Growing up on the border of Mexico and the United States is something many people
have no idea what it is like. You are exposed to two different cultures that sometimes have
opposite traditions and values from each other. Living in Juarez and El Paso, has greatly
influenced the way I am today and how I think about both countries, making me acquire the best
traits of both cultures.
My story begins growing up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where I started elementary
school. My parents made a choice that sending me to school in Mexico would not only help me
learn to speak and write the Spanish language, but to become more familiar with the culture. I
was lucky enough to attend a bilingual school that also taught me important things about the
American culture. Living in
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Although the physical change was nothing more than
going to a school across the border, it was starting a whole different life. Living in El Paso,
served as an advantage, making the transition not as tragic, most people speak spanish and are
familiar with the sister city. The differences between attending school in El Paso was mainly
focused on the culture change. They were two different countries, with two different morals and
ethics of how a person should grow up. Perfecting my English speaking skills was one of the
challenges I faced, others being assimilating myself to the different culture.
As a whole, how did taking this indifferent way of growing up benefit me? It made me a
bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural person. Understanding both cultures is something that not all
people can do. Growing up in El Paso has shaped me to become a person that is flexible within
both borders that will help me become the best person I can be. One of the best traits in the
Mexican culture is respect, something that is taught since a young age and is something