Who is My Family?

While I do have many relatives in India and a few scattered around the United States, the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “family” is my mom and dad. Both of my parents, Abraham and Selin, were born and raised in India, and immigrated to the United States in 1992. They left their immediate family behind to pursue opportunities that could improve the quality of life for the family they were about to start in the U.S. Growing up as an only child, my parents were the one constant source of comfort and joy in my life. I did spend some time with other biological relatives, but these social interactions were short-lived, superficial, and usually forced by holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions.

Although this definition of family differs from some of the definitions of family established in the lecture, it reflects the sociological idea that the role of family members should be to socialize one to the world and provide financial and emotional support. Biologically, I am related to my 30 cousins, 12 aunts, and 9 uncles but since I have only met the majority of this group twice in my life, I do not consider them my true family because they do not fulfill this crucial role. My parents have been the most important people in my growth and development and I am the person I am today because of them.