Growing Up In An American Society

Growing up in American society is hard, but try growing up being a Mexican American woman. I was born and raised in Union City California, with both of my parents being Latin. My
father Baltazar grew up in Mexico and my mother was born and raised in Cuba. My father grew up with 7 siblings( 5 brothers and 2 sisters). They lived in a two bedroom house with their mother and father, and though they grew up poor, my dad was a happy kid and that made him who he is today.

Growing up poor and being the youngest of 7 siblings, my father didn't have it as easy as other
kids. There was always food on the table, but not always enough. While things didn't
seem to be getting better in Mexico, neither were the job opportunities. My father's dad Jose,
acquired a visa to seek work in California. Jose found work on a nursing farm and would stay
in California for 6-8 months at a time, then would return to his family for 4-6 months out of the
year. This had a huge impact on my father's childhood. Wanting and missing his father
Jose, he felt alone. He once told me, " a child always wants his parents around." This has
constructed my fathers identity and that has made him my hero.

In the book Farmworker's Daughter, Rose Castillo Guilbault had a similar experience growing
up with her father. Rose, a young girl grew up in Sonora, Mexico with her mother Maria Luisa
and her father Tito. Maria Luisa was a stay at home mom and her father was a businessman who
traveled from place to place selling trinkets. Tito was rarely home and when he was, his
attitude towards Rose was not always pleasant. He could barley stand in the same room as Rose.
One night when Tito had arrived from a trip, Rose saw this, "beautiful Mexican doll
wearing the traditional china Poblana costume...Shiny black braids intertwined with green ribbons, and a black dress that glittered with gold and silver sequins outlying an eagle and snake, like the one on the Mexican flag," in his suitcase. Rose had to have this doll. She tried to work up
the nerve to ask her father for the doll, but words could not pass her lips, it was like a
ball got stuck in her throat. So Rose went to ask her mother if she could have that beautiful
Mexican doll. Maria Luisa goes up to her husband reminding him that his daughter does not
have a doll and he could easily replace the Mexican doll on his next trip. Tito replied, " You'll spoil her by giving in to anything she wants." When he had packed his suitcase and was ready
to take off for his next trip, Tito handed Rose her first doll. It was dressed in a tiny diaper and
bonnet. The doll was ugly.

The lack of not having a father figure around had a impact not only for Rose, but also from my
father Baltazar. My father has never left my side. Growing up, I was always provided with
food and shelter, just as his father did. One thing that is different, my father was always there for
my ballet residuals and soccer games. My father's biggest passion is soccer, and to this
day he still goes and plays with his friends every Saturday morning. I have always looked up to my father and wanted to be just like him, so I started to pursue playing soccer. I must say
it was not easy convincing my father--due to the fact that I have a heart condition and asthma--But I seeked medical advice and the doctor said it was ok for me to play, as long as I
felt ok. Once the doctor gave me her word, I was out in the field trying to prove to my father I could play soccer. He signed me up to play for the city teams and he showed up to almost
all my games. Unfortunately, the same companionship didn't happen for my father. Having my
grandfather Jose gone for months out of the year, my dad didn't have the support he
needed and wanted from his father.

Unlike many schools in the United States--where everyone wore what they please and
schools were held for most of the day--Mexico was a bit different. In Mexico, schools were held in two terms, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each
student had to wear a school uniform so it would not discriminate against the less fortunate
children, like my father. He always told me though, that his school years were the best years of his life. Baltazar was involved in all kinds of sports, but mainly played volleyball at school.
School was also and still is a huge part of my life. Learning, making new friends, and socializing
has built my character to the person I am today. Socializing with all types of people makes
me realize how vast and different each culture is and that helps me to thrive to do better in life.

For Rose, growing up in Mexico and then coming to Salinas, California has exposed her to
different cultures. In the beginning of her school years, it was a bit difficult for Rose to make
friends. She lived on a remote farm where her step father was a farmer and her mother Maria was a stay at home mom. Learning English was just the starting point of Rose's new life in
America. As the years passed, it did not get any easier for Rose to make friends. The majority of
the students were Caucasian and looked at Rose as just a farm worker's daughter. One
teacher in particular saw something in Rose, something special unlike the rest of the students,
she had ambitions. Rose had a talent for writing, yet her mother said, "Ay, mija. Writing
stories is not a job or career. You can't earn a salary to support yourself," but Mrs. Phillips saw
differently. In eight grade, Mrs. Phillips had declared Rose as one of the best writers in her
class and set up an appointment to speak to Mrs. Edith Winslow who was a Journalist for the local newspaper. Edith had seen something great in Rose and high hopes for her to pursue her
dreams of becoming a writer. Even though some saw great potential, it was Edith's husband Bob who thought other wise. During dinner one night, Bod had a few drinks and blurted out in
front of Rose, " I don't know, Edith . I just don't think you should be encouraging her to be a
journalist so much, she has no contacts or family connections, and then being Mexican. You
know what it takes." Rose promised to prove Bob wrong an to prove Edith right.

Now that Rose knows what she wants to become in life, its time for her to pursue it and follow
her dreams. Sometimes being involved in the school newspaper and getting good grades
isn't always enough to go to college. Rose got a few scholarships for college, but it still wasn't
enough. Maria Luisa told Rose just to attend the local college like everyone else, but she
had bigger aspirations. During the summer Rose would help her mother at the tomato shop and
work to save up money to go to a better college. These dreams and goals that Rose has set
for herself will get her to be all she can be and fulfill her dreams as becoming a journalist. One
summer on the last day of work, a women came up to her and says," Don't come back. Make
us proud , hija."

My whole life I have always wanted to become a Veterinarian and both of my parents have
always supported me. Seeing the sacrifices my father had to make, due to not pursuing his
dreams of becoming and architect because he had a family to support, makes me want to be all I
can be. My father has always stuck by my side and has always told me, " do what makes
you happy," and I am doing just that. Even though school is a huge sacrifice, it will get me to
where I want to be and make my parents proud knowing I do what I love.

Throughout my lifetime, so many people have entered my life and left, but that has built my
character. Socializing with others, especially in school will not only make myself a well
rounded person, but will help me get to where I want to be in life. The same went for Rose, all her life she was known as just the farm worker's daughter, but she put aside what everyone
said and went for her dreams. The same will go for myself. People will support you or try to
squash your dreams, but it is your job to keep your dreams true to yourself.