Stuck in the Middle

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America is classified as the largest melting pot in the world. There are different beliefs, religions, and cultures that make up America and every individual in it. These may be great contributors to our nation, but unfortunately there are another major factors that aren't being taken under consideration by the individuals that pertain to the nation. This factor would be the acceptance of hybridity within a family. Individuals believe America is all about freedom, liberty, and equality. Little do they know there is more being contributed in an individuals daily life. In Pat Mora's, “Legal Alien,” she expresses the difficulty of acceptance and rejection within a female's life. Deconstruction enhances the understanding of the emotional drive this female individual goes through with a mixture of binaries and hybridity to help this female come to a final conclusion to what she classifys herself as. The whole message behind “Legal Alien,” is that there is a female individual, who is from Mexico and is considered a Mexican-American. She speaks both Spanish and English fluently and her occupation consist of a position in an American office. She also enjoys eating her favorite Spanish dishes in a Mexican restaurant. However, she stresses both worlds on a daily basis. She's Mexican to her family because they raised her and understand her, but she's American to her co-workers because she belongs to the same facility as they do. And each side visualizes her as a different person, as if her it was her appearance that changed from one minute to another. One may think this female individual is lucky to be part of the two cultures. However,trying to be acceptance into both groups is nearly impossible for this individual. To begin,... ... middle of paper ... ... did Pat Mora mention that she tries to hide from one culture behind another or that she is trying to replace one culture with the another. She's just trying to figure out the misunderstanding perspectives from both parties. The title fits perfectly because this individual is a Mexican-American who doesn't know her position in the eyes of others. She feels as if she does belong to a group but at the same time she feels as if shes an outsider to another. In other words a "Legal Alien" . After one analyzes and views the different perspectives of the individual's family and co-workers, the female character in the poem can realize that hybridity and binaries make her who is she. Works Cited Mora, Pat. "Legal Alien" ." Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. By John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 1004-005. Print.

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