You become sad,

depressed, you don’t like your body, you think your friends have

“abandoned” you and your parents “don’t understand you.” At times

like this you can’t find any support, you feel alone, like crying, and

you often don’t know where your sadness is coming from.

Don’t be afraid! It’s normal!

Lean on someone!

At your age, emotional changes are common; one day you might feel

happy, another day you may be sad, and yet another furious. The

important thing is that you learn to identify these moods. During these

times, remember that you are not alone, and that there are many people

around you who love, respect, and value you.

When you are sad, don’t become isolated! Find someone to talk to,

not only about your happiness and sadness but also about other things.

Find someone to lean on.

Don’t let your sadness take over.

If you let it, your self-esteem will become

weakened, along with your dreams.
Your life is your

greatest treasure.

Live it!

When a young lady doesn’t know how to value herself,

she runs the risk of making the following mistakes:

Using cigarettes,

alcohol, or illegal

drugs in order to

fill an emotional

void

Accepting verbal,

emotional, and

physical abuse as

normal behavior

Getting

pregnant in order

to feel loved and

needed

Thinking

about

suicide as

a solution

to her

problems

Running away

from home as a

solution or to

escape from her

problems

Stealing,

because she

feels like

she has

nothing

Joining a gang

in order to

feel accepted

Not wanting to

eat, or eating

too much, as a

substitute for

worries or

problems

27

When sadness becomes

your constant companion, it is important that

you seek help. You can get this help from your parents,

grandparents, loved ones, some teachers, or your guidance

counselor. They can help you regain your confidence,

respect, and love for yourself, to revive your dreams and

hopes, and to find your beautiful smile again.
28

Present

Event Age Emotion Who can I lean on?

In the Past

Event Age Emotion Who did I lean on?

With all the changes you are going through, you will soon realize that

what caused you sadness a short while ago does not affect you today.

What other things or events can affect your mood?

Think about the things that made you sad when you were little and

what makes you sad now.

And Then...
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.

29
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.

30

30

Situation or Problem

Clearly describe the situation or problem you want to resolve.

Solution 2

Advantages Disadvantages

Solution 1

Advantages

Disadvantages
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.

31

Solution 3

Advantages Disadvantages
and My Future

32

and My Future
My Future!

The decisions you make now will affect your future. Sometimes it’s

hard to think about the future; it seems too far away. Nevertheless,

in order to achieve your goals, both short- and long-term, it is

important that you learn to plan.

Imagine that your future is unique and full of opportunities.

Set reasonable and reachable goals.

Of course you cannot know for sure what the future

will bring, but if you have a plan with different

alternatives, you will have a better chance

of reaching your goals.

My Future!

33
What goals do I want to achieve?

34

The goals that you propose are related to your values, thoughts,

desires, and who you are. A “goal” is when you choose something

that you can achieve and you do everything possible to achieve it.

There are short- and long-term goals. Short-term goals are those

that you want to achieve in a week or at the end of the month.

Long-term ones are those that you want to achieve at the end of

the year or when you graduate.

What are your short-term goals?

Examples of short-term goals would be cleaning your room next weekend,

or trying to get an “A” on your English test at the end of the month.

1

2

3

4

5

6
Long-term goals

35

There are other goals which are long-term. This means that you

must make decisions and act in order to achieve them.

For example, planning to buy sound equipment and CDs at the end

of the year. Practicing Spanish for when my grandmother visits.

This means that, although your goal may be long-term, you must

start planning now. How? Save a certain amount of money each

month so that you can buy your CDs. Speak Spanish at home or

with your friends so that you can improve it.

Your short-term goals can lead to achieving your long-term goals.

What are your long-term goals? Plan them.

1

2

3

4

5

6
Opportunities

Throughout your life there will be

many situations that can present

beautiful opportunities, new

roads, interesting adventures,

some problems, and a few

stumbles.

Due to your own changes,

as well as continuous

challenges and intense

experiences, there

will be times when

you will not

see a

blue sky

every day.

You will

also find that

the world is

not full of

wonderful

things all the

time.

During these

difficult times, your

self-esteem and

confidence may become

weakened. The important

thing is that you don’t give

up. Keep moving forward;

be optimistic.

Always try to achieve higher goals

and don’t put your dreams aside.

Above all, love yourself so that you can

have a unique and bright future.

36
My Community

Resources

Remember that you are not alone; look for support from

your family and your loved ones, your friends and

community. Surround yourself with people who love and

respect you and will help you grow into the unique person

that you want to be!

In the boxes below,

write the names of

people you think

would help you in

case you need it.

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

e-mail:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

e-mail:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

e-mail:

37