Women, from all different cultures, have been subjected to the fact that they are inferior to men. In the Mexican society, women equality is a fairy-tale. Compared to a life in Mexico, American women live a dream come true. Since women are not treated as second citizens in America, most people do not acknowledge the inequality of women in Mexico. Discrimination between sexes is evident in the Chicano culture through women's work ethics and their expectations.
Unfortunately, home is a Mexican woman's workplace. Their jobs are to cook for the family, clean the house, and take care of the children. In the novel, The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, clearly shows the strict and limited lives of Mexican women. In the vignette, "Boys and Girls," Cisneros strongly states, "the boys and the girls live in separate worlds" (Cisneros 8). Therefore, boys and girls are raised and treated differently. Men are responsible for supporting the family by working, and women are obligated to stay home and do housework. .
In contrast, women in America have the option to stay home or go to work. Actually, women gain more respect by men when they work outside of the home. They also have more freedom to make their own decisions in life. Moreover, there are numerous careers that are well suited for both men and women. At the same time, growing up in the American society, as a female, is not nearly as stringent, as growing up in a Mexican society.
Unlike the American culture, women in Mexico have set expectations. They are entitled to obey and satisfy their husbands. For example, in the Vignette, "My Name," a young girl named Esperanza was named after her great-grandmother. Her great-grandmother was carried off in a sack by a man and was forced to marry him. "She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow" (Cisneros 11). Esperanza's great-grandmother lived a lonely and depressing life because she did not have any rights.
