Legal Alien Vs. Alarcon: Poem Analysis

Oppression isn’t a stranger to the Latino community, in fact it is a well-known antagonist in the long expedition Latinos have had for human rights. Throughout history countless crimes against Latinos have been committed for the simple fact of origin and the color of the skin. However there have been many revolutionaries in history that have dared to defy xenophobia and bigotry. Heroes like Cesar Chavez, Emiliano Zapata, and Dolores Huerta, willing to do more than sit on the sidelines and observe, fighters for change and conquers of the odds. Pat Mora in her poem “Legal Alien” and Francisco X Alarcon in his poem “Mexican is not a Noun”, introduce the endeavors Latinos have braved and continue to. Both poems have comparable visions on how it

The endeavor of integration has quite been present throughout history because we have felt unwanted. The land left behind that was once home and the foreign land that is now home haven’t been able to harmonize without effort. Adaptation for every single living thing can be difficult. It is even harder when you are constantly battling a fight with racism. Alarcon says in his poem “Mexican/ is a life / long / low-paying/ job/ a check/ mark on/ a welfare/ police/ form”(Alacron 6-15). He describes the harsh but true reality that Latinos have to face. Although it doesn’t define our individuality, it is what people perceive the culture to be like. Mexicans just like any culture are preyed upon with stereotypes, however we are more than what an ignorant stereotype conjectures. Stereotypes are not true, we crave successful careers and work profusely towards our goals. However, we do not have the influential representation in society that awakens a passion for reformation. According to an article on PBS news over 300,000 people work in Hollywood however only 4.9 percent of those are Chicanos. As well as higher level jobs, only consists of a small number of Hispanics in reference to that Chicanos have the largest amount of high school dropouts. So how are Hispanics going to progress when society’s standards of them are nothing but secondary expectations. Despite this, I have seen

One chicano's perspective Bernal is quoted, that for Bernal being able to freely speak spanish was more that just a language. For Bernal it represented freedom and acceptance from others. The children in the article grew up in a restrictive environment where they were not allowed to speak spanish in front of the teacher or else they would get in trouble, often physical punishment. “The stories where the voices, reactions, testimonies and opinions are stamped out are important, indicates Delgado (1995) because ‘the oppressed groups know instinctively that stories and narratives are an essential tool for their own survival and liberation’” (Arreguin Anderson el al 58). Testimonies given by these students are very important. One relates because everyone has a child, brother, sister, friend, or were once a person at this age and imagining this hostility towards them enacts a will to make