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Comparing How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents And Bread Givers

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America is a country of immigrants. It may seem that some people may not realize that these days, but America was and still is a melting pot of cultures from all around the world. People have been coming to the US since colonial times to escape religious persecution and are still coming to this day for many different reasons. There may be many differences and similarities between immigrants from a long time ago to today, but one thing is for sure; they have all had to get used to the social environment in the US. Even if you came and you already had family, you still had to get used to the different customs and norms. Getting used to American norms and culture and accepting it; while remaining true to your own culture is a theme that is driven throughout How the Garcia Girls lost their Accents and Bread Givers. The time periods during which these novels were written plays a major role in how the ideas within them are expressed. Bread Givers was a 1925 novel set in the 1920’s while, How the Garcia Girls lost their Accents is a 1991 novel. There is more than 65 years between both of these novels and it is apparent how in such a short time, relative to everything else, public views and social norms have changed. …show more content…

In Bread Givers, The Smolinsky family starts out very poorly. They are on the verge of starvation and losing their little apartment. Neither Mashah, Fania or Bessie can acquire jobs. Mr. Smolinsky, the head of the household, does not even have a job. He studies his Torah, day and night and lives by it. In How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, everyone starts out in a very prosperous and well off environment. Yolanda, Sofia, Sandra and Carla have their lives set for them with all of their possessions at hand. They have everything made for them and do not have to worry about

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For as long as people can remember, the stereotype that men have “more power” than women in a relationship has been a relevant argument. In the novel How the García Girls Lost Their Accents the Author, Julia Alvarez, writes about four girls and part of that revolves around their relationships with men. In all of their relationships with men, he has the power in the relationship which means he makes the decisions for them. When they lived in the United States the girls and their mother had more say in the society. When they lived in the Dominican Republic men just saw them as submissive housewives who bear their children.

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Lee 1 Breann Lee Period 3 22 September 2014 Compare and Contrast Paper The books “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”, by Julia Alvarez and “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson are very similar novels. The main characters share similar experiences growing up in their New York setting that shapes them throughout the book. Both Melinda and Yolanda feel like outcasts because of their low self-esteem and their problems communicating. In “Speak” on Melinda's first day of school Anderson writes “I am clanless…I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, and definitely the wrong attitude.

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Regardless of the efforts to blend into American culture, the girls realize that they do not seem to fully fit the mold of either culture. Specifically in “The Rudy Elmenhurst Story”, Yolanda states that “I saw what a cold, lonely life awaited me in this country. I would never find someone who would understand my peculiar mix of Catholicism and agnosticism, Hispanic and American styles.” (99). This passage is a pivotal moment in Yolanda’s life because it establishes the moment when love no longer has the same meaning as it did before.

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Sara and her family are going through this assimilation process because they believe they will be welcomed by society and adopt American identities. For immigrants’ transitions, and Sara in particular, a reality of independence is strongly desired. She seeks to become independent of her family and her cultural background because she believes that independence is a sign of authenticity and originality. This process is a combination of self-creation and Americanization. English language skills and a method of education are also critical components of cultural assimilation.

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Sex. A very risque topic that comes up thousands of times in everyone’s life, even though it’s uncomfortable. Kids learn at a young age what sex is in school through health, even if it scars kids for the rest of their life, seeing they haven’t fully matured. In Julia Alvarez’s book, “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent”, she teaches the reader that sex is treated differently in different cultures. This book highlights the fact that in the United States sex is viewed as an activity for pleasure, where The Dominican Republic treats sex as something more sacred, and something you wait for.

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It seems as she has no interest in pursuing the Spanish language and refers to English which creates a language barrier. We see this in the passage when the grandmother calls for Michelle in her Mexican name “Micaela” and her brothers refer to her as “Michelle”. (Cisneros 95) The author gives the grandmother a type of resentment attitude towards Michelle because of the constant absence of interest in the culture they share together. In the passage the narrator mentions “The awful grandmother knits the names of the dead and the living into one long prayer fringed with the grandchildren born in that barbaric country with its barbaric ways” (Cisneros 94).

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The book How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents can been taken through a postcolonial lens, and although it is a different perspective of analysis, struggling to understand and locate personal identity can also be indicated in this book much like The Bluest Eye. The main core issue that is faced the main daughter, Yolanda, is something known as “double consciousness”. This core issue is “a consciousness or a way of perceiving the world that is divided between two antagonistic cultures” (Tyson 403). While all four of the girls within the novel struggle through this core issue, we find it to be the most prevalent in the character of Yolanda, who in her eagerness to learn English and gather up the American culture, finds herself trapped between

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First of all, family make-up, ¨The American family is a democracy relatively young children are included in family decisions¨(pg86). The American family is different than others, where all opinions get considered into making decisions, which make individuals more considered for others opinions and thoughts. Understanding this won't help immigrants only in their families but also in their work places where they need to listen to others and be considered towards them. Also, the American friendship custom in which ¨The Americans have to be the most open, fun, friendly people on the planet¨( pg.73). Americans tend to be open and friendly to others, when it comes to asking for help or anything else immigrants won't have any problem.

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The US experienced massive immigration from Europe in the 1800s, which saw millions of people across the Atlantic to the New World. These people came from all corners of Europe including Ireland, Germany, Italy, Norway, and other scores of other nations and provinces. The people came as young men and women in search of jobs, others as families fleeing religious persecution and others as political radicals who were fleeing from the police. In addition, others came as farmers in search of land and a new start for that matter, and as paupers hardly capable of affording the rites of passage. This was the first wave of immigrants that shaped the US in considerable ways.

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For many new immigrants coming to America, it is difficult to adjust into the new society. Many come to America without the basic knowledge of English, the new immigrants do not have the ability assimilate to American society because of the lack of possible communication between the immigrant and an native. Non-English speaking immigrants that come to America face harsh challenges when trying to assimilate to U.S. society because immigrants are often segregated into ethnic communities away from natives, Americans do not know basics of words of other well known languages, and the lack of government funding education programs. Assimilation into a new society is difficult enough, but when the society pushes any new immigrants to separate part

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America is based off of immigrants. many traveled in rigid accommodations, from situations that may be too gruesome or tear jerking to even be told. They left the land they worked hard to find peace in, and then lost the hope to keep the journey going. Throughout the tough years of American history, immigrants that traveled into the States became known, and poured into the mainstream due to the harsh backlash.

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People from all over the world came to the US for many reasons, and with them came their culture. The US is considered today as a place where, for the most part, all people and cultures are accepted. This can all be traced back to the immigrants that came to the US in the late 1800s. These people brought their customs and traditions to the US and allowed the people to really experience how other people around the world live. Foods, religions, governments, and ideals are just some of the many thing immigrants brought to the US that overall made the US a much more complex country.

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Immigration in America is nothing new and it has had an impact on society for many years. People from all over come to America for a fresh start and to get away from any problems. You can’t really blame them for wanting to get away from where ever and wanting to start over. As George Takei talks about his experience as a Japanese-American and his view of the American Dream. Immigrants have many differences while in America.

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The United States is a melting pot of different cultures, races, and religions, rather than a patchwork quilt. People of different backgrounds do not stay in one specific place. For example, a Syrian family living in America may, for the first time, interact with someone living in Minnesota. That Syrian family does activities with other Americans, many of whom are from different cultures themselves. Immigrants mingle together in places like schools, businesses, and clubs, and they marry others from different races.

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The melting pot, America has always been identified as a nation of immigrants and diversity. It stems back to ancient days when the first American settlers arrived across the Bering Sea in the Northern part of the country. Immigration in America spiked in the 1500s, once many European countries discovered the new land; the foreign nations established settlements and continued to colonize the vast new country. Seeking refuge due to oppression was the main cause of immigration to America. The most notable example is the Pilgrims who came to America because of the oppression of their religion in England.

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