ATHENA ANDERSON

My Cultures and Microcultures

Family Structure
I was adopted when I was five days
old.
When I was two my parents
divorced.
My father was an active parent
until I was seven.
My mother was the sole parent
after that time period.
My extended family: Grandmother,
Grandfather, and Aunt became my
caretakers.
I grew up an only child, though my
cousins were like siblings.

Religious/Philosophical Views
I was raised Mormon (The Church of Later-Day
Saints).
My mother was a convert and my father was raised
in the church.
I served a mission for the church in Phoenix,
Arizona. This lasted for eighteen months.
I served in the church as a teacher, leader, and
advisor.
I left the church when I was thirty-one as this
conflicted with who I am.
My name was removed from the records when I
was thirty-four.
I now still believe in many of the teachings though
I do not believe in the church.
I find being a good person and trying to contribute
in the community around you i.e.: spouse, family,
friends, school, and community. Trying to make
this better does more for me spiritually, than a
church.

Sexual Orientation
I knew that I was gay when I was
twelve. My friends liked boys and I
never did.
When I was fourteen I finally
realized why I didnt like boys,
however my religion caused me to
believe it was wrong.
When I was thirty-one I came out
and left my church.
I was married in 2013 to my wife.
The picture is on our wedding day.
I have never felt more myself.

Socio-Economic Status
The first few years I grew up in a house and
would have been middle class.
Shortly after my father left, that changed. I
spent most of my young/teen years in a
singlewide trailer. Relying on the community to
help us live.
My mother rarely had a job and could not
provide for us. Often I would make mental lists
at night of what would fit in the car since I was
told we would lose our house.
This never did happen, and eventually my
mother found a well paying job and we joined
the middle class again.
Now my wife and I live in a house we own. We
live very comfortably. We would be considered
middle class.
We are frugal with our money and do
everything we can to keep our debt low.