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.



Journal Prompt #3

"Both stories we read today deal with points of no return; is there a place that you feel you can't return to? At what point did you realize you couldn't return?"

Although I reached a "point of no return" differently than the main characters in Sandra Cisneros' "One Holy Night" and Antonio Farias' "Red Serpent Ceviche", the sense of loss was felt the same by the three of us. My point of no return arises in the sense of a lost childhood. To be honest, my point of no return seems in no way as life-changing as the main characters of the stories we read today. My experience, although somewhat depressing, may be reversed if only for a temporary amount of time.

It happened over the course of the last two summers, in addition to the fact that I turned 21 last year in September 2010. The first incident happened in June 2010 when Toy Story 3 was released. Andy, the owner of the toys in the movie, gives up his toys in the end to a young toddler girl. That scene really reached a sense of that loss for me, and of course, I teared up. The realization that I had grown up with these characters since I was barely a six-year-old, and who, were all of a sudden, moving onto a younger generation made me realize the acceptance that needed to take place on my part: that I was growing up and that the children with toys and who run around my cul-de-sac were now the children, and not me. The idea of leaving childhood behind me as a child was always so distant, but at the same time made me feel grown-up. As a young adult, it's turned into both responsibility and fear of what may come. The second incident happened this last summer, July 2011, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two came out. Having read all seven books, discussed characters with friends and going to all the movie premieres, one can't help to grow an attachment to the story, especially the characters themselves. For my generation, one can state almost certainly that we literally grew up with the main characters. Their fears were our fears, their laughs were our laughs, and the world watched and cheered for Harry as the franchise came to an end. My sadness over the end of it all, was actually not because there was no more Harry Potter, it was the idea that the real actors were going to be moving on, and so would I. I felt like the last movie was my last hurrah as child, and as a matter-of-fact, it has been. Since then I have let go of a lot of childish things and have tried adapting to a "young adult" mindset. My goals have become more mature, not to mention realistic.

The reason why I mentioned before that I feel like my point of a return is less drastic, is because I can choose to be a kid at heart at times if I'd like. I know that being a child isn't something I can obtain permanently anymore though; I can never own childhood in that proper way of being an actual 2 to 17 year old. The parallel is just that: the characters from the stories have a future that will never be the same, as do I.

Poetry Journal: "The Lost Worlds"

There is a general theme of "lost worlds" among these poems; a loss of culture, land, people, spirituality, and even food. In the poems, "Roots" and "Dust-Bowl Memory", by Jimmy Baca, there is a sense of loss through land. "Roots" deals with the loss of land, which was primarily taken away from the narrator and his family. He makes the connection between his father and a cottonwood tree, which signifies the mistreatment both have gone through, yet at the same time both will always have roots in that land. "Dust-Bowl Memory" deals with the loss of a time, both bad and good. It is a lost world that recalls an unbiased opinion of someone who appreciated the Mexican people's contribution to crops. "African Things" by Victor Hernández Cruz, deals with a lost culture; an African background. I believe that the use of the word "things" is used, because the poet doesn't know much about these "african things", but makes a good point that his grandmother does. This indicates that the lost culture can still be found within his grandmother, and the narrator craves to know more.

Diane de Anda's poem, "Abuelas", is interesting because it signifies the loss of a generation; not only is there a loss of generation, but also a loss of those stories, sayings (dichos) and life lessons. The last word, "APAGADO", deeply affects the poem as it signifies the death of de Anda's real grandmother, but she also relates it with the light of that generation and how it is now "turned off".

In "Finding Home", a poem written by Carolina Hospital, the narrator explores the loss of landscape. Her home is missed, but she is also getting used to America. The title itslef gives way to the idea that she is lost between two worlds, two homes.

Magdelena Gomez's "Mami", is about the relationship the narrator has with her mother. The constant code-switching embelishes the poem and gives the reader a visual of the existence of the mother that still exists within the narrator. "Curandera" by Pat Mora, pays homage to the "woman healer of latin america". It introduces the reader to the history of a curandera, which then guides us through her daily routine. The third stanza describes the curandera's talents, inspiration and reputation amongst the people. Serenity befalls the fourth stanza as the poem walks us through the curandera's nightly routine. Finally the fifth stanza, leaves the reader with the thought that she is one with earth, and that she follows the same routine as her surroundings.

Journal Prompt #2

"Our readings today dealt with many themes that most of us can relate to on some level: the feeling of being an outsider, especially an outsider in a place we had hoped or believed we might fit in; the search for identity through tracing one's roots or revisiting the past; the way immigration affects the generations of a family. Please choose one theme from our readings today.

In other words. could you relate to anything we have read?"

The closest connection I felt with our readings today was with with Rudolfo Anaya's "In Search of Epifano". The idea of searching for identity through revisiting the past resonates most with me. Growing up as a child, I was never one to look back and ask questions about the past, but I feel that the older I get, the more curious I am about where I come from. I often wish my roots could be traced via ancestry.com, but I know how impossible it must be to have my Mexican past, Indian or Spanish, archived in the internet. The best one can do is ask the eldest of the family, and even still, I feel like I often get a faded picture of what once was. The connection that the main character of "In Search for Epifano" had with her great-grandfather, Epifano, is something I believe we all wish we could have with our past, well, at least those of us who enjoy learning about our roots. One might ask oneself how is it that one's identity can be found through the exploration of our roots? I used to think that my identity would be found upon the future discoveries I would make along the course of my life, but how can one forget about the links that have made us who we are today? I like to think now that I can choose to take a bit of both- the future and the past. The past, I feel, makes one have a strong base of self-knowledge, while the future, provides a strong sense of direction.

"Go North, Young Man" Reading Journal

The trouble I have with Richard Rodriguez's "Go North, Young Man" is that I understand the essay itself, but not the ultimate message he's trying to get across. I get it when he writes that Mexicans will always be here and that Mexicans in Mexico view this abandonment as unforgivable. I get that "Americans" are afraid of the nation becoming "Mexican". I just don't get to whom he is referring to in the title. The American young man who wants to avoid Mexicans? Or the Mexican young man who wants a better life in the U.S.? I assume it could be both; both young men could be happy if they just migrate elsewhere, whether that's Vancouver, Alaska, or Southern California. With immigration being the main theme of his essay, there is a general feeling of loss, betrayal, ownership. Loss of land that we believe is ours, or loss of people and culture. Feelings of betrayal arise when one leaves a country, or when one betrays our own upbringing. Finally there is a sense of ownership that derives from a sense of power. The power that Spaniards and Mexicans once had over the U.S.. The power that the U.S. had when she obtained the Southwest. The power that the U.S. citizen feels he's now losing over the new-found power which Mexicans are re-experiencing.