October 7 - October 10

         This week I learned that many new parents tend to put into practice their own culture and copy the way their own parents were as they were growing up. Sometimes new parents are unaware of the same habits and rules they copied from there parents and in the end they sometimes can not believe how much alike they are or sometimes they don't acknowledge the similarities. Family cultures also get passed down, sometimes it becomes modified but the main idea stays the same. In my parents culture it was expected for the family to make tamales for Christmas, every year of their lives they made tamales on Christmas. When my parents married, they carried out that same culture onto their children and now we are expected to help make these tamales every Christmas. I once asked my mom why we made tamales every year? Why was it necessary if it's exhausting to make them? She answered and said "Daisy, its in our culture and I will honor it. I've made them every year of my life since I was a child and I will continue to make them. I love them." When she said this I knew that she was definitely carrying out her culture into her children's lives. I also learned that we shouldn't be afraid to change our culture. Changing our cultures can sometimes be difficult, depending on the situation. I know my father changed a culture that was carried out in his family since before his grandma was born. Most Hispanic families believe in the Catholic church and attend mass on Sunday's. My dad grew up within the Catholic church up until the age of 12 years old. He met the missionaries and was converted into the gospel, he says "My mom and family were so mad at me, many didn't talk to me for months because I made a change within the family." As time went by, he began influencing his siblings into the church and they as well were baptized and so was his parents. Now, all his children, nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles and aunts are Mormon. He made a change in our culture.