My Name Is Zulema Ibeth Montes De Oca, I Am Nineteen Years

Growing up in a big family can be tough some days, although I would not have it any other way. My mom has four siblings and my dad has five, blessing me with over twenty first cousins and an extended family that is too large to count. I was also fortunate enough to have both sets of grandparents and several great grandparents as an active part of my life. I am the youngest of three kids, having an older brother and an older sister. Being the baby of the family growing up I did not get in much trouble for I had two older siblings to blame my mistakes on. Some people define family as, “any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins” (dictionary.com), while I define it as those

Language constantly evolves and changes as it is adopted by different cultures. Consequently, words have many definitions, connotations and origins. “Family” is a term that has changed over time; as a result the traditional definition of “family” is inadequate, and limited to describe the modern version of the term. Our society tends to attach itself to the “traditional conceptualization of family” better know as a “nuclear family” which includes a set of parents, and their biological offspring (Kompara). In America, known as a “melting pot” of all cultures and races, there are many implications for the word family thus there is no such thing as a traditional family. The traditional definition, which is limited parents and their children, can no longer be used to describe an American family because of our diverse and changing familial structures.

So I would like to present myself officially. My full name is Andrea Paniagua, I was born on May 4, 1996, which makes me 20 years old right now. I am from Hendersonville, North Carolina, but was born in Naples, Florida. I am Mexican American. Both of my parents are from Mexico, my mom was born in the state Guanajuato but raised in Mexico City and my dad was born and raised in Mexico City. I have a total of 6 sibling which all of them are half siblings. I grew up all my life with only two siblings, which I call them my full blood siblings. I have two loving parents, my dad and mom. I have a strong bond with both of them but I have a stronger bond with my mom, she is more like my to go person, my best friend. I have a boyfriend who I have been dating for three years. I have one dog and then my family has another. In other words I have two dogs but one is mine and the other is the family dog. My dog is a Shih-Tzu and the family dog is a German Shepard.

My family, which are my three boys are my world. Every decision, including going back to school and working nights so I could be there for them during the day was made with them in mind. Family means different things for different people. I personally do not think family can just be classified as mom, dad and kids. It is whomever has made the decision to go through life together as a team. The author of our text book, Kendall describes family like this, “As relationships in which people live together with commitment, form an economic unit and care for any young, and consider their identity to be significantly attached to the group.” (Kendall, 2014) I personally think family is the foundation that makes us who we are and makes society so

I am a citizen of the United States of America. I was born on November 25, 1974 in Quinnesec, a very small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with about 1,190 residents. I grew up in a family of five with my father Ernest Vivio Jr, my mother Hilda Vivio and two younger siblings my brother Eric Vivio and sister Laura Karle-Vivio. I graduated high school in 1993 and went on to attend college in the fall of 1995 at Central Michigan University. I graduated college during the winter of 2000 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Art History.

Growing up I believed that the three bears in the tale of Goldilocks were a family because they lived under the same roof and ate at the same table. I also believed that Barbie and her little sister, Skipper, were family because they looked alike, and that Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head were family because they were married. Now that I am grown, my understanding of family has matured, and many sources have helped shape my belief. Carol Shields points out in her article, “Family Is One of the Few Certainties We Will Take with Us Far into the Future,” that all around us there are different definitions and symbols of family (Shields 558). In short, a family does not have to conform to

My family is Mexican –American I am third generation born in the United States. My maternal grandparents were born in Texas in the early 1900s, and my mom was born in Arizona. By the late 1950s the Davila Mendoza family relocated to Fresno, California because they wanted to work in the agriculture business. I do not have much knowledge about my father I never met him. All I know is that he was from Guadalajara, Mexico. I am the eldest child followed by a younger sister. I was born in the early 1970s in Fresno, California. My grandmother spoiled me because I was her first grand-daughter my mom was her only daughter followed by five older brothers.

The Dictionary definition of family is “A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.” My definition of family is people with an unconditional love for each other. My family and I have always been very close. For example, we share all of our secrets with each other. Since I can remember, my family and I have always went on a family beach trip to Panama City Beach. We stay at the Shores of Panama, a very nice resort, and the people who own it expect us every year. We always take our beach trip in early September. The reason they decided on September is because it is the beginning of fall which means it will be warm instead of hot. I look forward to going to the beach with my family every year because it is relaxing, fun, and all about family time which I love.

Coming from a Hispanic family with very limited education, I've gone through many experiences that have made me realize that I don't want to go through the problems that my family has faced and that I want to be successful in life. Before my existence, my father immigrated from Mexico to the United States, and my mother moved from Puerto Rico to here as well. They both came to the United States in search of opportunities and a better life. For

To me, family means to always be there for another and always have each others back. Unlike friends, you can’t choose your family. You know that as much as they might get on your nerves sometimes, you must look past that, and find the good in what you are blessed with. While reading Van Allen’s essay I felt that I could relate to a lot of what he was saying and found it very easy to understand what he was trying to get across, which kept me wanting to read more. I strongly agree with

Although family can be defined by many definitions, I define family as, people, who may or may not be related to you, that support you, positively impact your life, and love you. Some of us may disagree on the definition of family, but I strongly believe that everyone agrees that family defines and shapes a person into who they are. The life experiences I have endured, the past with my father, the great relationship with my mother, and my passion for horses have all defined who I am as a person with core values, opinions, and hopes for the future.

My family has dramatically affected my cultural identity. My parents both grew up in Bethany, so they had adapted to growing up in a small town. I have 4 siblings, but 3 of them are at least 10 years older than me, so I am only used to having one other kid in the house. My family maintains our close relationship by eating dinner together every night. It is a wonderful way to connect and catch up with one another. During the holidays, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, we have even more

My native language is Spanish, as I was born and raised in Nicaragua, then I learned German, and my interest in other ways of communicating began.

“Christmas” and “family” have meant many things to me over the years, but the one thing they have always meant to me is mom and dad, Christie and Sarah, and me, all together. This definition is one of the many things that has been ripped away since my mom asked my dad to leave the house many months ago in May. It was not supposed to be this way. My parents were supposed to be able to fix their problems and become the model of a loving Christian marriage that I always longed for. But

Since my infancy I have been exposed to foreign languages. I attended a Spanish bilingual preschool, and there was a point in my life when I spoke better Spanish than English. For me, Spanish unlocked another world, as I was able to read the Spanish advertisements in the subway and eavesdrop on conversations in my neighborhood.