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Index
to Sample Student final exam answers 2016 |
LITR 4340
 American Immigrant Literature Model Assignments |
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Kim Loza
What
it means to be a Mexican -American
After spending viewing an entire semester studying immigrants and minorities, I
have begun to think about my own culture in connection to the dominant culture.
Since I am a Mexican-American, I feel that I can identify with both cultures
very equally and I have a sense of pride with both of them. However, It makes me
wonder what does it actually mean to be a Mexican- American. So, I thought it
would be interesting to focus on these two cultures and how their values connect
to each other as well as what it mean in shaping of what it means to be a
Mexican-American.
The first essay that I decided to look at was Marissa Turner’s Defining
America, due to how I view myself as being an American first I thought that
it would be interesting to see how the values and tradition are connected to the
minority culture. Turner brings this idea up within her article and it stood out
to me the research that she found in which she says, “the difference between the
dominant culture and other immigrants is that the dominant culture came here
with no intentions of changing anything about themselves except for their
location….other immigrants knew and were prepared at least minimally to change
something about their culture in order to succeed in grow in America, otherwise,
they would not come at all” (Turner). I would say that this is very true of the
“dominant” culture because we sometimes forget that people of the dominant
culture also immigrated here just like every other immigrant group. However,
like Turner states, it is up to them to be willing to change to their new
location. I also agree with what she says that immigrants are prepared to
somewhat change their culture because they believe that it will lead to success.
When I read this I automatically thought of my Grandfather who came to this
country to work. When he met my Grandmother he did not know any English and she
taught him because he wanted to learn. He knew that he needed to learn English
in order to gain any kind of success within the American way of life. I can even
implement this to my own life through education. I would say that my pursuit of
education is a form of assimilation to the dominant culture because I know that
it is not typical for someone of Latin culture to want to go to college. They
just push to work and earn money for their families which, is something that I
can say that I did for a couple of years myself before I went to college. I had
to decide to want to pursue my education because I knew that it would lead to
success. I still hold on to my culture and values but I also implement the
values of the American life because I want that American Dream.
The next essay that I looked at was Helen Duarte’s What it means to be
Latin-American, this article really stood out to me because it is something
that I really value about myself which is, my Mexican Heritage. I am so proud of
the culture and heritage that I am a part of because I know it is what makes me
the person that I am. It is part of who I am and I am proud of it. I love the
food, music, dancing, and traditions of my people because it is something that
warms my heart because it is who I am. However, Duarte brings up this wonderful
statement about bringing together cultural differences in which she states,
“understanding the cultural differences between groups that may seem overall
exactly the same can help ease tensions between two completely different
cultural groups” (Duarte). This can be compared to both my Mexican and American
sides and I agree with her that by understanding and learning about the cultural
differences between two groups is a great way to ease tension between the
groups. I feel that we are both the same and all it takes is that little
connection to these groups in order to understand that they already work off of
each other. It is just a matter of taking the time to embrace the change and
bridge the gap between these cultures in which they will eventually come
together.
The final essay that I looked over was Chelsea Jones’ Mexican Americans: A
Diamond in the Rough, in this article Jones brings about how Mexican
immigrants come to this country to seek jobs and a better opportunity. The
reason that I chose this one is because it is very relatable to myself. In some
part of my family such as, my Father’s side; we can trace our lineage all the
way back to the Alamo in which my ancestor Gregorio Esparza defended the Alamo
and were here before Texas was even Texas. I then compare it to my Mother’s side
in which my Great Grandparents and Grandparents came to this country not even
knowing English. Jones states within her essay that “the United States of
America has always been known as the ‘Land of Opportunity’ for those living in
other places, and their dream is to simply be able to make a living” (Jones).
This is something that I know my ancestor came to this country for and even
fought before our state even came into being. They wanted that sense of
opportunity because they knew that the values of the dominant American culture
could possibly lead to a life of equal opportunity which, I can vouch for them
that it does.
I am the Great Granddaughter of immigrants and the descendant of an Alamo
defender; I am now given those rights that they dreamed of, that sense of equal
opportunity. My cultures both American and Mexican work together in allowing me
to have a form of the American Dream. There is nothing in the world that I would
give up it up for. What it means to be a Mexican-American is to be allowed to
have a strong sense of culture and a pride in yourself for achieving the
American Dream.
