Cisneros Teen raising

Cisneros obviously believes that parents do raise their teenage boys and girls differently. She indirectly mentions this in many of her vignettes. Throughout the book, this is clearly shown. On page 8, Esperanza is talking about her feelings about Nenny. "And since she comes right after me, she is my responsibility." Cisneros indirectly mentions here that girls need to be raised  to be able to babysit and raise a good family. She says that they should be able to keep order in the house and they should be raise this way because that is what the stereotype is. Also, Cisneros feels that if a mother figure should die, than the daughter should step in as the mother figure, instead of the father. On page 31, Esperanza is talking about Alicia. “Alicia, whose mama died, is sorry there is no one older to rise and make the lunchbox tortillas.” Since her mother died, Alicia had to step in as the mother figure. Cisneros implies here that girls should also be raised to be responsible should something bad and unexpected happen. As the mother figure, Alicia has to work much harder. In this vignette, Cisneros implies that girls should be raised to prepare for how society is, not to change the truth because if something unexpected happens, they may not be prepared for it.

Cisneros also shows that boys and girls should be raised to look at personality, not just looks. On page 27, in the vignette Marin, Marin is talking about attraction.

“What matters, Marin says, is for the boys to see us and for us to see them. And since Marin’s skirts are shorter and since her eyes are pretty [...]The boys who pass by say stupid things like I am in love with those two green apples you call eyes, give them to me why don’t you.”

Here, she talks about Marin’s physical attractiveness as a good thing to the guys, yet there is no positive outcome for the girls if they are attractive. Only boys will look at them and say stupid things. This shows how boys and girls are raised to look at looks and not personality. Since this thought is so widespread, it has become a part of American society. Cisneros thinks that people should raise their kids to look at others personality and not just base their decisions off of looks.