...the essay "It’s Hard Enough Being Me," Anna Lisa Raya relates her experiences as a multicultural American at Columbia University in New York and the confusion she felt about her identity. She grew up in L.A. and mostly identified with her Mexican background, but occasionally with her Puerto Rican background as well. Upon arriving to New York however, she discovered that to everyone else, she was considered "Latina." She points out that a typical "Latina" must salsa dance, know Mexican history, and most importantly, speak Spanish. Raya argues that she doesn’t know any of these things, so how could this label apply to her? She’s caught between being a "sell-out" to her heritage, and at the same time a "spic" to Americans. She adds that trying to cope with college life and the confusion of searching for an identity is a burden. Anna Raya closes her essay by presenting a piece of advice she was given on how to deal with her identity. She was told that she should try to satisfy herself and not worry about other people’s opinions. Anna Lisa Raya’s essay is an informative account of life for a multicultural American as well as an important insight into how people of multicultural backgrounds handle the labels that are placed upon them, and the confusion it leads to in the attempt to find an identity. Searching for an identity in a society that seeks to place a label on each individual is a difficult task, especially for people of multicultural ancestry. Raya’s essay is an...
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...How does our culture influence our identity and view of the world? There are several opinions whether culture influences us, never, sometimes, or always. Throughout this unit we have read and watched several pieces that can be used to argue each side of the argument. Pieces such as “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Robert Lake, and “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora, can be used to argue more than one of these views.These pieces show how culture constantly influences one and their view of the world. Some may believe that culture that culture rarely informs how we view the world and others. This can be argued using examples from Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use” in which two sisters “Dee” and “Maggie” who once shared a culture now see the world very differently. According to Dee, Maggie is “‘backward enough to put them to...
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...Caught Between Cultures Gloria Anzaldúa’s The Homeland, Aztlán / El Otro México, explores the political and social impact of creating borders between places and their residents. Through use of her unique and diverse writing style, Anzaldúa is able to capture the struggle faced by displaced Mexicans and their posterity. Not only is she able to accurately portray their hardships, but she is also able to alienate her white audience by using both English and Spanish. This is done in a way that provides some insight into the cultural barriers that Mexican-Americans encounter. Her use of historical context illuminates the injustice that these people were subject to, while her incorporation of firsthand experiences and family history give the reader a more personal view of the trials and tribulations of a typical Mexican family. The combination of these different writing techniques make the reader empathize with the Mexican people’s struggle, by providing a new perspective on the conflict between Mexico and the United States and its impact. Anzaldúa uses a substantial amount of background information and history to provide context for her audience. She begins by explaining that the oldest evidence of human existence in the United States, is from the ancestors of the Chicanos, who settled there in 35,000 B.C. (Anzaldúa 41). This initial piece of history is important because it shows that the ancestors of the Chicanos were the first inhabitants of the land that is now modern day...
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...Definition Essay We Are Our Own People I grew up in an urban city in Southern California where Caucasians were the minorities and a person who did not speak Spanish was often made fun of. The barrios, or neighborhoods, were home to thousands of Mexican immigrants who’d come to the United Sates in hopes of better lives for their children. The chavalitos, or children, of these people were first generation American and were Chicanos, that is, American children born of full-blooded Mexican parents. I always considered myself a Chicana; I never called myself Mexican or American. To me, this was normal because I had never been around people who were different. When I left my hometown, I realized that most people outside of the Mexican-American community did not fully understand what it meant to be a Chicano or had no idea what the word meant. The word Chicano traces back to the pre-Columbian era, when Mexico was still Meshico. It stems from Meshicano, an ancient Nahuatl word used by the Aztecs meaning “native.” The natives referred to themselves as Meshicanos, and even Shicanos, thus giving birth to the term “Chicano”. The term made its appearance in America, and was used to identify children born on American soil of Mexican descent. Our forefathers came to America seeking better lives and new opportunities for their children. With them, they brought their culture: music, food, customs and traditions. The combination of this with mainstream American culture...
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...The Effects of Clashing Cultures Our world today is populated with distinctive cultures and their unique languages, communication, beliefs, etc. that make our universe exquisitely diverse. As human beings, we tend to adapt to our own culture quite fast and we become used to perceiving our group of people as the only thing that is "good." We fear wanting to assimilate or broaden our knowledge to other cultures, for it is our natural instinct to shut out anything unfamiliar to us. In her essay, "Arts of the Contact Zone," Mary Louise Pratt argues for importance of understanding the point where two cultures clash, the contact zone, and that it can be powerful to engage in one's culture by expanding our grasp of knowledge and wisdom in the diversity we live in today. Pratt introduces three major concepts in her argument that exemplify the objective of her essay: the contact zone, autoethnographic texts, and transculturation. Upon viewing two other pieces by Richard Rodriguez, “The Achievement of Desire” and Gloria Anzaldua’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Rodriguez and Anzaldua demonstrate Pratt's argument by supporting her concepts about the influence of contact zones between two juxtaposing cultures. In her argument, "Arts of the Contact Zone," Pratt introduces the theme of her argument, the contact zones: the point where cultures clash and come together in unison. Where one culture has a lot more power than the other. A contact zone is the root of how...
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...and Personal Response In the essay "Se Habla Espanol" by Tanya Maria Barrientos, she identifies her struggles of being a Latina native who does not speak the language. From Guatemala, Tanya came to the United States at three years old, in 1963, with her family and gave up communicating in Spanish quickly. Her parents determined that their children would only speak, read, and write English to fit into what they called the “Anglo Society” (Barrientos, 2011). In her younger years, Tanya herself believed that if she fit in with this society, she could escape the Spanish stereotypes. At sixteen, Tanya’s father decided to send her to Mexico to help her see that being called Mexican was not an insult but more of an honor. Tanya was reluctant to go, but when she did, she found out that she loved the environment and culture. Sending her to Mexico gave her a new sense of pride that she didn't exactly know how to sustain. The author opens the essay registering for a Spanish class for the sixth time. According to Tanya in the wake of expressing her last name, she naturally heard that snippet of delay from the other man on the telephone. She reveals how she feels when people see her or hear her last name, they automatically expect her to speak Spanish. Tanya and her family came to the United States in 1963. Immediately at the age of three both of her parents decided that their children would defy the odds of their Guatemalan culture and fit into the American society entirely. They communicated...
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...“Protecting Our America” After researching on America’s problems with border control and illegal immigration, I first have realized that two of the most important aspects of this highly controversial topic, relate to America’s economy and culture. Certain people, such as Anna Quidlen, author of essay “Immigration: Newcomers by Numbers”, believe that America relies on both legal and illegal immigrants to boost our economy and help our nation become more universal. My research presents the other side of this argument, by showing how illegal immigration has actually threatened our nation’s economy and culture more so than anything else. I originally agreed with Anna Quindlen, after reading her essay; all of her points describing the economic benefits America receives by employing undocumented workers seemed reasonable and accurate. Her plea states that they are just regular people in search of work, trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. I’m sure this is true in a lot of cases but unfortunately, there are more repercussions for allowing illegal immigrants to stay in our country than what meets the eye. Yes, it is true that these Mexican workers will take jobs that Americans turn down and yes, they will do them for cheaper. So in that sense, yes, illegal workers do benefit our economy, “but what is good for corporate America is not necessarily what is good for Middle America (Buchanan 49).” Simply paying taxes and filling lower income jobs such as farmhands...
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...Summary and Personal Response to Tanya Barrientos’s “ Se Habla Espanol” Honey Jupiter Strayer University English 115 Professor Charles Bretan 01/15/15 Abstract This essay “Se Habla Espanol” by Tanya Barrientos really expresses her struggle with being a Latino who does not speak Spanish. Barrientos was born in Guatemala. At the age of 3, her family moved to the United States. When Barrientos got to the States, she immediately stopped speaking Spanish. Now living in Texas, her parents decided that she could only speak, read, and write English. Barrientos made it a point to fit in with Americans. She hated didn’t like being called Mexican and hated what it seemed to mean to her. She stated, “To me, speaking Spanish translated into being poor. It meant waiting tables and cleaning hotel rooms.” (Barrientos) Barrientos saw it as a compliment not be considered Mexican. Her father wanted to show her that Mexican culture is beautiful and she should be proud of her heritage. Barrientos father sent her to Mexico for the summer in hopes that she would learn to be proud of being called Mexican. Surprisingly, her pride emerged and she wanted to learn to speak Spanish. Over the next couple of decades, the worlds’ view toward different cultures changed. It was okay to be of a different race. No one was associating Mexicans with just being waiters or housekeepers. Barrientos started taking classes, listening to tapes, and even hired a tutor. She even asked her parents to only speak Spanish...
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...MEXICIAN LATINOS IN AMERICAN. Mexico is a country located in the southern portion of North America, covers a period of more than two millennia. Mexico is a country that is very rich in history, tradition and culture. Mexico is made up of 31 states and one federal district. It is the third largest country in Latin America and has the largest population—more than 100 million—making it the home of more Spanish speakers than any other nation in the world. In United States, according to Gonzalez Mexican Latinos is the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world. It has 95 million residents, a high birth rate and desperate poverty (Gonzalez). Also, according to the Suarez and Paez in their book reported that the U.S Census Bureau claims that by the year 2050, a full quarter of U.S population will be of Latino origin in which Mexican American with a larger proportion. Mexican-Americans experience in the United States has been profoundly shaped by positives and negatives circumstances. The struggles with self-identification, economic factor, lack of quality education, discrimination at work and poor housing facility issue were the negative factors that Mexican-Americans battle with in United States. Even though, Mexican- Americans is very rich in history, tradition and culture but poor in education...
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...When I read the essay of Clara E. Rodriguez, it made me think if I defined myself either a Hispanic or Latina. There is no doubt in my mind that I define myself as a Chicana, not Latina, not Hispanic. A Chicana is the first generation Mexican American, born to parents of Mexican descent and raised in the Mexican traditional way, living in an American society and also being born and raised in Chicago. I am the first generation Mexican American. My parents raised me with the values, traditions and culture as they grew up in Mexico. Chicana are viewed in somewhat like way in the American and Mexican society. . Since I’ve been little, my parents instilled me with their family values, traditions and culture. Our family value’s revolves on religion and family. From my second grade to seventh grade, I attended...
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...values, norms, and traditions. With the world consisting of many different people and cultures the expectance of negative aspects, assumptions, or generalizations is not uncommon and can be summed up in the concept of ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is defined as the tendency to believe that one’s own race or ethnic group is the most important and that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other groups. (Wikipedia, 2009) Directed by Patricia Riggen, the film “La Misma Luna” also known as “Under the Same Moon” provides viewers with a glimpse of what life is like in the Mexican culture. While also introducing Mexican values and norms the film also addresses stereotypes and cultural biases distorted throughout the world. The drama, “Under the Same Moon” centers on a young boy’s journey across the US and Mexico border to be reunited with his mother. (Riggen, 2007)The Mexican adolescent, Carlito lives with his grandmother while his mother works as a maid in Los Angeles, California. Carlito’s mother, Rosario hopes to save up enough money and someday send for her child. When the grandmother dies unexpectedly, Carlito must sneak across the border and seek out his mother. Throughout this heartwarming and inspirational film, Carlito’s struggle to cross the border was depicted. Often called the “forgotten people” because of their lack of inclusion in history books, Mexican Americans are portrayed either in a negative light or as a stereotype. (Oracle Education Foundation...
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...Composition 15 Jan 2015 Introduction Se Habla Espanol is an essay written by Tanya Barrientos takes readers on her personal journey from childhood to adulthood as she begins to embrace her culture. She was born in Guatemala and came to the states at a very young age. Her story touches briefly on different periods of her life as she ages and details her state of mind as she originally did not identify herself as a Latina. Main Points Barrientos’ family moved to the United States when she was just three years old. The family settled in the state of Texas. At this time, the year being 1963 there was a common stigma against people who held on to their culture. To combat this stigma and ensure their children did not have a rough time they changed the way the communicate. Barrientos regularly recalls hearing her parents speak to each other in Spanish, but they would only talk to her and her sibling in English (Roen, Glau, & Maid, 2011, p. 59). Having the Spanish language effectively eliminated from her household at such a young age had a few adverse effects. Barrientos recalls having a sense of pride when being told that she did not seem Mexican by her friends. Between the ages of 7 and 16, her perception of speaking Spanish was a direct correlation between poverty. Her contention for the culture and wish to not be a part of the Latin label resulted in her saying to her father that she hated being called Mexican when she was 16. Her father sent her to Mexico City as a way...
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...A compilation of essays, The Labyrinth of Solitude mostly reflects on political history, while a few others tackle the experience of solitude in a direct manner. The author Octavio Paz holds to the belief that genres of solitude in society derive from a psychological fixation of defeat. For example, the Aztec’s humiliation begins with the harshly commanding leaders who are ousted and superseded by the Spanish fighters, which occurs during the independence period. In addition, the Aztec people grow intimidated by the North Americans. The outcome of these outside influences creates an oscillation between harsh treatment and aloofness. However, Paz elaborates that the feeling of being oppressed did not develop out of a sense of inferiority....
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...Culture and Identity Immigrants have help shaped both American culture and identity, but many people disagree, what do you think? Many people are mixed in America, they can have a black mom and a white dad, which are two totally different cultures and ultimately combined into one, when they have their child. Also, immigrants have helped shape identity by having many different identities from different countries coming to America. In Richard Rodriguez’s essay “Blaxicans and Other Reinvented Americans” he shows how immigrants shaped American culture by having mixed races, making America having mixed nationalities. For example in the essay Rodriguez states, “One doesn’t walk down the street decide to be 40 percent Mexican and 60 percent white”...
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...In the essay, “Aria:Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood,” Richard Rodriguez exposes the readers to the nature of being bilingual and living in America. Richard Rodriguez not only emphasizes the sound of language but also the context behind it. Through his paragraphs, he goes into depth about the education system, the public, private, and intimacy language, and how much coming home has changed over the years for him. In his essay, “Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood”, Rodriguez uses anecdotes, strong arguments, and his own voice to successfully argue that bilingual education is impractical, and a child using their native language as well as English in school and public life is not needed. In the first chapter, Rodriguez talks about the struggles of growing up in a Mexican home but when he leaves his house, he enters a whole new world. Using anecdotes Rodriguez states, “I was a bilingual child, a certain kind - socially disadvantaged - the son of working-class parents, both Mexican immigrants” (Rodriguez 322). Rodriguez uses many anecdotes like this throughout the essay to persuade his readers that being bilingual isn’t an advantage. As a child it can be very difficult going to a school where English is the primary language, and so Rodriguez felt that his native language was one that was private. His language was not socially acceptable by others and so he felt that he was obligated to learn the public language which was English. And until he learned English he didn’t feel welcomed...
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