Social expectations, whether we notice them or not, are everywhere and have been set for years now; without it being clear who should follow these rules and why. Being Mexican-American, I had the same mentality that Gary Soto had experienced as a child. Social influences give people a reason to conform and follow the crowd simply to meet the expectations of others. For some time I had doubts about what a perfect life really looked like and found myself wondering why other families were different from mine. In Soto, Gary “Looking for Work” found in the book “Rereading America”, published in 1989, the author raises a discussion on how assimilation is influenced by race and socioeconomic status. Throughout the story we see his point of view emerge through references to a perfect family structure, success in the form of social status, and differences in financial status. All of this has affected certain areas, especially the way we think, act, look or feel. His purpose in writing this article is to inform about class and financial differences. Soto in the article is trying to appeal to those who belong to opposite ends of the socioeconomic classes, i.e. the lowest and the highest, implying that they have the ability to change the way they view people above or below below them; especially teachers and students in the academic world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Soto uses media to demonstrate the impact entertainment has on its viewers and how they change their beliefs to adapt. We see the effect of this when he "watched morning reruns of Father Knows Best, whose family was so simple in his routine." Soto believed that the show itself demonstrated the structure of an ideal family that he wished to replicate. His family, compared to that of the TV series, was messy and disoriented; while the white families on screen seemed to be in a better place that could be considered utopian. He insisted on changing his immediate family when he noticed the habits they would display on a daily basis. “The first step was convincing my brother and sister to wear shoes to dinner.” Small changes in their routine led him to believe that his family might eventually become more like the Andersons. The feeling of belonging was not easy and at certain times made him feel like an outsider. In this case Soto wanted to take part in a new culture by slowly transforming into it. Soto was attracted to the family on television, so he tried to fit into a different lifestyle by slowly starting to do what they wanted. This would later influence his family and make them realize that by doing so they would change for the better. This idea was born from social pressure, he felt he had to leave behind his culture and traditions to succeed in America and be like everyone else. Through the use of pathos, Soto's values ​​are changed to think like an American and the goal is directed towards becoming a white boy in a Caucasian family. Everyone has a different idea of ​​what an American truly is, but this narrative expresses that the public should not be forced to become something they are not. Soto was not born rich, his family came from a low income, but he soon created a mentality where being rich leads to success and a better life. Knowing the position his family was in, he was looking for success and money which seemed to come easy to him.