How Soccer Changed My Life

When I was ten years old, I was as curious, vibrant, energetic, and naive as the next child. I enjoyed playing with my toys, playing sports, reading, and asking a lot of questions about how the world works. Then, I thought I was invincible and that I could do whatever I set my mind to. If I wanted my occupation to be an astronaut ballerina it was going to happen and that was that. At ten years old, I was also introduced to my family in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas for the first time, and I was both really delighted and really despondent at the same time.

Suddenly I was in Mexico at my Grandma’s house counting how many relatives were hugging me (eighteen to be exact), while I realized that I shared the same blood as these “strangers”. We got to know each other a little, they tried to get me to remember all their names, and all I wanted to do was go play soccer with my cousins. As I walked out the door to go to the backyard my uncle comes up and asks, “Where do you think you’re going?”. I tell him that I’m going to go play soccer with my cousins while he looks at me, laughs, and says, “Soccer is for boys. Stay inside and help your Aunt make tamales. You should learn how to cook so you can get married.” I was kind of upset that he wanted me to stay inside and cook because my mom and dad always cook for me and I thought playing soccer was more

entertaining. I responded with, “I don’t care if it’s for boys. I want to go play with them” and my Uncle looks at me and says, “Girls don’t play soccer because girls belong in the kitchen. Now go help your Aunts.” This was the first time I had ever been told I couldn’t do what I set my mind to.

I didn’t respond to my uncle, but I just followed his orders because my parents taught me manners. When my Uncle told me to stay inside to help my Aunt’s cook I felt confused and sad for many reasons. I had many questions running through my head such as Why was soccer just for boys if they sell pink soccer balls, Why don’t the boys have to help cook, and Why does my new Uncle think I’m not capable of whatever my boy cousins were capable of? His words made me feel like less than my male cousins, as if they were more important.

It took me a few years to discover that there’s a word for men like my uncle. At age ten, I had no idea what sexism was or what it entailed. However, over time I became more and more aware of the prejudice not only within my own family, but within my hispanic culture as a whole. Growing up I always tried to find out why my uncle gave my male relatives more freedom than all the woman in my family, and I have come to figure out that it has to do with the machismo within our hispanic culture.

I spent a lot of my childhood disliking my Uncle for the way he treated the women in my family and the way he was as a person, but over time I’ve learned that it is not entirely his fault.

To this day, I still dislike my Uncle but not as much as I used to because I have come to find that our culture is to blame. I am doing everything my Uncle said I couldn’t do to prove him wrong. I am a woman and I am capable of accomplishing great things in this world. I am more than just cooking for my family, doing laundry, and cleaning the house. I am a future psychiatrist, I am a future author, and I am more than what my Uncle says I

am.