Kinship Chart and Analysis

Kinship Chart and Analysis

My subject name is Yin Hor. Yin is my mother, she is also mother to seven other children. She was born in Cambodia.  Being raised as a young Asian girl, she was raised in a strict house hold, and taught to be respectful of adults no matter how they treat you. During her years in Cambodia, she lived through slavery, proverty, and the war against Vietnam.

I visited my mother who lives fourtyfive minutes away to conduct the interview. I sat on her couch and begin to ask questions. She started to move around and find her way into the kitchen. During the interview, we found her cooking a full course meal. In the beginning I was pretty comfortable as an anthropologist. There were some questions that make us both feel uncomfortable. I believe that the awkwardness had an effect on my interview. I can see that she was hurting and I did not want to press her. This caused me to stray from the subject and ask something a bit more upbeat. If she was not related to me, I don’t know if her story would affect me the same way. I would perhaps be able to continue my interview.

The kinship pattern in my family are that the eldest are the most respected. As far as the children are concerned, if you are born first you have the most say over your siblings. I have a brother who is only one year older but I have to respect him as if he was my father. This was very hard for me especially being raised in America. I saw the Western culture behaving in a much different way than how I was raised. I did not see a closeness between any of my five older brothers. I saw the respect that was present only because of the paternal line. As they got older, I started to see the bond between my brothers. The bond exists because of all the struggles they endured together.

Being from a large family, we were able to protect each other. There was always someone around to look out for you. My mother thinks that we are wealthy in having a big family, wealth in laughter, love, and family bond. From my eyes I remember she was also wealthy is pain, concern, and tears for her family members. We were raised to respect our eldest but my I find my mother listing more to my youngest brother and baby sister.

As we were growing up, my mother treated the boys very differently than the girls. The boys were the rulers of the house, while the girls were treated as the maids and cook. My mother believes that a man is superior to woman. We are to be submissive and honoring. I strongly disagreed with her because I was struggling to find myself, it still have an effect on me. I find myself treating my husband the same way my mother treated her husband (my father).

My mother still try to teach us, the way of her culture. She wants us to be respectful of our eldest brother and follow what he says. My brothers have a lot of influence on my mother. The oldest was the most powerful. I assume since she has changed some of that beliefs, since the younger brother and the baby sister have just as much if not more influence on her. Perhaps its because she’s getting older and is trying to hold on to her youngest of both genders.

I was not close to any of my parents family members. My mother had one living brother and all the others died in Cambodia. My uncle who lived in Texas died about ten years ago, she was very close to him. I remember living with him as a young child but the memories are very faded. I or my mother do not know any story of my father’s family. My father was in the army and that was how they met. He never told her anything about his family.

In our culture when a girl is married, the family loses a daughter. She goes to live with her inlaws and are obligated to their family. My brothers who are married remains the man of the house and the become the man of his wife’s family house, depending on who is the oldest.Our family treat people who are married into the family, the same way we treat our own blood. My sister in laws who are married to my brothers, are treated as my older sisters. They are my mother’s daughters.

By doing this exercise I learned that my family had more background then I ever thought of. Though it appears to be simple and plain, when broken down, I realize we had family values that I’ve forgotten about. Values to always be respectful of adults. I find myself disagreeing with people who are older than me, not thinking twice about my culture. I realize it was not about who is wrong or right, is was just being respectful of your elders, who are well deserving of it.

Sayom M.