abortion, class and race

Going back to wednesdays class, abortion came up in our class. In American society, abortion and teenage pregnancy seem to be major taboos for teenagers. However, for the Mexican-Americans, this was a sign of adulthood. This is what they were aspiring for. Middle class white girls get birth control and often get abortions. This is because a) they can afford it, and b) because like the preps, they want to seem innocent and "pure". They don't want ot be seen as promiscuous. They also have resources that are readily available to them. One of these resources is money. Also, White American girls want to have children later because they want to take the path of college. They want to get a good education because they believe it will create a more comfortable way of living.

However, for the Mexican-American girls a baby would be like a badge a girl scout would get. It's an accomplishment. Abortion is not an option. A reason why this is so is because of their religion. In Catholicism, abortions are looked down upon. A fetus has life, and abortion is killing a life. This is a sin. Therefore, keeping the baby is better than being seen as a sinner.