Medina 1

AlejandraMedina
ProfessorDitch
English113B
11February2015
MyCultureInfluencingmyPerspectiveintoFutureSuccess
Individualsbegintoanalyzewhatbehaviorsareappropriatebasedonthecertaintimeof
dayandlocation.Itbecomessurprisinglytoseethatmybehaviorchangesbecausepeople
stereotypethecultureIamapartof.Althoughitisnotnormalformyselftohavetodisownmy
cultureinfearofwhatsocietymightthinkofme.InadditionmyMexicanculturalideologiesof
howawomanshouldportrayherselfalsorestrictsmyactions,attheendoftheday,Iwalkinto
thedoorsofaHispanichousehold.Howeverwhenthesunbeginstorise,thereisa
transformationinmyportrayalbecauseIamafraidofpeoplelookingthroughmeinsteadofwhat
Iamcapableofdoing.MyMexicanculturehaschallengedmetoovercomebarrierssuchas
genderroles,traditionalnorms,andstereotypesthathavetaughtmetoriseaboveintoapathof
academicsuccess.
I come from a community condensed with hypocrisy, but worst of all,
segregation. I say hypocrisy because although we considered are selves to
be all equal, men continued to view them selves superior to women. In my
culture the mans role is to be the head of household. It seems like a perfect
life style for women to sit at home, give birth to children while a man
provides the income, but along with pros, comes cons. The male can often
be the oppressor because the woman is its dependent. A womans values

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begin to decrease because their opinions are not considered. Men begin to
believe that women are simply objects that provide personal needs and
pleasure. In the article, My Hips my Caderas, Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez states
So when I want to be loved for my body, I am Latina. But most Latino men
will not love my mind as they love my body, because I am American
professional. (75) Similar to my culture Valdez-Rodriguez argues that a
womans intelligence is not valued, the only thing that seems to be
important is the body image she displays. An opinion this ignorant has
become a challenge in my actions because as hard as I work to show how
committed I am to growing smarter, it will never be seen. In my culture the
best impression is literally the first impression, the way the body moves
and looks.
Myroadtosuccessiscompletelydifferentthanthenormsofmyculture.Myfatherwill
becontentifIcameacrossamanwhowouldtakemebymyhandasIadopthislastname.Many
ofthefemalesthatattendedmyhighschoolhavealreadytakenthatpath.Isaidtomyselfthat
willnotbeme.Iwillnotstayhome,doallthechores,andlistentorequestwhenIhavemyvery
ownvoice.Iamthefirstinmyfamilytoattendauniversity,itseemscompletelyfoolishtothem.
Myfatherbelievesamanthatcanfulfillmyneedsinsteadofhimhavingtopayforyearsof
education.AccordingtomyfamilyIshouldbespendingtimeathomeinsteadofwastingmy
timeatschool.InthearticleDistinguishingSelfandOther,AnastaciaKurulostatesInorderto
understandyourselfidentity,youmustfirstunderstandhowyouarriveyoursenseofrealityand
learnaboutwhoyouarethroughcommutativeprocess.(122)Mycultureseemedtoforcethe

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ideaofwomennotneedingtoattendcollege,howevereducationintroducedmetomanymore
aspectsoflife.Ifoundmyselfandnoticedthatwomentoocanhaveagreatpurposeinlife.Itis
importantforpeopletobeopenmindedandnotberestrictedtocertainideas,peopleneedto
begintoseeandunderstandthemselvesandtheirworldinradicallydifferentways(Del
Gandio3).DelGaniostatesthatitisimportantforindividualstoobservetheworldwitha
differentperspective,becauseanideaoutoftheordinarycanleadtowardgreatpurposes.Iwill
becominghighlyeducatedanddemonstratingthatwomencanescapetheircomfortzones,and
traditionalnormsandbethepersontheywanttobe.
OftenmyMexicancultureseemstobeabarrierintoformingthefutureseemyselfliving
inandinaddition,myculturefeedsanegativeimagetopeoplethatIhaveneverunderstood.
BeingHispaniccomeswithmultiplelabels.Thesestereotypesvaryfromlazytowetback.
BeinginacommunitywheremostofthepeopleareHispanicmakesyoufeelverycomfortable.
AlthoughwhenIstepintotherealworld,itbecomesdifficulttointeractwithpeoplethatdonot
looksimilartomyself.Icanwalkdowntoanyrestaurantinmycommunitywearingpajamasand
flipflops.Inmycommunity,IdonotfacetheriskofbeingjudgedopposeifIweretodoina
communitywithamassdiversity,thosestereotypeshaveagreaterchanceofbeingimplied.
PresentingmelikeIlackinterestcanleadotherstoquestionmyraceandcultureandwonderif
Hispanicsarereallylazyanduseless.Ifanotherpersonwithafairskintonewenttothestore
wearingthesameclothingpieces,conclusioncanbedrawnthatthepersonwashavingabadday.
Opposetootherswhoseemelookingnonpresentable,theindividualcanassumethat,thatis
theywayIcarrymyselfinadailybassesbecauseofthestereotypesthatsocietyhasusedto
attackmyculture.Kurlostateswhensomeoneistreatedasother,theindividualisbeingacted

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uponandcontrolslittletonothinginthecommunicationencountered.(120)Kurlousesother
toemphasizeacertainpersonencounteringasite,wherehecannotassociatesoeffortlesslywith
thepopulation.IforexamplehaveencounteredasituationwereIwalkinwithmyheadheld
high,howeverwhenIamtreatedasotherIlackselfconfidencebecauseitfeelasifpeople
withapredominantracearetreatingmelessthanwhatIreallyam.Ittookmelongtimeto
understandthatinordertohaveahealthyselfesteemapersonmustalsohaveahighsenseof
selfworth(Kurulo121).Peoplewhomlookeddownonmegavememoremotivationtoprove
themwrongandshowhowadominantraceinwhichpeopleviewasunproductivecan
reconstructthatbeliefandformthecontrary.
Evenafterdriftingawayfromthenegativestereotypesappliedtomyculture,andmy
parentsideologiesofwomannothavingastrongvoice,mycommunityandhighschoolplayeda
bigroleinlimitingmyeducation.InhighschoolIworkedforabusinesscalledPartyButlers.
MycoworkersandIwhereinchargeofmakingsureaneventransmoothlyaswecatered,
cleanedandgreetedpeople.EverytimeIwassenttoowealthyneighborhoodssuchasPalos
Verdes,ManhattanBeach,orBellaire,Ibecamefascinatedwiththearchitectureofthehouses.
AfteralongdayofmakingrichpeoplecontentIwouldgobackhomeanditseemedasifIdrove
intoatotaldifferentworld.IntheArticlecominghometoVanNuys,SandraTsingLohstates
YousteppedoverasmashedMichelobbottleandsuddenlyyourememberyourlife;yourepoor,
youranonymous,andyoudriveashittycar(121).Tsinglohstateshowtherearesymbolsthat
remindyouofyourhome.WhenIgohometomycommunitytherearesymbolssuchasthe
sleazyhotelacoupleblocksdownfrommyhouse.InoticedIneedtoaimhigherandhave
symbolsthatreflectmyhardworkinthefuture.TsingLohiscorrect,Iamanonymousnotjust

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me,butmanypeopleintheMexicanCommunity.Iwasintheriskofbecominganonymous
becausegrowingupIdidnotreceiveenoughresourcestomakemylifesimple.Myhighschool
lackedresources,manyofthetimethecomputersdidnotwork,andsometeachersdidnoteven
teach.Theideaofajoyousmeltingpotwasnotseeninmycommunity.(TsingLoh122).The
problemwasthatmostpeoplestandardswerethesame,mostpeoplespokeimproperlythesame.
InthearticleCulturalInfluencesonpersonality,HarryC.TriandisandEunkookM.Suhstate
personalityisshapedbybothgeneticandenvironmentalinfluences(135).TrandisandSuh
argumentisveryprecise,mygeneticsconnectedtomycultureandtheenvironmentIlivedin
wasamassmajorityofMexicanculturetoo.Thesetwoideasshapedmypersonality.BecauseI
didnotinteractwithdifferentculturesandidentities,Ilackedcommunicationskills.Iwas
intimidatedandoftendidnotaskquestionsbecauseIwasafraidofpronouncingwords
incorrectly.InoticethatIcannotfallintotheanonymousgroup.BeingbornintoaMexican
cultureandlivinginpredominantHispaniccommunityonlyindicatesthatIhavetoworktwice
ashardincollege.InthehandbookRhetoricForRadicals,JasonDelGandiostatesRevolution
occurswhenpeopleundergoarhetoricshiftthatbreakswiththepastandcreatesanewframe
workfordifferentactions,ideasandsocialrelations(3).DelGandioreferstohowanunusual
experiencecanchangeperspectives.AttendingCaliforniaStateUniversityNorthridgewasa
drasticchangeinmylife.Ineedtowalkoutofmyconfrontzonesandhavethecourageand
motivationothershavebecausethereculturesemphasizeacollegedegree.Iwillnotbe
anonymous.MynamewithMexicanrootswillbeheardbecauseIwillbesuccessful.
IalwayshadsecondthoughtsaboutmyMexicanculture.Ididnotlikethelifestylethat
isaccustomedasthetraditionalnorm.IlookatmymotherslifestyleandIdonotseemyself

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followinghersteps.Idonotunderstandhowsheisabletolivelifefollowingthesameschedule
everyday.Itisimportanttomyselftohavemultipleviewsoftheworldandhavemyown
opinion,insteadofhavingthemanImarrychosemylife.Evenafterovercomingthatnorm,I
stillhavetoworkhardintheacademicfield.MyhighschoolteacherssaidIwaspreparedfor
college.Preparedwasthewrongterm.IamworkingtwiceashardassomeindividualsbecauseI
wasnotprepared.Mygoalsaresethigh,andIwillachievethem.Myculture,andstereotypes
willnotgivemeanexcusetoslackoff.Iwillsucceed.

WorksCited
DelGanio.Jason.RhetoricforRadicals.Canada:NewSocietyPublishers,2008.Print.
Edwards,Bill,MichaelKurylo.SelfIdentityandCulture.2010.Print.
ValdezRodriquez,Alisa.MSNUnderwireMyHips,MyCaderas.2000.Print.
Triandis,HarryC.,andEunkokM.Suh.CulturalInfluencesOnPersonality.Annual
ReviewofPsychology53.1(2002):133.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.17Feb.
2015.
TsingLoh.Sandra.DepthTakesaHoliday:EssaysfromlesserLosAngeles.Coming
HometoVanNuys.1996.Print.