Society seems to be set by invisible rules that are considered acceptable. “Acceptable” actually translates to required, as there is so much pressure on every individual in one way or another. In Jason’s Reynolds’ book, Long Way Down, the main character, Will Holloman, experiences this same type of pressure with his community's own set of rules. He was taught from a young age to subside to “The Rules” which are no crying, no snitching, and get revenge, which causes Will to go through a cycle of overwhelming stress from the pressure. Similarly, as a teenage girl in our society today, I too feel that I must abide by an unnecessary set of rules and requirements in order to be deemed acceptable and wanted.
Society tends to ignore the struggle of masculine norms men face everyday. In the film, “The Mask You Live In”, various ages of men discuss what it is like to live in a society filled with sexism and masculine norms. In the film, it is shown the impact of these norms society puts forth for men is catastrophic and negatively impacts their mental health. A few masculine norms that are found within the film are, self-reliance, violence, power over women, winning and risk-taking. Self-reliance is a big topic to cover in regards to masculine norms.
Why be different to just fit in? Why be different to just please others, because at the end of the day you are the person you are. People are faced with this challenge every day all over the world and you might not even realize it. Everybody has done it at least once in their life, but why fit in when you can just live your life and be yourself. People may say it is peer pressure but at the end of the day, an individual may choose whether to/or not to belong.
Throughout my life, I have perception of the world has changed with the aquiration of new knowledge. Throughout my life I have began to gain consciousness of issues that people of color, people like me, Latina, immigrant-descent, low-income face in everyday life. I always knew since a young age that I wanted to help people, my people. I knew I had to become someone to have the ability to be herd and listened too regardless of the color of my skin, someone worth remembering, someone who created change, someone who my parents could be proud of, but most importantly someone who I can be proud of. When I came to UCLA, a young naïve Latina, who left her bubble community back in Huntington Park, CA, I became aware of how other students were way
One of my biggest supporters are my parents. Their support and conviction about the worth of acquiring an education has shaped my beliefs, values and ambition to continue higher education and use my career in a progressive way to give back to my community. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same support system like I did. Many of my peers struggled whether to continue their education or financially support their family. This is a very dangerous reality within the Latino community that needs to be addressed and resolved immediately.
Being Hispanic to me is the strength the culture has given me to not give up. Hispanics in the United States face many struggles, not only when many decide to move to this country, but also the issues faced in the countries we come from. Being Hispanic has giving me values and responsibilities to represent who I am as individual; for my culture, my country, and my family. Since the beginning my family has been able to turn a bad situation around.
Everyone has a natural desire to fit in. Everyone has a natural desire to be accepted by others. These desires are strong enough to cause individuals to give up there uniqueness. We are all told at a young age that everyone is different and that is wonderful. However, societal norms contradict this idea.
Being a child of immigrant parents makes you appreciate life so much because everyday it’s an opportunity to be the best you can be to make everyone around you proud. My parents can’t got back to school and get an education so being able to see me succeed is worth their hard work. My parents have taught me to never give up. I know that some doors may be closed on me but that doesn’t mean other doors won’t open. I want to be someone who represents the Hispanic community.
To me, being Hispanic is something which I’m immensely proud of. My heritage and the history of great Hispanics before me inspire me to do better and try to make a difference in the world. As a Hispanic, I know that we are some of the hardest working people in the world, we persevere even in the face of situations in which the odds are stacked against us. It’s this knowledge that drives me every day to make not only my parents proud, but to show the world that Hispanic people like me can make a difference for the better. When I was young my family could only afford to live in a small apartment infested with bugs which was our home for many years.
In society, there are many standards that people must uphold to. In western society, it is uncommon for men to have long hair or for women to have short hair. Naturally, people will be conscientious of their differences between other people and try to change them or cover them up, and often times people who do not follow the standard are looked down upon. This leads to people trying to fit into the groups around them almost thoughtlessly. However, when people conform without thinking, it can lead to dangerous consequences.
They always look up towards me and will always see me working. My parents always tell me stories how they were raised and how they had little money but they continued to work hard and are blessed with all these things. Being hispanic automatically make anything think that you are a hard worker. They may not know where you came from but know you are willing to do anything at any cost. I plan to teach my future children what it really means to be from a hispanic culture and how they should go out and proudly tell the world who they really are.
It is because of them that I aspire to be a college graduate, ready to head out into the world and help others while making my parents
In Ishmael Beah's memoir "A Long Way Gone," he speaks about the concept of "unusual normality. " Beah's words blend together to create a powerful message about the way people can become accustomed to violence and horror, and how that can shape their understanding of the world around them. According to Beah, "Unusual normality is what happens when the life you live every day becomes so violent and traumatic that it seems like the only way to live is to adapt to it."
Being Hispanic, family is very valuable to me. If there's any single thing that I can help my family with, I will gladly do so. I can remember clearly at the age of ten going with my mother to “help” her clean houses which was her job. Since her English wasn't the best, I would serve has her translator. Now I have helped her establish her own small house cleaning business.
