Gender Differences In American Culture

I have the great fortune of having my maternal eighty-eight-year-old grandfather alive, as up today. Speaking to him, he told me that growing up in his childhood has been one the best memories he has in his life. He had a total of eight siblings, four women, and three men. All his siblings are just a year apart from each other. He has had a strong bonding relationship with all of them, especially with his brothers. He is the second to the youngest boy in his nuclear family. He remembers when his second to the oldest brother would mess around with him, he would always run up to his oldest brother to defend him. He also had a strong bonding relationship with his parents as well, especially when he began his adolescence and adulthood years. Him

and his siblings were always very open to speak to my great-grandparents about anything. A women’s place in the world 50 or more years ago was very difficult.

My grandfather was born and raised in Mexico, but he used to be contracted by companies here in the United States to work in the camp. “If it wasn’t for women’s right movement from 1848-1920, women weren’t allowed to do most of anything that they can do now.” “There was no business woman, in the business industry, and if there was; they would get paid unfairly based on her gender role.” “Women however, could work in helping other women in house chores, for instance.” In other words, gender roles were also very difficult. Men were told to work in the camp and bring the money in to the home. While women stayed at home doing house chores and taking care of children. Women couldn’t be privileged to be issued a credit card if it wasn’t under her husband’s signature that would allow her to have one. Speaking about World War II, he says that he used to hear how life was cruel during that time. Many children and other people getting killed by the Nazis. “Good thing was that I was married and in Mexico through those rough years.” The only major family crises that he has had through his entire life from when he was a child- up to being a grown and married man, was that there was a lot of poverty going on in his life back

then. As a child, my grandfather does not remember much, since my great grandparents did not let that get into his family. But, as a married man; my grandmother always stayed positive and supportive through rough times. Religion has been an important factor through his entire life! “…Especially when I was married to your grandmother, we used to pray every night before going to bed and pray every Sunday morning before going to church. We would always go confess every first day of the month.” “My life with your grandmother was beautiful!” One philosophy phrase that he heard through his childhood years was, “God will provide.”