Denise Spooner's A New Perspective On The Dream
Every day, thousands of people migrate to different sectors of the globe, to capitalize on
opportunity or pursue better lifestyles for themselves. California is one such state, which prides
itself in being able to accommodate diverse populations and cultures. Like many stipulated
theories, immigrants chose the land to inhabit based on the desire to acquire better living
standards for themselves. Immigrants that arrive in California for instance seek the warm natural
scenery provided by the state, the freedom to live whichever way they deem fit, the available
job resources, and the willingness to dream and achieve one’s dreams. Those who aspire to be
Californian are told that there are different methods to do this. …show more content…
The promises linked with being
Californian leaves them with the desire to migrate and gain the new life promised to them.
On closer examination, it becomes apparent that the concept of being Californian is
linked to individuals that have the freedom to live their lives as they please, work hard to achieve
their dreams, and be tolerant of diversity.
Nevertheless, any concept that goes against this
premise may lead to failure of not becoming a “real” Californian. To support this discussion,
an examination of Denise Spooner’s “A new Perspective on the Dream,” Quay’s “Interviews”
together with support from the survey result on Californian identity, will show that only
individuals’ that desire to live a free life, are tolerant of diversity, and aspire to achieve their
dreams qualify to be “real” Californians.
Excerpts from Spooner’s article gives the illumination that a “real” Californian is a
person that lives freely and enjoys every aspect of life. Spooner (2008, p.42) gives an illustration
of how people migrated from Iowa so that they could get away from the judgment surrounding
the community. In the post war era, California presented an area where one could run away from
sexism, racism, and self-freedom. The essence that surrounds freedom is the desire to escape
imprisonment or slavery offered within the society. It is also the desire to give an individual’s
TO BE A CALIFORNIAN
3
family new opportunity to experience realities that one may have missed. Therefore, they choose
to migrate to California since they experience a lack of advancement or retardation in their
current environment.
As I conduct some interviews with some of the individuals in the region, one respondent
retorted that he migrated to be free from poverty. This is a similar story to the one given by
Spooner, which talks about a young girl who experiences a sense of freedom through her uncle’s
migratory nature. It is evident through this story that freedom is acquired through progression
from the norm into areas that offer a sense of progress or achievement. While certain areas may
bring restriction into how much an individual can progress, California offers a place to gain new
insight into freedom and its splendor. Spooner continues and says that when many people hear
of the wonderful life in California, they cannot help, but find ways to get there (Spooner 2008).
This is a clear indication of the sense of peace and freedom experienced within the state.
An essential component of being a “real” Californian is taking risks as a way of
achieving one’s dreams or combating one’s problems. Many people are deprived of the splendid
essentials that life has to offer, and so grow up hoping to create better lives than they had. This is
evident in an interview of Cruz Reynoso as presented by Quay Cruz grew up in an age where
many Mexicans experience segregation, but through his efforts, he was able to acquire equality
for his school members of Mexican descent. Cruz, like many immigrants, had a desire to live
better lives than their parents or make better lives for future generations. Sometimes, however,
this implies sacrificing one’s time to struggle for the things that are essential or meaningful in
their lives.
opportunity or pursue better lifestyles for themselves. California is one such state, which prides
itself in being able to accommodate diverse populations and cultures. Like many stipulated
theories, immigrants chose the land to inhabit based on the desire to acquire better living
standards for themselves. Immigrants that arrive in California for instance seek the warm natural
scenery provided by the state, the freedom to live whichever way they deem fit, the available
job resources, and the willingness to dream and achieve one’s dreams. Those who aspire to be
Californian are told that there are different methods to do this. …show more content…
The promises linked with being
Californian leaves them with the desire to migrate and gain the new life promised to them.
On closer examination, it becomes apparent that the concept of being Californian is
linked to individuals that have the freedom to live their lives as they please, work hard to achieve
their dreams, and be tolerant of diversity.
Nevertheless, any concept that goes against this
premise may lead to failure of not becoming a “real” Californian. To support this discussion,
an examination of Denise Spooner’s “A new Perspective on the Dream,” Quay’s “Interviews”
together with support from the survey result on Californian identity, will show that only
individuals’ that desire to live a free life, are tolerant of diversity, and aspire to achieve their
dreams qualify to be “real” Californians.
Excerpts from Spooner’s article gives the illumination that a “real” Californian is a
person that lives freely and enjoys every aspect of life. Spooner (2008, p.42) gives an illustration
of how people migrated from Iowa so that they could get away from the judgment surrounding
the community. In the post war era, California presented an area where one could run away from
sexism, racism, and self-freedom. The essence that surrounds freedom is the desire to escape
imprisonment or slavery offered within the society. It is also the desire to give an individual’s
TO BE A CALIFORNIAN
3
family new opportunity to experience realities that one may have missed. Therefore, they choose
to migrate to California since they experience a lack of advancement or retardation in their
current environment.
As I conduct some interviews with some of the individuals in the region, one respondent
retorted that he migrated to be free from poverty. This is a similar story to the one given by
Spooner, which talks about a young girl who experiences a sense of freedom through her uncle’s
migratory nature. It is evident through this story that freedom is acquired through progression
from the norm into areas that offer a sense of progress or achievement. While certain areas may
bring restriction into how much an individual can progress, California offers a place to gain new
insight into freedom and its splendor. Spooner continues and says that when many people hear
of the wonderful life in California, they cannot help, but find ways to get there (Spooner 2008).
This is a clear indication of the sense of peace and freedom experienced within the state.
An essential component of being a “real” Californian is taking risks as a way of
achieving one’s dreams or combating one’s problems. Many people are deprived of the splendid
essentials that life has to offer, and so grow up hoping to create better lives than they had. This is
evident in an interview of Cruz Reynoso as presented by Quay Cruz grew up in an age where
many Mexicans experience segregation, but through his efforts, he was able to acquire equality
for his school members of Mexican descent. Cruz, like many immigrants, had a desire to live
better lives than their parents or make better lives for future generations. Sometimes, however,
this implies sacrificing one’s time to struggle for the things that are essential or meaningful in
their lives.