Isabel Serrano Baez

Joni Flowers

EDU 280-1002

27 January 2020

Cultural Autobiography

 I can’t fully answer this question because I am still getting to know myself and continue

to grow and learn each day, but I can tell you a few things I’m positive about myself. I am an

individual who likes to seek opportunities and loves to spend time with her family. I am a hard-

working person that does not give up and always gives her 100%. I am an artist at times, a

photographer, and an explorer. I am a trusting, loving, caring person, and dedication is my

middle name. 

When it comes to my cultural background both my parents are from Mexico, and my

ancestors and great grandparents are from Spain (Spaniards). My last name Serrano originates

from Spain, and my other last name Baez originates from Germany. I was born in Mexico but

raised here in Las Vegas, Nevada. We celebrate several holidays that are important to us, and

family is something we value a lot. Our Mexican culture is expressed through several things like

food, holidays, and clothes. One important holiday that we celebrate is the Day of The Dead,

where we believe that our loved ones that have passed away come and visit us for that day. For

this day, we cook their favorite foods and decorate an altar with beautiful flowers and sugar

skulls. 

My behaviors and attitudes have been influenced by my experiences, heritage, and

cultural orientation in several ways. My family is hard working and always gives it their best at
anything, influencing me to be someone that does not give up and works hard for what I want. I

like to describe my family's attitude by saying a phrase we go by "todo el trabajo duro que

hacemos hoy, dará sus frutos tarde o temprano," which means "all the hard work we do today,

will pay off sooner or later." It has influenced my attitude to never give up and to continue to

work hard for what I want in life. Having respect and earning it is important to us. I learned

about responsibility at a young age because I was taught that it is important to know your

responsibilities in life. 

My mom and dad said they were only going to have two children (I have 8 siblings) and

nothing more but that didn't go as plan. Both my brother and I were named after our

grandparents because we were going to be the only children. My parents named me after my

dad's mom, my name; Isabel means a pledged to God. I come from a big family, which has

influenced me in several ways. At a young age, I learned to be responsible because I had to take

care of my siblings. Having to take care of my siblings made me more caring, reliable, and as my

friends say, the mom friend. 

Even though I was born in Mexico, I have been raised in Las Vegas since I was 5 years

old. The lifestyle in Mexico is very different from here, but growing up here has not made me

forget about where I truly come from. This writing process has helped me by having time to

reflect on myself, my family, and culture. It allowed me to have a better understanding of myself

and my family background. Sometimes we don't think about the question "who are you," and I

feel that we should do that more often in order to understand ourselves better.