Only Daughter

Sandra Cisneros is the author of The House on Mango Street and many other books. Cisneros writes an article called "Only Daughter" one of her many experience of being a bi-cultural, bilingual, and a female. In this article she talks about how she comes from a big family of six other siblings but all boys and her being the only girl. As Cisneros was growing up she spent a lot of time alone but now looks back and thought it was good for a would be writer. Her father misunderstood that her idea of going to college was not for an education but to find a husband. Cisneros wanted her father to understand how she really felt what her goal really was; it was not to find a husband but to educate and better herself. All the hard work she did by written books was to win the approval of her father; even though she knew he couldn't read English. After ten years of written the financial rewards started to trickle in. One of her stories was translated into Spanish and published which was a good opportunity for her father to final read what she was written about.  After her father had read the story and said “Where can we get more copies of this for the relatives" that was the happiest part of her life. Her father had finally won his approval!

            I agree with Cisneros about how hard it was growing up with all brothers not from personal experiences; but a few female friends in a similar situation of being the only girl. Some of my friends did spend some time alone others kept right up to speed with their brothers by doing the same things they had done growing up. Some examples were playing sports, fishing, and dirt bike riding; doing things that are more common for boys to do experiences while growing up. Some were girlie girls as to playing with Barbie dolls having tea parties experiencing things that girls commonly go through while growing up. In the Latin culture if there is a girl in the family the fathers tend to have more concerns for her. The father wants the best for her either married to an outstanding guy that will love and support her in every way she deserves. In the times when I was growing up the fathers had the mindset of a women is supposed to stay home and take care of the family while the man of the house works and supports them. Times have changed now there are some women that are supporting their family work wise and the man is taken care of house hold chores and kids.

            The other experience I could relate to is about how her father couldn't read English. My father didn't graduate from high school and while growing up his English was not good. I would refer to it as "Broken English" or "Spanglish" which is a mixture of Spanish and English said together in one sentence.  His reading level for English was not good; he did know the real basics but that was all. Growing up my father worked very hard to make sure we had a roof over are head, food on the table and clothes on are back. My father worked so hard that I hardly seen him and didn't have the chance to learn my native language of Spanish. While growing up he worked a lot and had no time to really show his concern or interest of how I was growing up. I join the wrestling team and in the six years I wrestled he never watched one of my matches; until my senior year he took time from work and watched my match. That was one of the many days in my where I was proud to be able to show my father what I was capable of achieving.

 In conclusion sometimes it is hard to get the attention of someone that means a lot to you; but when there is a way to influences ones view and make an impact that could change the assumption of the way things should be and realize how they really are could change the views of that person for the rest of their life.