Journal Prompt #6

"Consider invisibility. How and why do things/people become invisible? Is invisibility ever advantageous or desirable? When?"

Invisibility, in terms of a society, comes from either fear or suppression. Either one can makes oneself invisible because of the fear of being noticed, or invisibility may derive from the indifference or suppression given from one group of people to another. In the case of Latinos, both reasons contribute to their own instances of invisibility. Immigration plays a huge role on whether a person feels invisible or not; being in another country illegally and being looked down upon because of it, causes a person to want to be invisible. The fear of getting caught for being in another country illegally definitely makes a person be intentionally invisible. The other instance of invisibility is when a society is indifferent towards or suppresses a group of people, in this case, Latinos. People hold a lot of power within the direction of their attention and how they use that attention. When Americans treat an immigrant with little care or respect, not only do racial problems still stand, but it makes the immigrants needs seem less important, primarily because the people who do hold more power in the country are doing nothing to help them. It is a cause and effect both ways, because for example,  if an illegal immigrant works as a construction worker for an Anglo-American man, the worker fears being deported so he does his job and does not protest, and the man suppresses or doesn't give much thought to the worker. It is a vicious cycle that is only broken once the Latino fights for his visibility, his voice. In the illegal immigrant's situation, it is desirable and advantageous to be invisible because the last thing they want is to be noticed and get deported. For the Latino who is a citizen or has residency, invisibility is not desirable or advantageous at all, because they would not be heard and would have difficulty obtaining success in this country.

Journal Prompt #5

"Our readings today focused on perceptions, particularly on Latino workers. Richard Rodriguez writes about how Americans are defined by their work. In what way are Latinos defined by their work both in the texts that we read for today and in society in general? Does American society tend to have stereotypical notions of the kinds of work Latinos do? If so, do those stereotypes about work influence broader perceptions of Latinos and Latino culture? Should perceptions change? Can they change, and if so, how?"

Latinos are defined by their work because of the needs they have, not by their true abilities. I think many Americans believe that because a person is Mexican, they're naturally good at picking fruits or cleaning houses. They only ever got that good, if ever the case, because that was all they were allowed to do. Therefore, since many Latinos didn't have very many choices regarding their jobs, they grew into stereotypes, almost forcefully. It is no one's fault in the present-time these stereotypes have become to be what they are; Americans have stereotypical notions because of a history embellished with suppression. If I'm understanding the question correctly about the influence of broader perceptions, I don't think these stereotypes influence broader perceptions, rather I think they limit Americans' view on Latinos and Latino culture. There is so much more to any type of people than the work they do, whether that is by choice or need. Perceptions should definitely change, as I believe they already are with the more open-minded Americans. People get stuck in a way of thinking and it can become difficult to change a way a generation thinks about things, which makes the work all the more harder for people trying to break the stereotypes. Oftentimes the Latino youth believe they must become that stereotype because that is their destiny or because they feel as if society doesn't expect much more from them. This kind of thinking leaves few choices for them which is to rebel against everybody, live up to the stereotype, or with enough luck and support, they can really break free and live up to their own dreams instead of a limited stereotype.

Journal Prompt #4

"In what ways do you think this story ("La Promesa") captures the idea of 'lost worlds'?"

Guy Garcia's "La Promesa" captures the idea of "lost worlds", by having Tom Cardona, the main character, dive into not only a lost physical world, but also a lost supernatural world. Tom Cardona not only did not have much knowledge about his ancestry, he also avoided anything having to do with Mexican culture. He lived in his happy American life, and paid little to no attention to his grandmother Estella. Estella wanted Tom to find her nanny, Blanca Morrell, who lived in Mexico. He wasn't persuaded until Estella died and left him $30,000 dollars in order to fulfill her wishes. As he journeyed his way through Mexico, he became exposed to his lost country. When he learned the truth about his real grandmother, Blanca Morrell, he became exposed to his lost roots. Not only had he lost his actual grandmother in the process of being raised, but he also lost his past, which he came to find in the end. There is a certain realization that we cannot simply turn away from the past and move forward. We must understand our past, in order to live a sound future. Another "lost world" that was captured in "La Promesa" was the supernatural, which is deeply rooted in the Mexican culture. The idea of the dead and how they are among us even after they're gone was a concept that Tom never thought of as he went about his daily life in the U.S.
Will Tom carry this particular lost world with him back to the U.S.? I believe that although his journey was definitely life-changing and rather shocking, he probably won't know how to incorporate "the supernatural" in a country where it isn't as prevalent.