Undergraduate / 'Mexican uncles' - UC Personal Statement - Prompt 1 [3]

Prompt 1- Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

"What are you?" My hair was most likely the telltale sign of my diverse background, as that was the most prominent feature of my mixed heritage. I had extremely kinky curly hair that piled on top of my head like Medusa and her snakes. And I have been asked this question in some form or another more than the number of weeks I've been alive. The answer is always the same, "My dad is black and my mom is Mexican." I come from two families rich in culture and background and I'm never allowed to forget it. My Mexican uncles are constantly telling me the history of Guadalajara and the Mexican War of Independence while my dad's side is sending me books like The Encyclopedia of African American heritage and Black Girl in Paris. While my family stressed the importance of knowing where I came from, they also unknowingly taught me the importance of a higher education and paved my dreams of attending college.

Race and culture was not the only thing that was dissimilar in my family. My dad comes from a line rich in education, both he, my uncle, and my grandma graduated from a University, while only a few of my cousins from my mom's side are currently attending some form of college. Their lifestyles reflect these differences immensely. When I am staying with my mom, she is always worrying how to she will pay this bill or that. Yet when I am with my dad the only talk of money is when he's asking me how much I need for this or that. It was always difficult and confusing to be confronted with these vast differences, but as I have gotten older I have become appreciative of my background and the unique perspective it has granted me. I know that I want to go to college because I don't want my mom to worry about anything anymore and I have seen the difference an education can provide.

My upbringing has molded and affected me in many other ways and has gifted me the ability to easily communicate with people very different from myself. My family gave me the confidence to go out of my comfort zone and helped me become the outgoing, charismatic person I am today. And through them I know the importance of an education and what opportunities it provides. I have been able to live through two different cultures and explore their ideas my whole life, ultimately expanding my mind. They have shaped my morals and taught me that I can change the world. I come from two extremely strong and powerful groups of people and though the contrasts in my world can be bewildering at times, I do believe they are an advantage as I have seen things and drawn experiences from them which are extremely valuable and unique.