Gonzalo Monologue

The rain had just stopped pouring, and we had all gathered in a park nearby, as a makeshift memorial for Johnny. It wasn’t really a funeral, we didn’t have the budget for that, and it wasn’t like his parents cared enough to give him a proper goodbye.

One’s commitment of immigrating to a new country for a better life indicates that oneself is ready to risk the life given to them by facing many hardships along the way. In the novel Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario, Enrique does exactly that, risking his own life at the age of seventeen in order to reunite with his mother who left him when he was five in order to obtain a better job in the US and give Enrique and his older sister everything she thought they deserved. Nazario utilizes an emotional appeal and metaphors to inform readers of the arduous situations migrants experience on their long and tiring journey in search of a family member and a better future.

I kept writing. It was hard, but I could get everything off of my chest. I could explain to people what had happened to me. I could tell my English teacher. It was a little hard, but I didn’t cry. I couldn’t cry. Greasers didn’t cry.

Cristina Henriquez’, The Book of Unknown Americans, folows the story of a family of immigants adjusting to their new life in the United States of America. The Rivera family finds themselves living within a comunity of other immigrants from all over South America also hoping to find a better life in a new country. This book explores the hardships and injustices each character faces while in their home country as well as withina foreign one, the United States. Themes of community, identity, globalization, and migration are prevalent throughout the book, but one that stood out most was belonging. In each chacters viewpoint, Henriquez explores their feelings of the yearning they have to belong in a community so different than the one that they are used to.

In “Antojos”, Alvarez shows a strong sense of characterization to portray real life experiences. For instance, “‘What exactly does it mean, antojo?’ Yolanda asked. Her aunts were proven right: After so many years away, their niece was losing her Spanish” (259). In this short story, the main character, Yolanda, doesn’t feel that she fits into the place she grew up in. Her aunts see that she is losing her native tongue. This shows that Yolanda is distanced from her heritage, and has a sense of lost identity. Her experience of feeling set apart from her native life incorporates the emotions of illegal immigrants that have had to adapt to a different life setting. Alvarez herself writes, “This was what she had been missing without really knowing that she was missing it all these years. She had never felt at home in the States, never…” (262). Yolanda misses her homeland where she was surrounded by her culture, and her native language. She feels like she has lost that part of her identity -where she originated from. This incorporates the emotions of how all illegal immigrants must feel. There is a sense of relation between the experiences of the strong character, Yolanda, and illegal immigrants who have felt a similar

When he was thirteen, IV broke his first mirror. He can remember how the glass sliced into his skin, like it was made of nothing, like he was made of nothing. It hadn't stung at first.

Fortunato and I had gone to school with each other long ago, though were never friends. He’d bully me for my stubbiness, as I were short and chubby unlike the other kids. He’s hurt me ever since that day. I was playing with the friends that I did have once and he had tripped me on purpose, resulting in breaking my ankle and leaving me with a permanent limp forever. When I was, a mere adolescent had my first girlfriend, Fortunato had stolen her from me, they’d gone to a ball together hoping I wouldn’t find out though I’d known long before they knew. I puked on her face, I wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or not know. I courted his sister hoping he knows I want to be in his family. We get married and he still doesn’t like me, I had a child with

It is the twenty-third of May, and a civil outrage has occurred in the city of Verona. While investigating the remnants of the situation, I am in awe as I gaze upon regards of fruits and vegetables scattered around the main town. There are multiple dead bodies laid around the land, and Some merchants are still trying to readjust their fruit carts upright after they had been bashed over. I command my horse over to interrogate an old lady that was trying to collect her apples off of the street. The lady’s name is Jane Bernal, and she was a witness to the brawl that had occured. She proclaimed that the brawl happened when Tybalt Capulet bit his thumb at Benvolio Montague. He then proceeded to draw his sword, dueling Benvolio. This is the first

Reporter stated the following: He (Brycion) is the victim. He was asleep in the bed and woke up. He (Ben) was hunting him. He said he found me and took a whole of my man part. The mother got involved because she told Ben to leave. He did not say if the mom called the police because Ben left. This happened last night. He told Dr. Brumfield this morning he had to tell her something. He was then brought into my office. When we questioned him he said Ben drives a vehicle. He said Ben stays at home and is not in school. We have not called the mom because she will come at 9 for IEP meeting. We will talk to the mom at the meeting. If the mom does not show up for the meeting we will call her. It sounded like this is the first time this has happened.

With her mind racing ahead of her she grabbed her backpack and ran out of class. Esperanza feeling hopeless began to drown in her tears. Her mind swirled in confusion she felt like an American but she also felt branded as an immigrant. Esperanza had heard the word immigrant cringe before through the mouth of her History teacher he identified them as people who were dangerous and un-educated that did not deserve to be in this country. Esperanza did not feel like she was a threat she wanted nothing more than to get an equal education so she could one day contribute to the land of promise. Esperanza pushed the doors to the girls restroom a part of her wanted to scream “This is not my fault I was only two when my parents crossed the border how was I to warn them that the promises were limited on the other

I, Hilda Cardona, declare that I was a victim of domestic violence next to my ex-partner, Jose Sanchez. I will tell you a bit about my life next to him and how I met my ex-partner. I would say he was 10 years older than me. I will tell you how I met him when I was 15 years of age and I left my house, I used to leave with my parents.

It had been a few weeks since the incident, but, I still couldn't take my mind off of it. It was atrocious. It was midnight and I was restless. I kept tossing and turning. Finally, I sat up and sighed. I heard whispering, but, it was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing. The whispering got loud enough for me to hear. It was Mother and Father. "I only earned a few cents this week. I don't think it'll help pay off our debts." Father whispered. He sounded disappointed in himself. "It's not your fault," Mother replied. "Why don't you look for another job? I've heard that the number of jobs has increased ever since immigrants like us have come to the United States." "Even if I find another job, I won't be able to escape the grueling conditions

“Come on kids, it’s time for a trip” I say. I walk silently ahead of my young son and daughter. I can hear Jorge kicking pebbles off of the path. My young daughter and son follow patiently behind me, unaware of the certain doom that awaits them. I don’t want to do it you see, but I know that I must. “I do this for love. Because of Roberto.” I remind myself. Quite a few years back Roberto, my husband, was cursed. He was serving in Nuevo Leon, in the Spanish Inquisition and had arrived at a witch woman’s house to arrest her when she placed a curse on him, a curse that would forever change our lives. Roberto was cursed to live forever and to be young, though he did not see it as a curse. I was not cursed and so I have continued to age, which

As I looked out the window and saw barren dirt roads, no overflowing shopping centers or even a Wal-Mart, I began to question where my parents had brought me. We were in Presidio, TX, a small town on the border of the United States and Ojinaga, Mexico. I questioned how my grandparents, or even my dad could have lived in such an underdeveloped town for years. The visits to Presidio became somewhat constant and rather than staying weekends, I stayed months. I developed an appreciation for the town and I could now communicate with the community shouting “Buenos Dias!” to everyone I ran into on our morning walks to the local market. During one of my prolong stays my five year old sister developed a urinary tract infection. The infection could have

From an award winning novelist Reyna Grande, an eye-opening memoir about life before and after illegally emigrating from Mexico to the United States. After Reyna Grande’s father leaves his wife and three children behind in a village in Mexico to take the dangerous journey to “El Otro Lado” or America the family’s life is turned upside down. He promised to soon return to the village with enough money to build them a dream home. However, the promise became harder and harder to believe after months of being gone turned into years. Another obstacle is thrown at the family as he asked his wife to join him, forcing Reyna and her two older siblings Mago and Carlos into the household of their malicious grandmother.