Her Words, My Inspiration

Through reading Rose Guilbault’s memoir Farmworker’s Daughter, I gained insight into my own life and the influences on my identity, or agents of socialization, that Rose and I had in common. Our mothers, for example, each played a huge role in shaping who we are, especially during the early parts of our childhood. We learned a great deal from our mothers’ experiences, which in turn helped us to understand the importance of doing what we think is right. Growing up, we both lived through a big move and had to adjust to new environments. Fortunately, we both found role models who helped guide us and helped us to find our passions.

Rose had to manage many changes that occurred throughout her childhood. The one thing that remained constant was the presence of her mother Maria Luisa, who was a strong woman. Rose perceived this strength at a very young age. Her father, Tito, became a cold father and a disloyal husband, and Maria Luisa struggled to maintain her marriage. In fact, it was expected of the wife to accept every challenge presented to her by her husband, and “it was considered shocking and unacceptable for a woman to seek divorce, and what with the church, society, and family stalwartly against it, it took either enormous courage or folly for the woman to follow her moral convictions,” (18). Maria Luisa believed that it was more important to do the right thing, and not the expected. In this circumstance, Maria Luisa felt that she and Rose would suffer if she did not leave Tito, and this courage to stand for what she believed in later helped Rose to find the strength she would need to face many hardships. My own mother knowingly went against tradition, as well, when she chose to date my father during college. She was Chinese and attended Beijing University in China and my father, who was a foreigner, was teaching in her department. Dating was prohibited among college students at the time, and furthermore, having a serious relationship with any foreigner could have been grounds for expulsion. Despite these life-altering risks, my mother chose to pursue her happiness. My parents told me this story my whole life, and learning about my mother’s courage to follow her heart showed me that I should be bold like my mother. I learned that I should not let what society expects of me control my actions if they conflict with my ideals and needs.

My mother ♡

Not only did Maria Luisa leave her husband, she felt it was necessary to leave her 

hometown and move to the United States to create a better life for herself and Rose. This decision, however, was even a more daring choice for Maria Luisa to make because even “a willing immigrant … must have great optimism and little to lose. But [her] mother was leaving behind a great many things,” (22-23). Maria Luisa had no idea what to expect when she arrived at her new home; all she knew was what Rafaela, her distant cousin, had told her. Maria Luisa wanted to escape the criticisms she knew she would face at home, and in turn she wanted to build a better future for Rose, who recognized that they had much to lose. This loss, however, was not tantamount to what they would go through had Maria Luisa stayed. This further encouraged Rose to recognize the significance of self-confidence and courage to embrace any new situation. Again, my mother experienced a similar decision when she chose to leave behind the life she knew and follow my father to the states. I have enormous respect for my mother, and for the confidence she had in herself and to the way she proved to herself and to everyone else that her choice was not a mistake. Whether subconsciously or not, I therefore hold myself to a high standard in my own ability to handle new environments.

After moving to America, Rose had to learn how to be flexible in order to adjust to life in her new home and school. This change proved very difficult for Rose because of the vast culture shock. She did not easily comprehend English, but even more overwhelming was not understanding and knowing American customs. The difficulty of assimilating into this new culture remained with her during her youth, as she always “felt like an outsider, and [she] would not be able to shake that sense of alienation throughout [her] school years in King City,” (50). No matter how hard she tried, her background and ethnicity would create a barrier between her and her peers, who seemed oblivious to her efforts to be like them. Despite the gap she felt between herself and her peers, she never let that discourage her from searching for where she belonged at school. She gave many activities a significant effort, even if they proved to be great challenges. She tried playing the clarinet, for example, and even though she “was not a great musician… the band was a wholesome activity that integrated [her] into school life – into America – and so it was important to [her],” (55). Disregarding her heritage, Rose even struggled to discover a place for herself. Yet this only persuaded her to reach beyond her comfort level and become more open to new possibilities.

I, too, have had to learn how to adapt to new environments. I never lived in one place for an extended amount of time during my early childhood, particularly throughout elementary school. When I was four, we moved from California to Massachusetts, which had a very different environment from the one I was used to, even at such a young age. We moved yet again five years later after I had already established a group of friends at my first elementary school. Starting in a new environment at the beginning of third grade was scary. In this new school I felt more like an outsider because I was the only one with an Asian background in a predominantly Caucasian school. Of course I did not experience such drastic cultural differences as Rose because I was still in America. I did, however, recognize that there was a dissimilarity between myself and the other kids, and they did as well. Regardless of the subtly cold attitude I received from my peers, I managed to break the ice. No sooner had I felt like I belonged we moved back to the Bay Area. This time, I was able to use the skills I had developed while living in Massachusetts to form a new group of friends more quickly.

The other editors, Wojcicki and me after a long week of production

Not only was it essential for Rose to establish a place in which she could belong, but also for her to acquire a mentor who could steer her in the right direction. Before she reached high school, Rose could not find an activity in which she succeeded. It was not until she met Edith Winslow, King City’s only female journalist, that Rose discovered her life’s path. Edith agreed to take Rose under her wing, and Rose “vowed [she] would not let anyone stand in the way of [her] chosen career path. [She] would do it to prove… [Edith] right,” (146). Edith gave Rose newfound courage to pursue her dreams of becoming a journalist, despite other people’s opinions. After this point, Rose became a fighter. In a sense, she was tougher than ever because she felt that she had found a purpose. I, too, did not have a clear career path in high school until I met Esther Wojcicki, my journalism instructor. If it were not for her words of encouragement throughout her beginning journalism class, I would not have considered being a part of the school newspaper. I now have a clear understanding of how I want to lead my life. With her coaching, I feel like I have the strength to achieve my dreams of becoming a journalist.

Looking past our obvious differences, I discovered that Rose and I have had similar influences on our sense of self. Whether related to family or school, it was the commonality of our experiences that shaped who we are today, two courageous women who have the strength to pursue happiness no matter the odds.