Born and raised in Ensenada, Baja California, I lived my childhood and adolescence in this city located 100 kilometers south of the U.S. border.

Today, Ensenada inhabits 250,000, but in my childhood this city was small, quiet, and serene; it was common to know everyone in the neighborhood. Going to the market, park, or any public place, there were always familiar faces. The entire city could be travelled in just minutes.

My culture instilled in me several norms that have guided my behavior throughout life. These cultural norms are reflected in my dress, expression of emotions, public behavior, and respect for elders.

SOCIAL SYSTEMS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5 AND 12

I was born in a Catholic home, but before I was five, my parents became Protestant. After their conversion, I attended a rural evangelistic mission. I remember our church gatherings under the trees; we didn’t have a building as a temple. I became a Christian at age six, and have been active in the Church ever since.

In Mexico, family is of utmost importance. The value of family still lies deep within me. I am the younger of two siblings; my older brother, parents, and I were tightly united. We were each other’s world.

My parents strongly influenced the formation of my character. My father was the first to teach me importance of family. He told me, "The most important thing in life is to be together as a family." Also, my father taught me to love justice, and he instilled in me the values of equality of rights; pride for my country; and respect for the national symbols, like the national flag and national anthem. My mother taught me to be faithful and exhibited an excellent role as a woman in the Mexican society. My brother and I remain quite close. We always attended the same schools; I always felt confident at school, knowing that I had his protection.

School was important to me. My parents told me that primary responsibility at that age was to study. So I was a serious student and I always got the best grades. Teachers and classmates alike respected me. While I was a quiet and introverted child, my classmates chose me as president of my classroom.

I wasn’t popular at school and I only had a few friends. However, I was outstanding because of my good grades and participcation in school-sponsored artistic and civic festivals.

I knew that, because of my religion, I was different from most other children in my community. Mexican Protestants weren’t common. Almost all of the population was Catholic, and there were stereotypes about Protestants. The Catholics said that we, as Protestants, were influenced by the Anglo-Saxon culture. Yet, I was proud of my Mexican culture and identity. However, since I could not participate in the Mexican festivals and traditions with a Catholic background, I became confused and resented Anglo-Saxons for seizing some of my cultural heritage.

The media were not very influential in my childhood. When I was a little girl in Ensenada, we only had one local television channel. This local channel started in the afternoon and ended at night. At that time,there weren’t magazines for adolescents. For recreation, I frequented the movies and the park.

SOCIAL SYSTEMS FROM THE AGES OF 13 TO 17

Nora Garcia cCYS

Throughout these years, I maintained my activity at church. I always wanted Protestant friends with whom to share my Christian life, but there were none available. The delineation between Mexican Catholics and Protestants during my adolescence inhibited me from developing meaningful relationships of shared faith with young women of my own age. Today, as a youth worker, I see how important support systems are for youth; friends are crucial for an adolescent.

I developed more popularity in school, but I could never go to the parties of my Catholic friends. My female friends celebrated their Quinceaneras with dances, but I could not participate because Mexican Protestants do not dance; my Quinceanera involved no dancing.

Friends also became more essential. I spent hours talking to them. Every time we had a break from school, we all gathered at someone’s home. We rented and watched movie videos together. Our local television station now offered more channels and provided longer programming hours. Many television programs were geared to my age group. Soap operas became my daily viewing fare; soon I realized that my friends were watching the same soaps, and we spent time in school discussing the newest plot twists.

School continued to be important to me, but I also became interested in extracurricular activities. I wanted to learn as much as possible, and I attended different training courses: I took piano; went to beauty and fashion design schools; did aerobic exercise; and learned ceramics, crafts, and typing.

My aunts and uncles also showered me with love and approval because I was an excellent student. Our family reunions continued until late hours of the night. We had scrumptous meals and told jokes, and I recited poetry for the whole family.

During these years, my extended family played a very important role. The big celebrations in my extended family captured my attention. We often had family gatherings, attended by my grandmother, eleven aunts and uncles, and more than twenty-five grandchildren. I am one of the oldest grandchildren in my family, so my cousins respected me.

Garcia, N. (1997). My Mexican-American cultural identity. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW