LITR 4332: American Minority Literature

Veronica Kreuder:

. . . There is a strong urge from the dominant culture to assimilate and so they have mixed feelings about whether to leave their culture behind. The American narrative is about forgetting the past and focusing on opportunity while the minority narrative struggles to retain ties to the old country and if the ties are damaged, to attempt to renew them. The minority narrative for the Mexican American is one where they want to be part of the American dream, to make their place here in the United States, to learn the language. This can be seen In Bless Me Ultima, Tony’s brothers go to Las Vegas to live the American Dream and get away from the constraints of their father but also come back to visit. For those who live here and raise children in the US they must learn the language to be accepted here and since Mexico is close in proximity to the US, they also retain their native language to move back and forth between countries.

In the poem, Elena by Pat Mora, this attempt to assimilate can be seen in the mother who desperately wants to communicate in the dominant culture’s language, English. Her and her husband raised their children in American schools and her children speak English well but she meets resistance from her husband who wants to her to remain tied to Mexico and not speak English. Her children tell her that their father doesn’t want Elena to be smarter than he is so in turn what they are really saying is that if you don’t speak English, the dominant culture or those who do speak it, feel as if you are inferior. It is very difficult as a Mexican American living close to a border that he or she may have to cross often as they have to be able to communicate in both languages fluently to be accepted on either side of the border. Luis Rodriguez, also notes how borders, which can include language barriers prevent them from being completely accepted in America. However, the inability to be completely accepted in the dominant culture is what increases the ambivalence because if the culture that one is attempting to become part of rejects them in whole, or in part, one would feel the need to retain old ties.

The minority narrative for Native Americans is different because they have no borders to cross back to if they don’t want to assimilate to the dominant culture. They also do not have the problem with ambivalence the way Mexican Americans do because they do not want to assimilate to the dominant culture, they make it a point to retain cultural ties. Tribes pass down stories, pottery and weaving techniques, and rituals in hopes of keeping what has been torn from them from disappearing. . . .

Jackie Lowman:

 . . . There is definitely a pull between what their culture is and what they need to do survive in today’s society for both the Native and Mexican Americans.  In Bless Me, Ultima, Tony has started school where he is an outsider who only to speaks Spanish.  On his first day he unpacks his lunch only to realize his beans, chile and tortillas was not the norm and was made fun.  He banded together with other students who felt the same and together they ate in the auditorium and although they were of different customs, they felt they belonged together.  Tony’s mother also pushed him to be a priest, a man of the people and encouraged him to learn English, feeling this was the only way he would be able to connect with others.  However, Tony does state, “Many of the old people did not accept the new language and refused to let their children speak it. . .” (180)

            Being able to keep their identity in a region where their people once lived is important and I feel that those who did not allow their children to learn English were only afraid they would loose their Mexican culture more then they already had. I also believe this is true in the poem “Elena” found in Unsettling America. Elena wants to learn English and you can see this when she takes her English book into the restroom and tried to learn.  She hides it from her family so she is not embarrassed, but also, as her oldest points out, “Mamá, he doesn’t want you to be smarter than he is.”  He husband could potentially lose his wife to this new culture if she learns English, she will be able to do more and provide more for the family.  . . .