The poem American Me. written by Ninfa Miranda-Maloney. tells the narrative of a Mexican immigrant who comes to the United States to populate the American dream. The writer incorporates cultural facets with her usage of Spanish words sprinkled in amongst the verse form. With his “spit radiance shoes” ( Miranda-Maloney. n. d. line 10 ) and “brillantina-slick back hair” ( Miranda-Maloney. n. d. . line 11 ) . a image is painted of a immature man’s pride in himself as he begins the journey of a life-time. This is a immature adult male ready for his new life in America. The tone rapidly alterations. nevertheless. as he likely shortly realizes that the dream is non what he had in head.
In San Eli. where he “lived on thank yous and maybes” ( Miranda-Maloney. n. d. . line 23 ) . the reader gets the sense that the adult male was taken advantage of and worked difficult for small compensation. The most powerful lines in the verse form are “kissed your white land. broke my dorsum. perspiration a few cryings for a piece of the dream” ( Miranda-Maloney. n. d. . lines 27. 28. 29 ) . The writer has incorporated a racial facet in the verse form by demoing mentioning to the white land. This is non his land. this is the “white land” . He is making back interrupting labour for “whites” . likely non what he expected as the immature adult male full of hope trailing the American dream.
The writer besides includes societal category facets in this verse form. The verse form ends with the adult male. now here in the United States for 50 old ages. still smelling the onions on his fingertips. ( Miranda-Maloney. n. d. ) This leads me to believe the adult male is still working in the onion Fieldss fifty old ages after geting in the United States. A generalisation can be made that a individual from a lower societal category would necessitate to go on to work past retirement age to do ends meet. I grew up in a hapless vicinity in California. My community included many immigrants here in the United States both illicitly and lawfully.
The immigrants I have known throughout my life are by and large proud Americans. though there are the few that grow piercingly because their American ideals and dreams have non been met. They work difficult making hard work for small money and non much grasp. While I don’t personally place with the verse form. I am able to sympathise with the character as he could stand for a figure of people I know. My grandma emigrated to California before my female parent was born. She came to the States with the dream of giving her kids a better life than the one they’d probably have in El Salvador.
Throughout my life. she’s told me the narratives of traveling here and settling the household in the country. It was hard for her. working many hours as a amah. but she did it for the benefit of her kids. Many times throughout her first few old ages in the provinces. she sing traveling back place. The dream she envisioned was barely her world at first. I can’t conceive of how hard it would be to travel to a different state where you don’t talk the linguistic communication or cognize the civilization but it happens on a regular basis in this state. At the terminal of the twenty-four hours. the United States is a state made up of immigrants. most of which are merely trailing the dream every bit good.
