As a mode of being that refers to the language, dogmas, practices, norms, and tangible items passed down to us from one generation to the next, culture helps us define our identity and impact our behavior. People from various cultures, including various ethnic groups, may live in some nations, as is the case in the United States. Cultural variety, in my opinion, relates to how our system of beliefs and actions respects and acknowledges socio-cultural variations, which occasionally aids us in how we run society on a daily basis. However, in a diverse setting, certain encounters make one aware of the existence of racial, social class, and gender disparities in a society. I will be describing three childhood memories that informed me of these differences.
Memory That Informed Me of My Gender
When I was a young girl, between the age of six and seven, I would regularly visit my grandparents who lived in Florida at that time. I used to love their residence because of the different deeds that used to happen when I was accompanied by my cousin Josh. Most times, we would conduct activities together with my cousin, a circumstance which made me feel alive and forget where I came from. I never considered that my gender as a girl would limit me from certain activities that were done by young boys. For that reason, I was prepared to do anything as long as it made me happy.
During the first few visits, I did not consider become suspicious of the fact that my grandfather avoided taking me along to some selected leisure activities. However, a continued happening of these events made me curious as to why he would not invite me to go fishing and golfing as he did my cousin Josh. I could not understand why it was only Josh who would be invited. My grandfather was so loving that the continuous aspect of him not wanting me to accompany him to these occasions finally elevated curiosity in me. I therefore decided to confront my grandmother who gladly revealed to me that fishing and golfing were activities supposed to be done by men or boys only. According to my grandfather's culture, there were those pastimes that could only be undertaken by men; this greatly hurt me because I really liked fishing. In this case, my gender limited me to only some activities but also hindered me from the one I enjoyed doing most.
Memory that Informed Me about Social Class
Ever since I was young, I held the psychological understanding that I was in a poor family. I did not deem it a problem because I believed that I could do well and participate in similar activities with all my friends, some of who came from affluent backgrounds. In elementary school, my schoolmates used to make fun of me because I was never possessed quality clothing that other kids used to have. Despite the teasing, I never considered my condition a challenge. After all, my parents always told me that as long as I had my body covered, it was enough to make me attend school. My father would work two jobs, sending money to his mother and younger brother regularly. I understood why my father did all that.
When I got to middle school, the social class profiling continued. Contrary to previous instances, this time I got isolated because I was poor. I was bright and a good performer in class. As such my peers would only approach me when they wanted help apprehending math or science. I realized that they could only associate themselves with other rich kids; I was never to be allowed in their groups. Often, I heard them converse about how their houses were heated during winter seasons when in my case, we could only use the kitchen oven as a source of heat. Hot showers and baths were a luxury I only overheard, but to the rich kids, it was a basic need they enjoyed every single day. It was not until I grew up that my father made me understand that in a multicultural society, different social classes can only seclude themselves in distinct cocoons and that it was good if I stayed on my own.
Memory about my Race
At the age of 10, my family relocated to Louisiana. I have a very distinct memory of visiting my relatives in New Mexico for the summer. My cousins and I would from time to time go out swimming. At the time, my grandmother did not own a pool but we were usually happy with the sprinklers and the hose. For that reason, my older cousins would suggest some apartments down the streets that had pools. Manuel, my eldest cousin, told us that he had a friend from one of the apartments and that it would not be a problem if we satisfied this extracurricular desire at his place.
Uninformed that someone else had assumed ownership of the property, the apartment manager, on seeing us, came out yelling and pointing out that we were trespassing. Being kids, at this juncture, we were already half naked and in the pool. We tried to explain to her that we had an invitation from James (Manuel's friend) but she could not tolerate our unrealistic excuse. Barely being accorded the time to collect our apparel, we were rushed out, the manager agitated and threatening to call the police. "Mexicans are not welcomed here" were her harsh statements that sadly reverted back my previous memories. She even cleaned the 'dirty' area that our clothes had touched. I never thought racial profiling would exceed to such an extent. My grandmother, on realizing what had transpired, called the manager a rude 'gringa' and made us aware she was a racist. This incident greatly informed me about racial differences and injustices in our society.
