Cause and Effect Essay

April 5, 2024

                                                                        Family Struggles

 Education is a fundamental right of every individual, but this was not true in Nepal, which had gender bias in education before 1990. At that time, my grandmother and mother were affected by these government laws, which didn’t let women study and pushed them into the darkness of life without education. In fact, the government laws allowed only men to go to school and college because in Nepal, there was one school called a Gurukul in each state. People wanted to study, they needed to stay in Gurukul for years. When, People needed to leave their home and family, but women could not do that their whole life since their society didn’t give permission to women go outside the home. Although the laws and society didn’t give them permission to go to school, a woman from a rich family could go to a gurukul and finish her studies.  My grandmother and mother were middle class, and society thought if a woman left her home, she walked on a bad path. Then, she would have a hard time choosing her life partner in life because that was not good for our Hindu religion. Thus, the Nepali government’s law of education or gender discrimination has badly affected my family’s future and my life.

When my grandmother was young, the educational laws and rules had created lack of Knowledge in her life. She never went to school in her life, so she didn’t know anything about studying. My grandmother did not have any skills or work experience when she got married. She didn’t know what was right or what was wrong in her life. She thought her family and society were always right whenever they talked about women, so she stayed at home and she worked hard in her life. She could work at home in areas such as cooking, cleaning, and farming rather than professional jobs. In addition, she did not know about family planning. When she got married to my grandfather, she was thirteen and she had no idea about married life and started having children at an early age. My grandmother’s family thought if their daughter got married before her period, they would be so lucky in their life because that was good luck in the Hindu religion. My grandmother got married early, and she had twelve children. Therefore, the lack of education affected my grandmother’s life so badly, which meant she needed to struggle in her life.

Additionally, gender bias in education affected my mother’s life because she has always depended on her father and husband. She said, when she was younger, she could not go to school because she needed to care for her siblings, so she depended on her father. After marriage, she needed to depend on her husband. If she needed any kind of help, she had to talk to her husband because she was uneducated and jobless. My mother said that her family was unfair to her when it came to education. She has had no opportunity to study, so she wasn’t ever happy to be a woman. In addition, she could not buy any necessary things such as food, clothes, or medicine. She always told her husband about what she needed, and she had to struggle for everything. She had to cook, clean, and farm because she did not have the skills to do a job for money. Also, my mother could not go outside because she lacked money and didn’t know how to get around. She needed help to go anywhere because she could not read the name of streets, states, and directions where she needed to go. Due to the educational laws, my mother had to remain inside most of her life.

Finally, gender discrimination in education also affected my life. In 1990, Nepal had a big strike in education, and everybody debated about it. The secretary of education said education should be equal and fair for everyone, including women. At that time, the government had changed all laws of education. After that, I could go to school and college, but I could not get quality education and could not complete the education that I needed. I could go to local schools, but I could not go to city college because I belonged to a middle-class family. I did not have enough money for quality education because of family income. My family said I should get married earlier because society did not give me permission to stay at my mother’s house past the age of twenty. I eventually went to a school and college near my house, but I did not get a quality of education. However, nowadays, I am in the United States, and I started go to college. I am going to the City Colleges of Chicago and my major is nursing. I hope I will be successful in my career, and I can do professional jobs one day.

              In conclusion, educational rules and regulations have affected many generations of my family. My grandmother, mother and I have also been affected by these laws and regulations because due to these laws, we had to hide in the dark and live without knowledge. My grandmother and mother had a difficult time raising their children and working at home. By contrast, I can go to college and have a chance to learn something in my life. If I got quality education in Nepal, I would not have faced any problems in my life. Therefore, I hope I will be successful in the future, and hope that all women everywhere can get education.

The Rebirth

                                                                  The Rebirth 

The people don’t even understand how valuable it is that they have a bright sky above their heads and live in peace. On February 24, 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine. The invasion began in the eastern Ukrainian territory of Donbas. Thousands of people died on this day. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared martial law in Ukraine and officially broke diplomatic ties with Russia. Vladimir Putin’s actions were condemned across the world and within Russia and this happened when I was only eighteen years old. The war affected people all over the world, and I am no exception. The war changed the route that I planned to follow and led me to immigrate to the U.S.         

At the beginning, my choice to move to the U.S. was directly related to the war in Ukraine.  Because of the war that Russia started, I could not stay and build my life in Saint Petersburg, since I did not agree with the current government.  In Russia, I was surrounded by people who thought it was right that Russia attacked Ukraine, which I completely disagreed with. People whom I considered friends said that Ukrainians should be killed and felt proud that Putin started the war. Nevertheless, the war did not physically affect the Russian people; they did not have to fight for their lives. Therefore, all my friends were indifferent to the war. This is the reason why I stopped believing in a bright future in Russia. Even before the war, the salaries were small, and with a higher education, it was difficult to find a job. During the war, the situation worsened even more. Consequently, all the above issues resulted in my decision to immigrate to the U.S.

The war opened my eyes to the terrible realities and made me truly value life. Through my Ukrainian friends, I learned the true causes of the war and was grateful for not being subjected to Russian propaganda. When I moved to the U.S., I met more Ukrainians who told me about the real situation in Ukraine, as the Russian media often distorts the truth. Moreover, the media consists of propaganda. While Russian media claimed it was just a special operation, I learned that Russia was attacking residential buildings, network towers, and people. In Chicago, I heard so many stories from Ukrainians who were forced to leave because of the war. Therefore, I realized how important it is to appreciate that I am safe in the U.S.

In addition, I was one of those who participated in protests against the war, which greatly affected my relationship with my family. In Saint Petersburg, there were protests where people shouted, “No to war” and I actively expressed my position in support of Ukraine. The consequence was the arrival of the police who dispersed the crowd and arrested some people, but I managed to escape. Ultimately, my grandmother found out, and we stopped communicating due to our different opinions. Moreover, I actively expressed my position on social media, to which I received a lot of angry comments from Russians who disagreed with me.

Living in Chicago has given me a freedom and peace that I never would have experienced if I had stayed in Russia. I realize that I am grateful for the decision to move to the U.S. because here I am safe. The war led me to feel the value of my life and greatly influenced it, but in the same way, it made me stronger as a person and allowed me to start fresh in the U.S. I hope that one day, the war will come to an end and people will be able to experience the same feeling of safety that I have found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crisis Protest - Essay #2

Crisis Protest

    Nobody expected to experience the worst economic challenges and political protests in Venezuela. Since 2002, protests in Venezuela have been very common, but the most significant protest began in 2013 when Venezuelans started to be more aggressive in the protest of the government. Everything began when Venezuelans selected Chavez to be president from 1999 to 2002, but people started to notice that Chavez was causing the country to deteriorate. In 2013 Chavez passed away, and Venezuelans started to celebrate his death. However, nobody imagined the nightmare Venezuelans were going to experience. Since Chavez’s death, Maduro has been the president of Venezuela, and things were deteriorating even worse. The previous protest was insignificant compared to the protest experienced in 2017. That one became a nightmare. Venezuelans, suddenly, started to mix the food, medicine, and gas crisis protest with the political protest, and nobody cared about the gravity of this situation. This protest had created a disaster, affecting each Venezuelan family physically and mentally.

                    

    During the protest, finding food was like discovering a treasure. Many Venezuelans killed each other just for a piece of bread. The desperation of some people unable to eat or feed their families guided them to death. In fact, this period was very traumatic in my upbringing because I saw my friends getting nothing for breakfast or lunch. Even though the situation was critical, I was thankful to my mom because of the three dishes she managed to provide for the day. Due to this crisis, my mom had to work hard to get food. She had to pay a little bit more and sometimes she contacted friends who could sell us food. That was the technique my mom used to feed us at that time. After days, the protest was getting worse, and my mom decided to create a storage at home. She transformed a walk-in closet into a big storage area, and my mom stocked minimum five packages of any item. For example, there was a rule that there shouldn’t be less than five packages of water, bread, or pasta. Anything but no less than five packages. Regardless of my mother’s hard work, there were still moments of lack of food. There was a moment that even weather Venezuelans with high standards couldn’t find food, so they went from eating three to four times a day to eating once a day. This situation affected my stomach and caused problems with my digestion. Now, the food crisis has improved in the last four years, but nobody will forget that year.

             

    In addition, many Venezuelans passed away in the protests. Venezuelans used to fight for the country to make a change, but it was very aggressive. The protests caused the death of many citizens due to bombs, tanks, and destroying stores and houses. In fact, some of my friends died from participating in the protest. Some of them died going to do their daily task such as going to the supermarket or going to work, and some died during a protest due to a bomb from the police. When I found out that my friends passed away, I experienced a very hard time because I talked with them hours before their death. Moreover, a few of family members died on a trip. My maternal family decided to travel to escape from the chaos for a couple days, but that travel ended terribly. On the way to Angel Falls, a bomb fell into their car by accident causing their death. This news affected me terribly emotionally and mentally, but especially my mom was horribly affected.

           

    Furthermore, I experienced the worst traumatic moment in the protest. When I thought that everything was over, it was just the beginning. Home was not even secure during this protest. Some Venezuelans were attacked in their houses, and unfortunately, I was one of them. The protests started getting more aggressive and one day, I was at home with my family and praying that nothing bad would happen. On a Wednesday at noon, a group of people aggressively entered to my house yelling at us for not being outside fighting for our country. After they entered, those people thought that we were “Chavistas”, which means that we were from the side of the president. They started to slap me in my face, stole the food, and stole our car. I couldn’t feel worse that day. No food, no medicine, no gas, family, and friends passed away, and my family and I were not even secure at home. It was a feeling that I don’t wish for anybody. After those events, nothing can compare to what I felt in 2017.

                     

    This protest affected Venezuelans in many ways. Some Venezuelans even lost their memory about what exactly happened due to this traumatic situation, but for many, it will be an unforgettable year filled with difficulties. Having lived days and months without electricity, water, food, medicine, and even without gas was one of the adversities that Venezuelans have experienced. After a storm, comes the radiant sun, a beautiful phrase that my maternal family used to say. Although the situation in my country is still bad, I’m now in another country and starting a new life, but I still hope that things in Venezuela can change.

This essay was written in memory of my deceased family members and friends.

Essay#2：Cause and Effect Essay

                                                             War Hero

There is a Chinese saying, “The world is beautiful because someone is carrying a heavy load for you”. It means Chinese people can enjoy a happy and peaceful life today because many selfless Chinese heroes died fighting for the country. My grandfather was one of those heroes. China was attacked by Japan during the Second World War. During the Japanese invasion, China was in the most painful situation where houses were destroyed, women were raped, and many people were killed. In 1938, Japan completely invaded Guangdong China, and my grandfather's parents were victims of this invasion. At that time, my grandfather was only sixteen years old. After losing his parents, my grandfather participated in the army bravely and fought in the Guangzhou War. After the war was over, he came back to Yunfu and married my grandmother. Although my grandfather has passed away, his experience has had a deep influence on our whole family and has shaped my character. 

One of the most important effects was that my grandfather improved our family’s standard of living. After the war, my grandfather soon got a good job when he returned to his hometown Yunfu. He learned how to fix planes during the war, so he arranged to work at a local business. He had a good income to satisfy all the demands of his family. From then on, my grandmother no longer worked in the fields, and she could stay at home to take care of my father and other siblings. Apart from this, he also left a good property for his children and his grandchildren. As a war hero, he made a big contribution to peaceful life in China. Therefore, my grandfather received compensation every year from the government. 

In addition, due to my grandfather’s hero status and spirit, my father was inspired to be a policeman who protected the country and people. When my father was growing up, he often listened carefully to my grandfather’s brave and painful stories that took place in the Second World War. These stories filled my father with justice and patriotism. After my father graduated from high school, he made a big decision to participate in the police school to serve China in any way he could. He knew that once he became a policeman, he could protect China better just like his father had done in the war. Furthermore, during my father’s career, he made many contributions to society’s security. I clearly remember one of the cases. Many years ago, a young woman was robbed of her money and killed in her house. Eventually, my father quickly found the criminal and detained him. My father was promoted and was praised by the government because he solved this case. Obviously, my grandfather’s spirit did not only affect my father’s job but also inspired him to take pains to protect society’s security.

Finally, my grandfather shaped my character and taught me the importance of justice and peace. Due to the eight-year painful war experience, there was only justice and darkness in my grandfather’s mind. His brave experiences inspired me to be a just person. For instance, when I was a child, my grandfather rode his bike to take me to the supermarket. While we were there, we witnessed a man who stole money from an old lady. My grandfather quickly chased the man, caught him bravely, and tied his hands with his belt. This event left a strong impression on me and deepened my belief of justice. Moreover, compared to my grandfather’s painful war life, I appreciate the peaceful life I have now. During the war, my grandfather was hungry and cold, lost his friends, and suffered hurt. I feel so lucky because my present life is happier, and I realize that happiness doesn't always come easily. Thus, I will cherish the happy life more now.

In conclusion, even though my grandfather passed away many years ago, his influence still lives on my family. I am very proud to be a granddaughter of such a wonderful and brave man. Because Chinese people cannot have a happy and peaceful life without heroes from the war, I am thankful for their efforts. At the moment, there are still many unfair and conflicts in the world. Therefore, the most important thing for people from all over the world is that we should try our best to protect the peace of the world.

Iran Revolution 1979

 The Revolution

            When the Iranian Revolution happened, I wasn't born yet. Iran was on its way to growing as a modern country, like new western nations, under the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah. However, many factors drove people toward revolution. Before the Pahlavi era, Iran was under control of the Qajar dynasty, whose inappropriate rulers greatly harmed Iran’s economy and culture. People were angry about the Qajar dynasty and desired a Republic, but instead the Pahlavi monarchy took power. Mohammad Reza Shah tried to westernize Iran’s culture and most parts of the industry were under the control of western professionals, such as oil. Additionally, when Mosaddeq nationalized the oil, Britain, supported by US and the Shah, staged a coup against him. It made people angrier. Moreover, freedom of speech was completely limited, and protesting could cause jail or death. During this time, religious leaders gained popularity. The revolution began from universities and mosques to change the government from a monarchy to a Republic. However, after a year, Ayatollah Khomeini gained so much power and popularity, and he forced the Shah to leave Iran. This was the moment the government changed to an Islamic Republic. The history of Iran and the lives of millions Iranian changed in several ways after the revolution.

After the Revolution, the first part of society that was affected was the economy. Changing the government made the relationship between Iran and Western countries worse. Western governments put sanctions on Iran, stopped trading with Iran and helped Iraq to start a war with Iran. It caused Iran’s economy to crash. Most brands and western markets cut their own relationships with Iran, and Iranians had to take control of businesses that were run by western professionals who left after the revolution. In a few years, Iranians took the control and defended against Iraqi invasion, but the effects of war and the economic crash were big enough to even affect me when I was growing up. An unstable economy was never truly fixed and always affected people’s life in various ways. Prices rise every year, and the Iranian Rial lost worth in the international market. During that time, The Islamic government moved towards dictatorship step by step.

After the Revolution, people's freedom of speech became more limited. Religious leaders gained so much power in the government, and they pushed aside wise and educated people in the government. They tried to influence all universities, schools, and workplaces with religious laws, and they controlled religious beliefs, by censoring books, movies, music, and art. The censoring and the belief control were so strong in the few first years after the revolution. During the time I was growing up, I had easier access to movies and books than my parents. I grew up watching a lot of movies from different countries. Many actresses, actors, and singers left the country after revolution but continued their art from outside of Iran. Many TV shows and news channels started working to cover the truths that the government was trying to hide. People started using satellite dishes, and the government couldn't do anything about it. People always found a way to access everything that the government tried to censor or limit.

After the Revolution, women faced several limitations. Before the revolution, women started to have significant access to education, participating in universities and held high positions in society and government. However, religious leaders didn’t support women in power. They believe men should be in charge. The government forced women to wear a hijab in all places by law. Pressure and laws limited women’s freedom in various parts of society. Even singing was forbidden for women, and the brainwashing of girl students started in schools. I faced all these pressures and limitations when I was growing up. When my mother was my age, laws and pressure against women were stronger than in my time, but it was still enough to make me want to leave the country.

The revolution took a wrong turn and has had a big effect on every Iranian. The situation in Iran, today isn't much different from previous dictatorships. All these changes and rules have affected my life, my parents’ lives, and will affect the lives of many generations in Iran. Growing up after the revolution made me more careful about beliefs and politics. Fortunately, despite government efforts, they couldn't stop women and people from standing up for their rights. Religious law and beliefs don't have the same effect, popularity, or powers as they had during the revolution. Women continue their way to have high positions in science and government and they no longer follow the rule of hijab and fight for the freedom to choose whether to wear hijab or not. After the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl due to the hijab rule, people, students, and the young generation protest against Islamic Republic in every possible way, more than before, and keep fighting for woman, life and freedom.

Different Direction

 Different Direction

       My family has walked on a straight road for a long time, but they discovered a big hole in the center. They had to change the direction. In 1966, the Cultural Revolution started in China, and the whole country entered a big crisis because Chairman Mao wanted to preserve communism and avoid capitalism. Then, he launched reform. It caused many communists to be against intellectuals and private land ownership. My great-grandfather who was a teacher killed himself because he could not bear the criticism. Moreover, my grandparents rented three houses in the village were criticized, too. They lost their social status, and the family was in decline. Two years later, Deng Xiao Ping pointed out the mistake in the Cultural Revolution. He tried to make the economy recover, so he created Reform and Opening Up. The majority of people had many opportunities to change their lives at that time. As a result, my family also started looking for a new way to live and exist in China.

       In the beginning, my family found it hard to save themselves. After the Cultural Revolution, they lost everything in the village. They did not have any income, so their life became terrible. They did not have enough money to buy food, and they needed to walk to the food bureau to get some food at dawn because the food bureau was far from their house. The traffic was inconvenient in the village, and it also difficult to walk. Moreover, my father did not have anything to do. He could not go to school because my grandparents could not afford it, and he did not have any friends. Children in the village were warned by their parents not to play with my father because their families were afraid to help others at that time. They could only solve their own problems. If they helped other people one time, some people would ask them for help again and again. That would bring people who lent a helping hand into trouble. This makes my father lonely.

       However, my family moved to a city to start a new life during the Reform and Opening period. They tried to leave the bad memories behind them and make a change. They thought living in the city was more convenient than living in the village because the roads were more modern. The bus stop was about five minutes from their house, so they could go out and buy things easily. In addition, my grandfather contributed to Reform and Opening Up. He actively responded to reforms and met a person who was good at architecture. He learned some skills about architecture from that person. He earned money after he became a builder. Our house in China was also built by my grandfather and his friends.

       Furthermore, my father had an opportunity to change his life. Everything was new in his eyes when he went to the city for the first time. He went to school again and found his other half. My mother met him in a painting class because my father’s major was drawing, and he practiced there every day. My mother had a similar experience with my father, so they had things in common. They often talked about how they lived through their terrible childhood. They quickly fell in love, and a few years later, they got married. They saw many people catch the chance to earn money during the reform, so they started to open a business. Then, they opened a grocery, but it was not an easy job. After they moved many places and tried many times, the business picked up.

       My family changed their lives in the correct direction. For example, they tried to forget the bad memories and moved to a city. That caused everything to change in a positive way. Before I came to the U.S., I enjoyed the fruits of their labor, so I had good surroundings and education and did not need to care about food or money. I think if we find something wrong on our road, we should not stop. We can change a direction, so we may find a better life.

City Life

 

City Life

Parents always want the best for their children even though this can represent a big sacrifice. A good example of this happened to my family a couple of years ago. When my mother was in high school, my grandparents decided to start looking for better opportunities for their daughters instead of remaining in the same place in Chihuahua for the rest of their lives. They used to live in a small village, and the only nearby high school was boarding School four hours away. In addition, the universities were in the city, so they analyzed the options and decided to move to Chihuahua City, which is the capital of the state. Even though they knew this would be a big change, they decided to take the chance and move.

At the beginning, it was hard for everybody because not only did they have to say goodbye to everything they knew, but they also divided forces, some stayed in the city and some others at the village. The principal source of income for the family was my grandfather’s activities as a cattleman and farmer. Moreover when all the women moved to find their way in the city, they were grappling with this new life and all that it brought. My grandfather stayed at his farm, and only visited them during the fallow period. My grandmother always mentioned that the hardest part of this movement was to find a home. She mentioned that my grandfather just gave her the money and told her to take the girls and find a house. When it happened, she took with her the four youngest of their daughters that were not at school at that moment and went to Chihuahua with the intention to buy a house. This way when the rest if the family came, there was already a place for them to stay.

Another thing that the family had to deal with were different traditions and opportunities in this big city. This new city represented a new challenge for all the members because of the life they were accustomed to having. For the ones that attended  the boarding school, this new school was very difficult. This new school was very noisy and stressful, and male classmates were allowed at the classrooms. For the rest of the daughters that were older enough to work, they had to get a part time job to support the house. When I asked them, all agreed that one of worst parts was to adapt to the new kind of food. The oldest of the daughters, Josefina, always mentioned that she missed the big red guayabas a lot, that she used to cut from the tree, they also missed the fresh cheese the local farmers used to make, and the dry beef they eat every time they slaughter a cow.

A lot of memories have been lost since my grandparents made this decision. Some photos remain from that life. However, none of the third generations or the grandsons and granddaughters had the opportunities to go there because of the poor road conditions, is winding and unpaved. Even if my grandfather still wore boots, all his grandchildren are distant to have idea or to know the job he used to do at his farm. One thing is certain which is their daughters improved themselves. All of them attended high school and some of them went to the university.

When I look back in time, I thank my grandparents for being brave to make that decision to move to Chihuahua City. I have started to feel the same way because I decided to move to the United States with my family, looking for better life and adapting to a new country. Sometimes I think about it and ask myself if I prefer to be a country woman instead of a city woman, the one who is scared of the bugs and attends to the zoo to see the animals or the one that can be able to be in touch with nature and understand the cattle business. I am sure that I will find out in a couple of years. It is just a matter of time.