Growing up in a war torn country, I always dreamed of living in the United States. Every person in our small town talked about how exciting and full of opportunity America was. Play dates, cartoons, and trips to Disney land made the top of every little kid’s birthday wish. Unlike most children, my birthday party did not consist of bouncy houses, stacks of presents, and a princess cake. Burning buildings, solders, and panicked refugees were the highlight of my birthday party. Giving up the only world | have ever known and fleeing to America was one of the most drastic changes in my life, especially at such a young age.
After the Balkan War, we lived in a small shed on the outskirts of a town named Tuzla. my parents were so poor at the time all we could afford was one room to house the four of us. We shared a single bed. Some nights we did not eat, depending on whether our mother could find enough food to feed all of us. My brother and I did not have a childhood. We were not allowed to go outside to play because our parent’s feared we would accidentally step on bombs the Serbs planted to kill us. Staying up late at night, I remember thinking to myself how amazing it would be to live in an apartment in the “Land of the Free”.
Somewhere where I would not have to fear going outside to play. Everyone has their opinion as to what the “American Dream” really is! In the year 2000, the “American Dream” was survival for me and my family and my wish finally coming true. It was a way to escape. A way to finally be able to live a normal life with hope that our dreams would become reality. As an immigrant, I felt misunderstood and out of place at such a young age. Being the only kid in my class who did not speak english was definitely a struggle. They looked at me as the “weird” girl from a strange place they have never heard of.
At home, I felt as if I had no one to help me adjust. My parents worked multiple minimum-wage jobs in hopes of 001A NEW WORLD ! 2 creating a better future for me and my older brother. During this time, my brother and I had to help each other adapt to this new world. I looked to my brother for guidance, but I soon realized he was looking right back at me. From a young age, we learned to do things on our own. Helping each other with homework. making sure we both ate, and cleaning up after ourselves was not a chore, instead it was an instinct.
As the years went by my family and I got used to America and it’s system. My parents still work minimum-wage jobs but somehow it is a little easier. My brother and I got jobs as well when we turned 16, making our lives and theres less of a burden. My brother finished college with his Associated in Arts degree. This is my third semester at Florida State College of Jacksonville in hopes of finishing my Associates in Arts degree in the transfer program. After these two years, I plan to transfer to a big University and major in Psychology.
Being the owner of a trucking business, I have learned the value of every dollar and every penny. My personal goals in life are to finish my degree and expand my business. The sociological perspective I most closely align with is the Feminist Perspective. This perspective applies to me mostly because I am a business women which to men is a threat. In the world we live in, women will never be equal to men, that is why I am breaking the theory. A lot of men are intimidated by me because I might make more money than they do.
It is important for us women to be just as equal as the men in this world! Ashley Crossman Sociology Expert stated:” Feminist Theory is most concerned with giving a voice to women and highlighting the various ways women have contributed to society”. A women can be just as powerful (if not more powerful) than a man! OBJA NEW WORLD! 3 If I was a sociologist, I would lean more toward the functionalist view when looking at the world because that is how my parents raised me. They raised me to believe attending school would get me a better job after I graduate.
It all works itself out as a system. The family pays taxes for their kids to attend school, which pays taxes to keep the government running. The cycle keeps going as these children graduate and do the same for their children. I have been rich and I have been poor. Neither one made me stop believing in myself. I have learned so much throughout my young life, and continue to do so. Being a business women, my long term goal is for other women to look up to me and understand we can too be just as powerful as men. My plans in life are to change the world, slowly but surely.!
