Slowly I got accustomed to the campus. I started to recognize people that took classes with me. We had similar routines. Classes, meals and library visits around the same time everyday.
After a few weeks, the class segregation was crystal clear. The rich kids wouldn’t go to the cafeteria. They wouldn’t spend the night at the dorms or take public transport.
I was a little bit of a contradiction. I took public transport. I stayed at the dorm. But I also came from an upper middle class family. As one of the people I talked to explained to me, my parents were rich. I wasn’t.
I didn’t get along well with the rich kids. I couldn’t afford their lifestyle. I didn’t have the cash to spend on food and snacks daily. I also was unaware of the cool rich people hangouts. I didn’t share with anyone that I never went to any parties or did cool things. I was well aware that I belonged to the nerd category.
I loved finding students that wanted to talk about different things. I remember being introduced to senior year students.
There was once a discussion of gender roles in the house. I exposed my feminism on that conversation. Everything should be equally shared between the husband and wife I declared when asked my opinion.
I still remember this guy with a condescending face that responded - “Where do you think you are? In the US?”
I had never had to explain my stance before. So I continued.
“Why am I here competing with you for an education if my role is to stay home and not have a career? If we are both here to learn how to work, we should both contribute towards everything together.”
To that he asked me a question that bothered me for a long time.
“Do you know any family where that is the case besides the American movies?
The shut up after that.
Why had I never thought of that?
The only place I had seen an equal contribution to house hold task was on the Cosby Show.
It was then that I realized how much I didn’t know.
I fell in love with debates.
I fell in love with meeting new people and listening to their perspectives.
After a few weeks, the class segregation was crystal clear. The rich kids wouldn’t go to the cafeteria. They wouldn’t spend the night at the dorms or take public transport.
I was a little bit of a contradiction. I took public transport. I stayed at the dorm. But I also came from an upper middle class family. As one of the people I talked to explained to me, my parents were rich. I wasn’t.
I didn’t get along well with the rich kids. I couldn’t afford their lifestyle. I didn’t have the cash to spend on food and snacks daily. I also was unaware of the cool rich people hangouts. I didn’t share with anyone that I never went to any parties or did cool things. I was well aware that I belonged to the nerd category.
I loved finding students that wanted to talk about different things. I remember being introduced to senior year students.
There was once a discussion of gender roles in the house. I exposed my feminism on that conversation. Everything should be equally shared between the husband and wife I declared when asked my opinion.
I still remember this guy with a condescending face that responded - “Where do you think you are? In the US?”
I had never had to explain my stance before. So I continued.
“Why am I here competing with you for an education if my role is to stay home and not have a career? If we are both here to learn how to work, we should both contribute towards everything together.”
To that he asked me a question that bothered me for a long time.
“Do you know any family where that is the case besides the American movies?
The shut up after that.
Why had I never thought of that?
The only place I had seen an equal contribution to house hold task was on the Cosby Show.
It was then that I realized how much I didn’t know.
I fell in love with debates.
I fell in love with meeting new people and listening to their perspectives.