Personal Narrative: Anthony Smigelski Jr.

In 2009, the U.S. Census gathered that there were over thirty-three million second-generation immigrants living in America. America is a melting pot, and in this melting pot, it isn’t uncommon for these children, myself included, to lose sight of what our lives could be–and the struggles that our parents faced to ensure that we have more opportunities than they had. As I write this essay, I’m stressing over the things any other American high school sophomore faces– grades, social drama and statuses, and my follower count on Twitter and Instagram. These “problems,” if even that, are minute to what others our age face around the world. Young adults in Sudan are starving, and young adults in Syria live in the middle of a war zone. As far away They raised two kids: my 19-year-old brother, who is currently a freshman at the University of Georgia, and myself. Thanks to their hard work, I’m able to worry about the things I do. Never have I worried about not having food on my plate, about being denied my education, or being forced to leave everything I know and abandon my dreams. It’s easy to forget what my parents have done for me, for the opportunities and doors they have opened for me. There’s no way to understand your life–the privileges you hold–without understanding the past. You must be thankful for all the things your loved ones have done for you, and I’m sure that I am. I can’t imagine my life if I were in my parents’ shoes, if I faced the struggles and hardships they did, and I know I wouldn’t have the courage to be as decisive as they were and are. Their perseverance and determination make me content with my life now, knowing that it could be much worse. Their experiences motivate me to capitalize on what they gave me–to become something. I want to be sure that my parents know I’m thankful and know that I will work hard to become what they didn’t have the opportunity to. 11th Grade Columbus High School Anjali Patel 5th

Throughout the movie, Parenthood, the three main parenting styles were displayed throughout as, the dictator, permissive, and democratic. The dictator form of parenting, also known as the authoritarian parent sets strict rules and guidelines and will not changing them or give any leeway. Children that have authoritarian parents usually have low self-esteem and trouble to do things on their own when they get older. Then there is the permissive parent, who rather than setting rules and guidelines, opts out of this, their discipline is not seen and if they do set rules, they don 't punish when the rules are broken. There is also a balance of good parenting seen in the democratic form. Parents like this set rules and guidelines but are not too strict

The permissive parenting style best exemplifies Rex and Rosemary Walls’ parenting because they rarely discipline their children, they act more like their kids friends than their parents, and they do not believe in their children’s success. Rex and Rosemary didn’t concern themselves when punishing their children for doing bad things. “It was self -defense, I piped. Dad had always said that self- defense was a justifiable reason for shooting someone” (89). Most parents would have punished their children for shooting someone, so parents who wouldn’t are considered permissive parents. The walls parents consider themselves to be their kids’ friend rather than a concerned parent. “’ Good for you, Mom said when she saw me cooking. You’ve got to get right back on the saddle”’ (15)… Friends tend to encourage you to do stupid things but in this situation Jeannette’s mother is the one encouraging her to do something not so bright. Rex and Rosemary do not expect their kids to become any greater than they are. “That’s my girl! Dad said with a hug, then barked orders at us all to speed things up” (17). They show their kids what they believe to be a good life, and they don’t let their children think anything negative about it because that if their

Coming from a low income family, living in a small town in India, I learned early on about struggling and surviving those struggles. I watched my parents working day and night to provide for electricity, pay for our monthly school fees so my sister and I can have a better education, and for the future they wished upon for their children. To further enhance this vision, my father decided for the family and I to immigrate to the US. Everything was different in the sense that I changed schools, learned a new language, had to make new friends, and learned the different culture. I had to adapt to a whole new world, which was a little difficult at 6 years old However, when I look back now, I just couldn’t believe how far my family and I had come which I have my father to thank for. If it wasn’t for my father, I’ll still be going to school in India without ever knowing that this other half of the world even existed, because of the rough circumstances we were facing in India. The future wouldn’t have been as bright as it now and I feel truly blessed to have come to a new world which contained many great opportunities.

As a child of immigrant parents, my formative years in elementary and middle school were shaped by two important factors: the environment in which I lived and my background. My parents worked hard to settle into a new life in a foreign country to provide better opportunities for our family. This meant that we had to be flexible about where we lived due to relocating for jobs, and fluid about our ideas of culture. I recall the daunting nature of moving to a new city, twice, as a child. The prospect of leaving everything that was familiar to me and forming new friendships in an unfamiliar environment was a challenge. Through each of these moves however, I met people from differing backgrounds and learned to cross cultural barriers. I became accustomed to

As a child I was very fortunate to have a family like my own; my parents were truly happy and wholly in love. I was incredibly close with my siblings and still am today despite our little fights. Along with being close to my siblings my father and I had a great relationship; most people who knew me would have considered me a “daddy’s girl”. Growing up my father was remarkably proud of my grades and who I was becoming as a person. Oftentimes he would brag about me to anyone who listened. Like most children I dreamed how happy he would be to see me go to college, start a career and have a family of my own. All of that changed on September 9th, 2011 when I found out my dad had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Reflecting on my development as a first-generation immigrant, I can attribute a large portion of my characteristics and aspirations to my experiences growing up and to the role model whom I have admired, my mother. More specifically, being exposed to the tireless work ethic of a single parent who had to overcome the dual pressures of assimilation and poverty has imparted in me a respect for the ideals of continual self-improvement and advancement. My mother’s sacrifices have always been to better our family’s situation and to provide me with the best education opportunities. Recognizing my mother’s hard worked and what she has given up for me, I put my best foot forward in every situation to honor her. Looking back at the hardships such as racial discrimination and language barriers my mother had to transcend, as

As I sit in the basement of the Lilly Library, surrounded by friends who have become family in a few short months, covered in calculus and EQ notes, and listening to some Duke Ellington jazz music for my Music 101 class, I can’t help but reflect on what this year has meant to me and my development as a student, athlete, brother, friend, and person. I entered Wabash College not exactly sure what to expect; I knew it was going to be different, but I also knew that with change I wanted to keep an open mind that was ready to learn and grow. Freshman tutorial and especially enduring questions are two classes that have pushed my boundaries as a person, forcing me to question core beliefs and ideas that seemed previously engrained in my mind. Throughout

As a Biracial woman who is also Bisexual, intersectionality and diversity are extremely important to me. As I matured, my ethnicity became increasingly important to me. Being biracial can be extremely isolating, and there can be a frequent feeling of not fitting in. I often feel stuck between two worlds, Black and White, Gay and Straight. As I grew up, I felt out of place around family, and unsure about my place in the world. I began taking steps to establish my own identity, interacting with a variety of different people, Christian teachers, Jewish friends, my Black mother, White father, and classmates that span multitudes of sexualities and ethnicities. As my life became more varied I came to see that the ties to both sides of my family

Father’s have a great amount of influence on their kids, especially on their sons, because

When I was born in this auspicious earth the first face I saw was my parents face. I used to cry a lot and mom usually thinks I’m hungry and feeds me every time when I do so. So I got to know my mom a lot and I used to play with my dad and these two were familiar faces to me in the initial stages and I developed a trust on them, The important thing I felt in this stage was feeding and my parent’s care. As we were in a joint family I always stayed with my parents and never allowed my uncle or aunt to lift me, when they tried to do so I used to switch on my alarm that is my cry, it forced my mom to run all the way from the kitchen to take care of me.

I was born in a country six thousand miles from here, Mongolia. The better half of my childhood was spent playing soccer in the street with the neighborhood kids. I was content, surrounded by my loving family and amazing friends, until it all changed with an abrupt decision. I had reached the age where I had to think about my future beyond high school, whether I would go to a college, and where I want to be in life. Mongolia was not the most ideal country to achieve success, thus my parents decided to move me to the United States. With that, came both good news and bad news. Good news, I had a chance to start my life over. However, moving to a whole new country does come with its challenges. The first couple years were the most difficult times

“Growing up I lived in a two family household. My mother was a school teacher and my father was a police officer. I was the middle child of three. I had one older brother and one younger brother. We lived in a suburban neighborhood and went to private school. We lived a typical life. Had dinner together, went on family trips and most importantly my parents were involved in my life. Even with my father being a police officer, I cannot name a time he was not there for me.

“Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run of the mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding’ …….. And that you should try to live up to your name” (pg147)

Unlike my father, my mother is very strict. When I was a teenager, my mother would punish me for simple mistakes. I remember her spanking my brothers and me for not cleaning the dishes well. One the other hand my father do not believe in spanking children. As a child, I loved going to my father’s house for the weekend; he would let me get away with being disobedient. My father let me do whatever I wanted. Although my father let me do whatever I wanted to do, my mother is very controlling. If my mother said wash the dishes at six o’clock with only hot water, she meant it. She would make me and my brothers come in the house before the street light came on. My mother do not allow any children to be disrespectful towards her. Unlike my mother, my father would give a child a second chance. He would talk to children instead of punishing them. I remember being expelled from middle school; my father and I talked about the problem instead of disagreeing. On the other hand, my mother demands respect, and she spanked me for being expelled from