Thursday, 4 October: Other Hispanic Americans: Immigrant / American Dream story, or Minority? Junot Diaz, "How to Date a Browngirl . . . “ (IA 276-279); Oscar Hijuelos, “Visitors, 1965” (IA 310-325) Judith Ortiz Cofer, "Silent Dancing" [handout]

·        Text-objective discussion leader: Tiffany Watson-Mynatt

How does Hispanic literature differ from or resemble the immigrant narrative and the minority narrative?

Hispanics from Caribbean countries may find their stories similar to either narrative.

"Visitors," 1965

Oscar Hijuelos

IA p. 310-325

Each member of the family has their own views of Cuba and America.

In his prime, Alejo seemed to think he was living the American Dream:

§        “Only in America could a worker get so close to a fat little guy with enormous power.”

§        “…from a small town in Cuba, slicked up by America, thinking, ‘If only my old companeros could see me now!’” (310)

Alejo’s in-laws, Luisa in particular, are forced to leave Cuba because things have gotten so bad.

§        “Gone were the days of the happy-go-lucky Cubans.” (312)

§        The family in Cuba “have nothing to eat, no clothes to wear, no medicine.” (313)

The family has a reason to want to join the others who have already come to the United States to live. Cuba has been taken over by Communists and they are treating the people that do not follow the party poorly. They are hoping for a better life in America.

§        “Cubans who had been hoping for a counterrevolution were now growing desperate to leave.” (315)

Luisa is grateful for her freedom when she arrives in America and she and her daughters are surprised by the abundance of food and comfort items in the apartment. She still longs for the old days in Cuba as a first generation immigrant might do if they only left their country because they had to.

§        “It was Luisa’s ambition to ignore America and the reality of her situation completely. So she kept taking Mercedes back to the good old days.”

§        “When she wasn’t talking to Mercedes, Luisa watched the Spanish channel.” (322)

Pedro comes to the United States with a positive attitude even though he had been through some difficult times. When Alejo and Horatio ask him what he is going to do now that he has made it to the United States, he says he will:

§        “work until I have something.” (321)

Pedro is willing to work hard to make the American Dream come true.

When Luisa, Pedro, Virginia and Maria arrive, Hector feels he has to act more like a Cuban. He gets nervous when people try to speak Spanish with him, and he is saddened that he has been so “Americanized.” (317)

The Cubans in the neighborhood and Hector’s family are resentful that he has assimilated into the dominant culture.

§        “Even Horatio had contempt for Hector. Knowing that Hector was nervous in the company of visitors, he would instigate long conversations in Spanish.” (317)

§        Horatio says Hector is “just dumb when it comes to being Cuban.” (321)

They reject Hector because he speaks English. Why?

He is separated from the minority.

Why does no one reject Horatio? He is the one who went into the Air Force and “returned from England a complete European.” (318).

When Pedro finds a job, it pays $7,000. That is more than Alejo makes, and he has been working at the hotel for 20 years. Soon everyone except Luisa is working, making enough money to rent a nice house and buy furniture and send Virginia to night school.

They are working as a family unit, “establishing themselves” (324) quickly and easily.

§        “They would work like dogs, raise children, prosper. They did not allow the old world, the past, to hinder them.” (324)

It is after Mercedes sees Pedro doing well that she comments “This country is great to new Cubans… They’re going to have everything, and we… what will we have?” (325)