In class we read four stories about immigrants and their experiences. Out of all the stories the one that touched me and I could relate to the most was “No Speak English” by Sandra Cisneros. Mamacita is the main character in this story. She is the new comer, “immigrant”, in the new city. Mamacita later on starts missing her home very much. She paints her walls in her apartment pick like her old pink house. All she does all day, is sit by the window listening to the Spanish radio shows just so that she could hear songs that reminded her of her country to that she wouldn’t feel so homesick. Then she realized that it actually made her miss it more. Then as time passes by, her baby boy starts talking in English and she can’t understand, making her hurt badly. I can definitely relate to Mamasita’s experience to my mother’s experience when she arrived in America, New York to be exact. My mom missed her home in Colombia very much. She would try to do or listen to everything that she though wouldn’t make her feel so homesick but the realized just as well, that it made her feel even more homesick. My mom isolated herself from the world and didn’t meet anybody for the first 4 months. My mom began thinking to herself during these four months, “How can you meet other people and make a new home a familiar environment for yourself if you never give it a chance and leave the house?” Lately, I have been realizing that experiences like this are never easy. Feeling alone really hurts a lot of people emotionally, especially being different from everyone else around you. When you feel different from the new people around you, you begin to feel left out and all you want to do is run and hide. Doing this does not allow you to meet new people and experience new things. There is nothing wrong with your own kind or what you are used to being around but then you will never be okay in an unfamiliar environment.
Enrique, someone who has hands on experience with this, went to the United States to find his mother and start a new life with her. Enrique was very sad leaving his old life behind. He had a girlfriend, Maria Isabel, whom he loved very much and later he found that Maria Isabel was pregnant with their daughter. Enrique knew that he left Honduras for a reason and he knew he had to deal with missing experiences such as his daughter’s important moments.Enrique accepted the obstacles he had to overcome by remembering that in Honduras his life was for the worse. In Honduras, money was scarce, life was sad, and his family depended on him to send money back to them by working in the United States.
This novel is a story of a Chicano family. Sofi, her husband Domingo together with their four daughters – Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and Loca live in the little town of Tome, New Mexico. The story focuses on the struggles of Sofi, the death of her daughters and the problems of their town. Sofi endures all the hardships and problems that come her way. Her marriage is deteriorating; her daughters are dying one by one. But, she endures it all and comes out stronger and more enlightened than ever. Sofi is a woman that never gives up no matter how poorly life treats her. The author- Ana Castillo mixes religion, super natural occurrences, sex, laughter and heartbreak in this novel. The novel is tragic, with no happy ending but at the same time funny and inspiring. It is full of the victory of the human spirit. The names of Sofi’s first three daughters denote the three major Christian ideals (Hope, Faith and Charity).
The story begins with Titas birth prematurely when Mama Elena was chopping onions. Tita grows up with Nacha the most dominant figure in her life, and follows Mama Elenas routine of cooking, cleaning and sewing. At every incident she can, Mama Elena criticizes Tita and even beats her if she tries to speak up. One day Tita tells her mother that Pedro wants to come and ask for her hand, but according to the family tradition she cannot marry because she is the youngest daughter. Mama Elena tells Pedro he can marry Rosaura- one of her older daughters, and Pedro agrees to the arrangement just to be closer to his true love- Tita.
In the four years between 1861 and 1865 this country was in civil war over the rights and freedom of blacks in America. When all was said and done, the blacks won their freedom and gained several rights that would make their lives better. Nearly one hundred years later, in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry wrote her great play, A Raisin in the Sun. It described the everyday life of a black family in the Southside of Chicago sometime after World War II. Throughout the play, Hansberry talks of the difficulties that the Younger family faces trying to get from one day to another; the problems that should have been resolved by the Civil War. Even after the Civil War and this play, many of these problems still exist today.
After reading The Book of the Unknown Americans, I realized how difficult immigrating to the United States can be. I am an immigrant also, so just reading the story makes me relate to many problems immigrants experience relocating to a different country. Immigrants often face many issues and difficulties, but for some it is all worth it, but for others there comes a point in time where they have to go back to their hometown. Alma and Arturo Rivera came to the United States to better their life, but also so that Maribel could attend a special education school. While Arturo had a job things had gone well for the family, but once Arturo lost the job and passed away the two of them had to go back because they felt that that was the best option for them. Reading this book made me realize how strong an individual has to be to leave their own country and relocate somewhere else not knowing if this will better your life or cause one to suffer.
Edward Snowden, former CIA employee and contractor for the NSA, revealed last year the secret NSA surveillance programs that were used to monitor the United States and foreign countries for terrorists. In May 2013, he met with journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras and disclosed countless NSA files, that were then published. The files contained information on several secret surveillance programs, as well as other not yet published files. Snowden has fled to other countries for asylum, since the United States government has charged him with espionage and theft of government property. A charge that was expected, as he he predicted that they would "say I have broken the Espionage Act and helped our enemies, but that can be used against anyone who points out how ma...
In the novel, “The Book of Unknown Americans,” by Cristina Henriquez, she writes about the life of peoples migrating from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela and many similar Spanish-speaking countries to the United States. This novel talks in deep about the hardships faced by such peoples. Many characters are involved to make this story interesting. But the story mainly revolves around Alma and Mayor. Alma is married to Arturo Rivera and belongs to Mexico. Also, she is the mother of Maribel. Basically, she is the one who cares for the betterment of her family first rather than other materialistic things around her. She is a great character with many redeeming qualities who sincerely plays her role as a supportive wife and as a dutiful mother.
“You are in America, speak English.” As a young child hearing these words, it did not only confuse me but it also made me question my belonging in a foreign country. As a child I struggled with my self-image; Not being Hispanic enough because of my physical appearance and not being welcomed enough in the community I have tried so hard to integrate myself with. Being an immigrant with immigrant parents forces you to view life differently. It drives you to work harder or to change the status quo for the preconceived notion someone else created on a mass of people. Coming to America filled me with anxiety, excitement, and even an unexpected wave of fear.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein explores the downfall of certain human characteristics, set to the backdrop of creation, destruction, and preservation. The subtitle denoted by Shelly herself supports this idea, by relating the fact that the title can be viewed as either Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. One scholar, Marilyn Butler, also maintains this by noting, "It can be a late version of the Faust Myth"(302). Shelly uses the story of the main character, Victor Frankenstein, to produce the concept of a dooming human characteristic of which Frankenstein states, "I have . . . been blasted in these hopes"(Shelley, 152). The reader finds, as a result of his thirst for knowledge and infatuation with science, Victor creates a living being by whom he has "suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes"(Shelley, 17). Eventually, Victor realizes this self-destructive trait, but he is not able to save himself stating, "I have lost everything, and cannot begin life anew"(Shelley, 16). Although everything in his life that is dear has been lost, Victor is able to convince one in his same position--Robert Walton--to not "lead [his crew] unwillingly to danger"(Shelley, 151). While addressing the concept of characteristic and self-discovery, it is possible to realize that the monster also possesses the characteristics held by both Victor and Walton; except in his learning, the monster is driven to continue to cause destruction. Most important about the thirst for knowledge is that, as a form of human characteristic or downfall, it leads to large, critical pieces of self-discovery. In obtaining these critical pieces, Frankenstein finds satisfaction in j...
Creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of African-American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by African-American author which was set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Award Society of New York Critics as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary African-American family which dreams of happiness and their desire to achieve their dream.
Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a disease that weakens the musculoskeletal system and affects the ability to move. MD also affects groups of muscles. In the 1860’s it was described that boys were progressively growing weaker, losing the ability to move and died at an early age. A decade after the first description a French, neurologist named Guillaume Duchenne gave account for thirteen boys with the most common and severe forms of Muscular Dystrophy. MD is being caused by a mutation of a gene within the X chromosome, and affects predominately males. Most MD are multisystem disorders and can affect other body systems that include the heart, gastrointestinal, nervous system, endocrine glands, eyes and brain. There are over 50,000 people in the United States that are diagnosed or living with muscular dystrophy.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known stories, recounts the tale of the reckless King Gilgamesh and his adventures with his friend Enkidu, a natural man created by the gods from clay to humble and teach Gilgamesh to become a better ruler. Through Enkidu’s death, the once fearless Gilgamesh becomes fearful of his own inevitable demise and journeys to find immortality. However, by finding compassion for his humanity, he is able to come to terms with his mortality and continue living wholeheartedly as the ruler of Uruk. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh learns to accept his mortality by gaining compassion for himself.
It was a beautiful, sunny day in South Florida. I was six years old, playing by the pool with my new puppy. I loved swimming in the pool almost every day after school. I also enjoyed going out on our boat after school or crossing the street and going to the beach. My father came home one evening with some interesting news. Now, I do not remember exactly how I felt about the news at that time, but it seemed like I did not mind that much. He had announced that we were going to move back to my birth country, Belgium. I had been living in Florida for five years and it was basically all I had known so I did not know what to expect. I had to live with my mom at first, and then my sister would join us after she graduated high school and my father finished settling things. I remember most of my earlier childhood by watching some old videos of me playing by the pool and dancing in the living room. It seemed like life could not get any better. However, I was excited and impatient to experience a new lifestyle. I realized that I could start a whole new life, make new friends and learn a new language. Belgium was not as sunny as South Florida but it has much better food and family oriented activities. Geographic mobility can have many positive effects on younger children, such as learning new languages, being more outgoing, and more family oriented; therefore, parents should not be afraid to move around and experience new cultures.
Elizabeth Browning was born in 1806 at Coxhoe Hall Durham England. Elizabeth was the oldest of twelve children and was the first out of her family to be born in England over two hundred years. For years Elizabeth and her family lived in Jamaica where they owned a sugar plantation and ruled on slave labor. Elizabeth father Edward chose to raise his family in England while his fortune grew in Jamaica. Elizabeth Browning father owned a plantation in Jamaica. Elizabeth and the rest of her sibling stayed in England where they was raised while her father fortune grew in Jamaica. Browning Elizabeth.” Life in Her Parent’s House.After the death of Elizabeth mother she continued to stay with her father in Jamaica. Elizabeth father began to send Elizabeth younger siblings to Jamaica to help with their family estate. Elizabeth did not like slavery and she did not want her family to be sent away. Elizabeth father owned a plantation and her younger siblings went out to help him with...
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born on March 6, 1806 near Durham, England to Edward Barrett Moulton. Elizabeth’s family was from Jamaica. Her father’s health was derived from extensive sugar plantations in Jamaica; this was the proprietor of “Hope Island”. Her father began to suffer from financial losses, and could no longer afford to maintain the Hope Estate. She was the eldest of twelve children. Elizabeth was an English Poet who was known for her love poems. Elizabeth’s childhood nickname was “Ba”. She spent most of her childhood at a country house in MarrenHills, Worcestershire. At the age of four she composed verses. She began to write poetry at the age of six. Before Elizabeth was ten she read the histories of England, Greece, Rome, and several other Shakespeare plays. Elizabeth was educated at home. At the age of fifteen she was seriously ill as a result of a spinal injury and heart palpitations that plagued her permanently. Doctors treated her with morphine that she would have to take for the rest of her life. Elizabeth wrote her first book by the age of fifteen. Unlike her two sisters she immersed herself in the world of books. By the age of twenty she was offered to the public with no induction of au...