Reflection Paper Isabel Ruiz

As I conducted my interview I asked important life questions such as, what was the most important thing you learned growing up in two countries? Also, I asked questions ranging from happy situations to difficult ones. The name of my grandma is Isabel Ruiz she’s 62, and was born in Mexico, and raised there until she moved to the United States at the age of 19. One of the constant things I realized as the interview went on is that she holds an understanding of what it’s like to grow up in two different social-cultural environments. For example, when I asked, what was the one thing you remember or appreciate the most when you were young? She went on to respond with “Now that I think about it I was lucky enough to live most of my teen years in …show more content…
Plus, it’s also important to mention that “Most people work to make a living but also find meaning in their work.” Learning this from a class on the importance of work in middle adulthood. It’s interesting that my grandma Isabel finds work very important to everyone’s life. For most of her life, she’s been surrounded by work oriented individuals. In Mexico, she never had a real job besides working with her mom in the restaurant. So when the move to Texas happened Isabel instantly learned the importance of working in her social and daily life. It can be argued that the United States is a country in which, someone has to work to at least reach some sorts of success. The importance of work in the American society shifted my grandma’s life. Throughout Isabel’s mid and early adulthood she learned the importance of hard work and responsibility, because she moved to a culture that embraces work in their society. Another thing to point out from a lecture is that middle‐aged workers have more satisfaction with intrinsic rewards than extrinsic ones. During her mid-life Isabel mentioned that knowing her work would help my mom, uncle, and aunts be okay brought her happiness, not the money she brought