Growing Up Mexican in America

Growing Up Mexican In America

In the Farmworker’s Daughter written by Rose Castillo Gilbault, described her growing life as a Mexican in the Unites States with charm, courage and passion. Rose life is like a mirror to my own life, with unique experiences and maturing in an early age; the major influences in Rose’s life that also influenced in my life are: English language, traditions and my mother.

In Rose’s childhood one of the most challenging and torturing agent of socialization was the language. Since her, whom primary language is Spanish and lack of comunication with people made her feel desperate to learn English. At six years of age, “I lived i a world of confusion-the language(…) spun around me like a vortex.Within one year I had moved away from family and the stability of a routine to a foreign country with a foreign language”(47). With such a dramatic change in life to a little girl impacted her very strong, but eventually in a  very slow pace and unexpectedly  the English language revealed to herself.

Such like Rose, my first language is Spanish and I have the same stuggle. I am a talkative person. When I came to this country at the age of thirteen, I could not understand anything and no one; which it was the most silent moments of my life. I felt fotunate that I knew how to socialize, but the language was a barrier, a limit, a stop sign that it was hard to pass. It was hard to learn and to ask for help, if a made body signs the people would stare and laugh, but it did not stop me from learning; I forced myself to opened my mind to an strange world.

The traditions are very important part of a self identity. Rose loved going to Mexico every every year to celebrate Christmas. Her reality of her family and Mexico were synonimous with Christmas. “[I] felt detached from American celebrations but, like polite guest, we’d sample the traditions”(115). Although, Rose felt awkard immitating American holiday traditions by humming the carols, being delight by by the glowing decorations at the neighborhood and baking cookies. Rose and her family were hunger for celebration until they got to Mexico, whom traditions were the posadas and the Three Wise Men.

I idenify with my traditions as much Rose did. I like to celebrate Christmas with my family, where I did not feel like a guest admiring carols and lights. Every year I go to Mexico to celebrate the holidays, to have some posadas and to wait for the Three Wise Man to come. When I celebrated christmas in my Grandmother’s house; we made a pinata full of fruits and candy, which is always the main attraction for the children in the neighboor. After braking the pinata, we write letters with all our wishes to the Three Wise Men, who bring our wishes back on January 6. Only one year I celebrated the holidays in America and I honestly did not feel like home.

A mother is the most important person in a child’s life. Rose loved her mother, who always encourage her to do better in life. When Rose was feeling tired at work from picking garlic, her mom encourage her to do better by some powerful words that only a mom can say, “You’re a very responsible worker.You are a great help to me”(108). Rose felt better and worked much faster and harder, because she knew that her mom needed help. Rose admired her mom and she became what she is now, thanks to her mother encouragment.

Just like Rose’s mother, my mom encourage me to do better in life. My mom has been always there for me as I always been there for her. Since I was little she always asked me to help her with her job, whose duties were money administration and organizing files. With my mom’s lean teachings and lessons she taught me over the years, I was able to be responsible and organizad. I soon realized that I was able to move out of the house and start to be independent. However, my mom did not like the idea, but she encouraged me more to follow my dreams. So far I have been living by myself one year, going to collage and working. Even in my hard times, my mom has been there to cheer me up and do better.