Se Habla Espanol by Tanya Barrientos was about a Latina girl who struggled with her identity. She was born in Guatemala but has lived in America since she was three years old. In the beginning she was somewhat embarrassed by her Hispanic heritage. Tanya felt inferior to the white people because of how she looked and because of her last name. The tone of the essay was a serious and desperate cry for help. It seemed she was speaking to anyone who could listen and relate to her. Tanya wrote from her point of view and how she felt like a “gringa” trapped in a Latina girl’s body.…
◆ A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki (There will be several copies of this book on reserve at Geisel Library; photocopies may also be provided.)…
In the short story “Dave Barry Does Japan” by Dave Barry, Barry describes his experience as an American in Japan, how unprepared he was for the culture shock specifically talking about the difficulties of communicating, describing how in Japan they, “...tend to communicate via nuance and euphemism, often leaving important things unsaid; whereas Americans tend to think they are being subtle when the refrain from grabbing the listener by the shirt” (118). The experience in a foreign country is made more difficult due to the inadequate education of other cultures. As a result, Barry is unprepared when encountering this culture and ignorant. Similarly, in “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Robert Lake, his son is moved to a school not on the Native American reservation where he is labeled as a “slow learner”. Lake argues that the teacher did not do a good job in accommodating for his heritage and different background saying, “All you have to do is take advantage of [“Indian Education”] and encourage your school to make an effort to use it in the name of “equal…
In “Máximo Castillo and the Revolution in Chihuahua” by Maximo Castillo, and “Los de Abajo” by Mario Anzuela, the revolution comes to life. Cultural history, personal memoirs, and historical fiction can be perceived as subjective narratives but them provide a colorful addition to political, social, and economical analysis.…
Most people, in this world, have a passion deep down inside of them that lead them to achieve what they put their heart and mind to. Fulfilling that passion is the most satisfying feeling. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is a well-known extraordinary figure from the colonial period. She is a great example of persevering to get through many obstacles in her life. Sor Juana developed a desire for education at a very young age and was highly noticeable in all of her literature. In the seventeenth century, it was the intellectual midpoint of Spanish colonial America. During this time Mexico City was politically and religiously the center of New Spain; the terrains went from California to Central America. In Latin American history, the church and state…
One short story that shows how culture affects a person’s views is the short story, “By Any Other Name,” by Santha Rama Rau. One quote from the story is, “We had our test today, and she made me and the other Indians sit at the back of the room, with a desk between each one” (Rau 39). This quote shows how the main character, Santha,…
This research paper will identify the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conventions or statuses of Columbian Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans living in the United States.…
In the book, El Otro Lado by Julia Alvarez, describes the author’s experience of leaving the dominican republic and moving to the united states. This is more than just her moving though, it’s about her transition through things like her culture, her behavior, her personality and her childhood into a world of emotions filled with insecurity, love, hurt. Alvarez’s use of Spanish that is mixed into the English she writes her poems also describe stories of her life along with the struggle of emigrating to a new country and what it’s like living in a country that isn’t 1st world or most advanced, revealing feelings from situations that most immigrants face coming to the United States. Alvarez also reveals her own personal…
Tanya Barrientos acceptance of society racism hinder her from having relations with Latinos, she puts in print an article entitled “Se Habla Española”. Barrientos was born in Guatemala and moved to El Paso Texas with her parents at the age of 3, who expect for both of their children to read, write, and speak only in English. Her parents felt that if she could speak without the accent of Spanish, American society would see that children with different cultural backgrounds could fit into English humanity smoothly. “In 1963” (83), “People who called themselves Mexican-Americans or Afro-Americans were considered dangerous radicals, while law bidding citizens were expected to drop their cultural baggage at the border and erase any lingering ethnic traits. (84). As a result of the racial discrimination American citizens had towards law-abiding citizens, Barrientos had instantly stop speaking Spanish when she was moved to El Paso Texas.…
"Identity is the essential core of who we are as individuals, the conscious experience of the self inside" - Kaufman (Anzuldύa 62). Coming to America and speaking more than one language, I often face similar situations as Gloria Anzaldύa and Amy Tan. Going to high school where personal image is a big part of a student 's life is very nerve racking. American Values are often forced upon students and a certain way of life is expected of them. Many times, in America, people look down on people who do not accept the American Way of Life. The struggle of "fitting in" and accepting the cultural background is a major point in both essays, _Mother Tongue_ by Amy Tan and _How to Tame a Wild Tongue_ by Gloria Anzaldύa, which the authors argue similarly about. Both essays can be related to my life as I experience them in my life at home and at school.…
Rethinkingschools.org published an article, ‘? Que es deportar? “: Teaching from students’ lives’”, Written by Sandra L. Osorio. In this article, Osorio is a bilingual teacher who teaches native Spanish speakers according to the second-grade curriculum. She that cares deeply for her students and navigates her way around the curriculum to include more space for her students to get involved during their time together in class. Throughout this time spent together the students read books in which they can relate to, eventually they are more open and go on to talk about their personal lives and how they feel about school. Many of her students don’t have a positive view on school and feel left out. Besides difficulties at school they also face difficulties…
An anonymous author wrote “Our culture, our traditions, our language are the foundations upon which we build our identity.” This brings out what Tanya Maria Barrientos argues throughout her essay, “Se Habla Español.” She struggled to identify herself as Latino and embracing her Spanish heritage. So at a young age, she decided to step away from America’s stereotypical view of Latin’s and embrace what she thought was the correct way to live. One main thing she didn’t want was to be able to speak Spanish, because she thought people would automatically judge her. Like Barrientos, I how was raised had a lot to do with my identity and how I perceived myself and the world.…
The culture that I decided to pick was of native Americans from the World War II era. The book I analyzed to see into this culture was Ceremony. The main character's name was Tayo and he was half Native American and half White. Tayo was raised on the Laguna Pueblo reservation by his grandmother, aunt, and his aunt's husband after his mother had conceived him with a white man and left him. This leads to the major conflict of the story, in which Tayo was dealing with a clash of cultures between the Native Americans and White people.…
Tigers grow and develop throughout their whole life. They live to be about 15 years of age. Most of the growing for children happens when they are cubs. They follow their mother out of the den at about 8 weeks old and become independent at 18 months of age. They leave their mother and start their lives on their own at about 2 ½ years on age.…
There are many different cultures in America, every one of them unique and plays an important role in our society. The very definition of culture: an individual’s world view, experiences, symbolism, behaviors, values, morals and all other learner attributes are what collectively make up any one culture. Within our American society, there exists many different co-cultures or subcultures as they may be referred too. Among these co-cultures are two dominants; the Hispanic and Chinese communities. The two co-cultures account for roughly 37 million and three 323 million of the US population respectively. (WorldAtlas)…