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Immigration and family history essay
Immigration and family history essay
Immigration and family history essay
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The only way through which this was achieved was through discouraging the use of the native language in the institutions. The children were first taken away from their families and forced to speak a language that they never understood. This was a terrible experience, particularly when the failure to conform to the rules meant serious punishment. In retrospect, Isabela mentioned that the schools were “places in which many of the kids’ prayers were never answered” (Knockwood, 2001, pp.
He described Spanish, Espańol, as safe and endearing, while he described English as loud and impersonal. His teachers recognized his struggle with English and asked his parents to only speak it at home to help him learn. In time he became fluent in English at the cost of his Spanish, which his extended family loved to scold him for. As Rodriguez became more advanced in English he became more self-conscience about how poor his parents were at it.
Rodriguez’s English was not the best, and because of that he would either be silent or quietly mumble when asked to participate by one of the nuns (73). Since his lack of participation was noticeable and showed little progress, some of his teachers visited Rodriguez’s home to ask his parents to “encourage your children to practice their English when they are home?” (73). Rodriguez one day walks in on his parents speaking Spanish, but when they see him they switch to English, which offends and over the days that follows angers him enough to decide to seriously learn English. Rodriguez even willingly decides to participate in class (74).
Immigrants were coming from all around the world for a better life and better opportunity in the new nation. “A working Man’s Recollections of America” by Knights Penny Magazine (1846), mentions that “ The new emigrant, again, has heard of the successes of some of his acquaintance who went out years ago, and be looks for equal success in his own case, losing sigh of the multitudes who left their homes with the same views and have been miserably disappointed. That means immigrants come for a better life but they find out that they have to working out of their power to achieve their dreams, they find it difficult to keep pace with the stirring rivalry around them, plus the income was not high as they expected when they left their country. The immigrants expected to go through life with less working and less difficulties and basically an easy life, but they ended finding that they have to work harder than they used to work in their own country to dream of getting a comfortable life. However some were quite happy about leaving and immigrating to the United States as John Doyle’s letter to Fanny explains how he was when he moved to the new nation.
Firoozeh writes about her life as an Iranian immigrant to America. Her family is treated with kindness by neighbors when they come to live in America and get lost on their way home from school: “…the woman and her daughter walked us all the way to our front porch and even helped my mother unlock the unfamiliar door,” (Dumas, 7). Firoozeh and her mother are not discriminated against because they are immigrants who don’t speak English, the Americans help them despite their differences. Had the neighbors not been helpful and patient, Firoozeh’s journey home would have been somewhat traumatic and daunting. While this a rather specific isolated example, it can serve as an analogy for all immigrants’ experience.
For most of us, we take life for granted; We forget about all the everyday things like hot food, readily available running water, and a climate controlled house, all things that we take advantage of on a daily basis. All of these things, basic necessities, that immigrants struggled to keep if they ever did gain them in the first place. For the most part Upton Sinclair portrayed the life of an average citizen who started their life as an immigrant very well. Whether it be the extremely poor working conditions people were forced to deal with, the everyday struggles that they had to confront on a daily basis, or even the political corruption that the cities were once plagued with, Sinclair’s story matches up to what actually happened in history
Rodriguez ends his book with this Christmas narrative to show that being successful can drive families apart, especially between parents and their children. When Rodriguez was a child he was close to his parents and language was the main reason he felt this way. “My parents would say something to me and I would feel embraced by the sounds of their words” (15) His parent’s melodious words would comfort him and remind him his home. His world was based on who was talking and in what language, los gringos English or his family’s Spanish. He was extremely connected to his parents through speech.
However, in order for one to truly understand the arguments made by the authors they must also understand the context behind these arguments; therefore, knowing how the individual authors’ definition of bilingualism lets the reader truly absorb what points they’re trying to make and why. In Espada’s essay, he defines bilingualism as a way for a person to remain in contact with their different cultural identities. There are many areas in the essay where the reader could interpret this definition from. However, the most significant piece of evidence appears at the beginning of the essay where Espada mentions his friend Jack Agueros’ analogy to describe his bilingualism “English and Spanish are like two dogs I love. English is an obedient dog.
Second- generation Latinos and beyond speak English just as well as Natives, despite the fact that they live with their Spanish-speaking parents (Myers and Pitkin, 20). Furthermore, it has been observed that even though second or third generations Latinos may retain their native language, the Spanish language will eventually die out by the third and fourth generations in many families, following the traditional three-generation model of linguistic assimilation that characterized European immigrants of the last century (Rumbaut and Massey,
The parent’s perspective towards bilingual education was like the student’s opinions because both individuals felt immersion classrooms benefit the students and the parents. The father of Jason was proud his son was the first in his family to read, write, and speak in English. Jason’s father knew his son would have many career opportunities by learning English at school. Learning the English academic language was not the only proud language Jason’s father encouraged for Jason to learn but also the Spanish language as well. Jason’s father only speaks Spanish so if his son was to lose his home language, a language barrier would form between father and son.
Numerous stories are heart retching and devastating. Trying to imagine being in the shoes of those immigrants is almost impossible, as I have been blessed with a wonderful problem-free life. Unfortunately, I am unable to even relate to any of the several issues immigrants encountered daily, as I have never experienced anything they have suffered through. Although, I personally cannot attest to such horrible experiences, I can promote acceptance and equality among immigrants in America. Similarly, a quote by Carlos Ramirez suggests the same.
Mr. Holmes was a very smart man with many great ideas. His statement that Doctors make great criminals I believe is very accurate. Also doctors have more knowledge about the human body. Doctors are very smart and know a lot about the human body. They have so much knowledge they know which chemicals that will kill you and that will not come up in an autopsy.
The family members were greatly affected when the children lost their sense of the cultures language. At around the age of sixteen, the children went home as their “duties” and “obligations” were done. The families tried to communicate with them but the children were brain washed Europeans. As younger siblings came into residential schools, they attempted to speak their language to the older ones and the older ones had forgotten the language. The parents were also confused how the children believed in such strong European worldviews.
Tan along with her mother completely understood what one was saying to the other but if someone else was there with them they might not have understood. The same goes when a family is talking to one another, it can become some sort of secret language that only they will understand. “But I do think that the language spoken in the family, especially in immigrant families which are more insular, plays a large role in shaping the language of the child” (Tan 60). While the language that the child is being taught at home may not seem to be efficient when used with other people, that child is able to understand what their family is
An immigrant family wants the best for everyone lives, however moving to a new country brings struggles. There struggles include finding a home, a good paying job, avoiding to be deported, being separated ,and continuing their education. Immigrants expect a better life because their old home and country did have much benefits as the new country gives them. The advantage of an immigrant family is family values which tends them to be closer. Disadvantages of an immigrant family are the struggles that were first mentioned and including that they face other people calling them a threat.
