With no father in the picture, my mother made it her responsibility to raise three children on her own. She taught me from a young age how to become independent and responsible for my own good, I would wake up on my own, make breakfast and pack my own lunch and get ready for the day ahead while my mother would head off to work and try to make a living for us. Eventually it got too difficult for her and she thought it would be best if all three of us moved in with my grandparents to Brazil. She stayed behind to maintain a steady income to supply us with our own needs. We lived away from her for a couple years and it was difficult for all of us to be away from her at a young age but in the end it all workout well. She is a strong independent
As human beings, people have their own form of identity and often have the need of belonging to be part or member of a group. Culture is the shared characteristics of a group of people which include beliefs, language, values, traditions, rules and laws. Culture can be passed down from generation to generation for instance from parents to children, and since culture is the product of society thus it can grow and be learnt through social interaction. Moreover, the significance of culture is so profound because it plays a big role in helping individuals shape their own identity, the beliefs, values and morals shared from our culture that we have practiced for all our life, can determine who we are as a person and our choices in life.
My mother was a mom who did what she could do for her children she worked as a cleaning lady at many homes to keep us in school and also to keep food on the table. My father however; was a self contractor and also a good worker at what he did but he was an alcoholic . He didn't help my mother at all even if she could find him. Nine times out of ten it was to late for us to get anything from him , thank the lord that the people where my mom work helped her out in so many ways. It would be weeks and sometime months before we seen my father again . It was very hard for my mother but still she kept going to work , there were nine of us at home that needed to be cared for . The older ones as myself went to work to help our mom with our sisters and brothers. The smaller ones I kept them when I was not at work with my
I am a Brazilian-born Chinese, who is currently a seventh grader at the Bement School. Before coming to the United States four years ago, I grew up in Sao Paulo, giving me the opportunity to be a polyglot. I attended a Portuguese and German bilingual school, and went to a Chinese school in the weekends. In the Bement School, students take world language, and I chose Spanish classes. Oftentimes, when I hear either a word in Chinese, Portuguese, or German, memories of my childhood floods into my mind. Consequently, the memories of my past, brings me feelings of my home in Brazil.
Brazil is known for its diversity and this is because the population of Brazil is made up of many different nationalities. Brazil is called “The Melting Pot” of such an immense assortment of different races and cultures. (Nayagam, 2015) Like many other continents and countries, Brazil had natives on the land, these natives were called the native Indians. The continent has since been colonized by white European’s from countries including Spain, Holland and Portugal. The country that has had the biggest effect on Brazil in these early days was Portugal and this is why the most common language spoken in Brazil is Portuguese. In this colonization there were a great number of Black Africa slaves that were also brought onto the land. (aboutbrasil.com, 2017) Because this was some time ago, dating back to the 16th century, there has been enough time for interbreeding and these have become the
Music is a form of expression used in everyone's everyday life. It expresses and shows the type of person you are. Not only does music express emotion and ideas but it also expresses your culture and where you come from. Being Brazilian, there are many forms of music that we listen to that truly represent our culture in a unique way. Through the different examples of forro, samba, and dance, the representation of the Brazilian culture through music will be proven and analyzed.
The connection with the community I am being designated to work with could not be more ideal. I will be working, primarily, with low-income Brazilian communities in the Boston area. This specific group is literally what I was growing up in Massachusetts. My parents immigrated to the United States in 1989 with no connections and a few hundred dollars to their name. After the birth of my two sisters and I, my parents each worked two jobs and my grandmother came over from Brazil to take care of my sisters and me. For a long time, we were a very low-income family and I had three amazing parent figures that never made it feel that way. The Brazilian community, at the time, also was very supportive to my family and it was great to have such a strong support group. Eventually,
I grew up in Brazil with my family, which I had lived with for a long time up until now.I had lived with my family my whole life in Brazil; my family wasn't the wealthiest .I liked it here I had never traveled anywhere else.Our house was outside a busy street I wouldn't say it was the most nicest nor safest.I remember the nasty smell of cigarettes when I opened the door to go outside.I rememeber hearing the sound of the rapid cars at night while sleeping.I had lived with my uncle in which I am now still very close to.My aunt, grandma,mom and of course myself Giovanna, my grandma worked at the nearby shelter.Which wasn't so far it was behind our house.I love my grandma, she always got me toys that she had found for me at the shelter which of
When I growing up my mother never worked, instead she dedicated her entire life to making sure my sister and I had everything we could ever need. She was the aid in my classes, the chaperone on every field trip and the coach of all my sports teams. As I got older she began to give me more trust but still needed to know where I would be at
Initially, I was an Ecuadorian girl that had a Christian family, I grew up surrounded by my family and loved ones. My cognitive development was in progress, and I had created fundamental bonds in Ecuador. Provided that my dad is an American citizen and due to his work in America, he could not spend too much time with us in Ecuador, so, my mom, my little brother, and I immigrated to America. After three years of my life, our family reunited, and I became an Ecuadorian-American. Since I was very young, assimilating the changes came to be unnoticed, if it weren’t for the fact that during the next years I spoke Spanish at home and English at school. As a result, my translations of these languages affected my communication, creating slow comprehensive
Watching my mother live from pay check to pay check when I was young was difficult. It was always hard for my mom to keep up with other parents but, she still somehow managed to get me everything I wanted, and more. Even though I was too young to understand, I could feel the stress, and the struggles my mom faced every day. She was only 20 years old when I was born and, because of that she had no choice but to grow up fast. At such a young age, I saw the effects of being a single parent, and the ways it changed my mom. She not only had to be a young mother but, she had to find a way to replace the void of a father, or a father figure in my life. My mom was strong, independent and courageous. Growing up watching her live her dreams under all the circumstances she faced, made me want to strive for a better life for myself. Seeing how hard is was to live and to have enough
I was born in the tiny town of Montrose, Colorado, but I didn't spend much of my life roaming around its fertile mountains or grassy apple orchards. When I was three, my parents had an epiphany and decided to buy a white cab-over camper to take my brother and me to Mexico. They'd traveled south of the border when they were younger and wanted to share the experience with us.
I am a native of a tiny rural town in Brazil. I am also a former student from one of the biggest universities of my country, located in one of the biggest urban centers on Earth. I am atheist, even though I come from an extremely catholic family - the kind who believes praying is the answer for nearly every problem. I have ancestors from Nigeria, England, Cameroon, Portugal and Finland - and some native Brazilians in the mix. I am a bisexual woman who stayed in the closet for almost two decades, until I finally left my conservative town. My family is half composed elementary school teachers and strawberry farmers, half composed by lawyers and judges. I am diverse by nature, thus, fighting for inclusion and diversity in society has being a way of survival for me - sometimes, the only way.
Unfortunately, I am part of the statistics of fatherless children. My father left when I was 7, and the situation forced my mother to work 1-2 jobs and eventually left the country to work abroad to earn more money to support me. Growing up as a child, especially as a child of a single mother, I was a “latchkey kid.” I have spent a lot of after-school time unsupervised while my mom was working. At the age of 8, I have learned to cook, clean, do the laundry, and take care of myself. I had to stand up for myself against the school bullies and discriminating Filipino society, and unlike some of my fellow biracial friends, whose fathers stood up for them, I was left and abandoned by my dad, so I had to defend myself alone. I never wanted to tell my mom, and I imagine it stems from the guilt that I would feel if she comes home from working her second job and I would only create more burden for her while she was doing her best to provide for me. Having a single mom was meant giving up on my childhood a little quicker. However, I see that as a positive thing because I have learned to be independent and was able to succeed in some areas of my life. My mom playing both parenting roles has also meant being stronger, and I feel that has had an influence on how I am today. Thank God I was raised differently. My mom and my grandparents raised me to be the woman I am today. They have bent over backward for many years just to put a smile on my face while all my father has managed to do was
My father was in and out of my life growing up. As a child, I believed I had done something wrong. I thought if I cried, held, or told him I loved him enough times, that he would not leave. I tried everything, but he still left me. I was angry at my father for leaving, for not being there for me. As a result, I did not appreciate what my mother did for me. She took on both the roles of a mother and a father, while also having a full time job. She always made sure to pack my lunch for school or be the loudest person at my soccer games, but most of all, she made sure I knew that I was loved.
My parents got divorced when I was 5 years old and my father ended up raising me for the majority of my child to adult life. Though my mother was around, she was also very busy with her new husband and family, leaving time for me hard to obtain. Regardless, my father spent every free moment he had nurturing my passions, instilling values and teaching me life lessons that I still follow today.