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Midterm2 (2013 midterm2 assignment) Sample Student Midterm Answers 2013 #1: Research Report Starts |
LITR 4333
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Cesar Cano
Language: Unifying and Divisive Tool
Standing in front of me at the checkout line
stands a man holding several items in his hand waiting to be called by the
cashier. He seems to be in his early fifties, wears boots, plaid shirt and a
hat. He discusses with his wife the correct price for two of the items he holds
in his hands. The entire conversation is in Spanish. Neither can reach a
satisfying decision on the price question and decided it best to ask the
cashier. I glance over at the cashier and her black straight hair, brown eyes,
and almond skin tone. Her name tag reads Maria, and she beckons the couple the
couple to her lane. The couple eagerly steps towards her and began to inquiry on
the price difference of the items. There is a moment of silence after they have
made their case and then Maria in an exasperated tone declares, “I don’t speak
Spanish.” The man’s enthusiasm is deflated and replaced with his own
exasperation at this young Hispanic woman who that refuses to speak their shared
language. He turns to his wife, and in a voice loud enough for the entire store
to hear, says, “Con el nopal en la cara y no habla español!” Which loosely
translates into “the cactus on her face and she can’t speak Spanish.” Cactus
being the symbol of Mexico since it is present on the Mexican flag and a staple
of the Mexican diet.
It
is a scene I have seen played out many times over since living in the United
States and one where I have made the cactus observation from time to time.
People who are clearly of Mexican descent but either cannot or refuse to speak
the language of their ancestors. A baffling discovery but a common one and one
which led me to think of the importance of language and the generational gap
between Mexican immigrants and their Mexican American children.
Paule Marshall believes the “use of
language, reflects not only the most fundamental views [people] hold of
themselves and the world but their very conception of reality” (87). Second
generation Mexican Americans find themselves caught between two realities. The
reality at home speaks Spanish and sings about tradition, work, family ties, and
community. The reality at school is an English one led by higher education,
independence, modernity, and assimilation. Which path to take? Or how can a
child reconcile both of these realities into self-identity? Factors such as
racial discrimination push many second generation youths to cut ties with their
culture in an attempt to increase their life opportunities and avoid being
associated with a disadvantaged minority by the host country (Portes & Rivas,
2011). The first way to severe the connection is language. These youths do not
see this as betraying their culture but more looking out for their future and
taking advantage of the opportunities their host country offers. In the same
study, Portes and Rivas (2011) point out youths at a linguistic disadvantage
face “insurmountable barriers” in their adult lives. Such barriers affect
chances for higher education, job opportunities, and improved quality of life.
Why then would the youths attempt at a better life be seen as negative by first
generation immigrants? The answer lies in the filial dynamics created by the
lack of fluency in a common language between parent and child.
The childhood of Paule Marshall once again
shines light on the issue of language between immigrants and their children. She
describes “the uneasiness and fear…reflected in [the] attitude toward the
children…given birth to in this country” by her mother and the friends which
congregated in their kitchen (Marshall, 85). Such an attitude stems is created
by the language gap between generations. This gap leads to diminished levels of
communication between parent and child, role reversal, and power imbalance in
the family (Schofield et al, 2012). Parents feel the language barrier will
hinder their ability to guide and raise their children in a different culture
from their own childhood. Many times the children of first generation immigrants
serve the role of contact between parents and the dominant society. This causes
the children to assume responsibilities and behaviors of a parent outside of the
household and promotes a quicker independence from parental authority.
Justifiably so, parents resent the diminished role they are relegated too due to
their lack of English fluency. This feeds the exasperation felt at children who
cannot speak Spanish.
References
Portes, A., Rivas, A. (2011). The adaptation of migrant
children. The Future of Children, 21(1),
219-246.
Schofield, T., Beaumont, K., Widaman, K., Jochem, R. (2012).
Parent and child fluency in a common Language: Implications for the parent-child
relationship and later academic success in mexican american families.
Journal of Family Psychology, 26(6),
869-879.
