My Childhood Memories: Living in Silence

Much of my childhood, despite being American-born, was heavily influenced by my Mexican culture by way of my immigrant mom and my predominantly Mexican neighborhood. Thus, the foundation of my upbringing included the same norms and values that one, particularly a young female, would experience in Mexico. As a young person, disrespecting an adult was a huge offense; so, my default was to be silent around older people. As a female, it was expected that I would learn how to cook, clean, care for younger siblings and to have restrictions placed upon my social life. With love, my mother was simply preparing me for a future, one with a husband and kids, which could be considered limiting beyond the perimeters of our Mexican community. And yet, being an obedient child never felt oppressive and, for the most part, enforced because, to me, it felt intuitive. At the time, I could not foresee how my upbringing could produce a silence that was harmful once it was challenged.

My step-father became part of my family when I was eight years old. Like any young person, especially one that is prote...