Choose an issue of importance to you
-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
This is my prompt!!
I have written about my encounter with sexism in my family. I would really appreciate any comments on anything that is wrong and also and mistakes. Is the length of the essay ok? do i need a title?
Almost twelve years ago my father passed away; I was only eight years old and did not have any idea how my life was going to change forever. I remember my sister who is a year older than me asking my mother what was going to happen to us. Without my father, how were we going to survive and was our mother going to give us away. She promised that would never take place.
Three years ago my family moved from India to the United States. In India, most parents live with their children. My paternal grandma used to live with us when my dad was alive. But after his death, his family was not very sympathetic toward my mother. They wanted our house, our business, and all our money! It was a tough time with my grandma fighting for all our personal assets. One of my uncles thought that my mother would not be able to take care of my sister and me. So, he offered to raise me and said that my sister would live with his brother. My mother refused and said she was strong enough to support her children all by herself. They did not trust her to provide for us.
When I was older, my mother told me about this incident. My uncle said that if she had sons, she would be better off. I was really angry with him for saying such a hurtful thing. Most people living in the rural areas of India are not educated and believe having a girl child is like being cursed by God. Having a son insures stability when one becomes older. Daughters marry and move away while sons live and care for them forever. It never occurred to me that my extended family members would be sexist! They think that a woman is not capable of doing anything on her own without a man in her life.
My mother, on the other hand, was opposite and never allowed my sister and me to feel less of a person. She was proud of us and could not be happier to have two daughters. Giving us all the necessary things was most important; good values and the best education were essentials in our upbringing. Teaching us that we are capable of accomplishing everything and not being underestimated were principles dear to my mother.
Every decision that I have ever made has been supported by my loving mother. Throughout my childhood, I have always been proficient in mathematics and science and have desired to be a mechanical engineer. In the past, engineering has been a very male dominated occupation; however, today many women are successful. If given the opportunity, I want to attend the Mechanical Engineering Program at the University of Texas at Austin. I would like to prove to my extended family in India that women are not inferior and are capable of achieving anything.
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