Growing Up In America Research Paper

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

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