Commonalities sometimes bring different groups of people together. In this case, Eleazar S. Fernandez’s captivating article on the parallels of Exodus and Filipino-Americans’ struggle to chase the American Dream intrigued me most and urged me to write this critical response paper. This article sharply reminded me of my purpose for being in the United Sates and what my ultimate goals are in this promise land. The book of Exodus can be regarded as promising and liberating for immigrants chasing the American dream but is still flawed.
Even though, considered as an African-American, I begin to read the book of Exodus from an African’s perspective. I mention this because even though somewhat Americanized, I still consider myself purely African at heart and soul. A business and minors in both French and Psychology at a predominantly white college also play a role in my understanding of the book of Exodus. Living in a white suburban neighborhood plays a major role on how I perceive a potentially liberating biblical text. Making the life changing move from Togo to the United States has also shapes my understanding of Exodus as whole.
I commence by reading the book of Exodus as is without bias or pre-conceived ideas. Consisting of the history of Moses and Laws passed down from God, Exodus shares similarities to any other liberation stories in the Bible. As I move on to Fernandez’s article titled “Exodus-toward-Egypt: Filipino-American’s Struggle to Realize the Promised Land in America”, I immediately thought about my roommate who is Filipino-American. Reading through the article as a whole convinced me I was not far from problems faced by Filipinos-American and African immigrants like me. Being aware of this compelled me to replace “F...
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... a student at Syracuse University who, along with other Asian colleagues, was refused service at Denny’s Restaurant and was subsequently beaten” (Fernandez 248). Even though this incident was in the late 1990’s, similar incidents like such still happens but goes unnoticed and un-reported. With arguments present above I am left with only one question in mind, “Is the grass always greener on the other side?”
In conclusion, the story of Moses in the book of Exodus can be used as a liberating text towards “the promise land” to immigrants of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities but still do not guarantee the promise. If the Exodus story is orchestrated as liberating, with a pre-conceived and forecasted underlying oppression to certain groups of people, then I see this as unfair and cruel. Perhaps the grass on the other side is really not as green as it is made out to be.
Islas, Arturo. From Migrant Souls. American Mosaic: Multicultural Readings in Context. Eds. Gabriele Rico, Barbara Roche and Sandra Mano. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1995. 483-491.
In the article “Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians”, Robert Warrior addresses the issues present in the church attempting to help liberate the Native Americans. Warrior states that most oppressed people relate to the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but the Native Americans can relate the most to the Canaanites, in the book of Joshua, being removed from their homeland.
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
The key points of the readings was to address the hardships of the immigrants, immigration trends. In Harvest of Empire the author talked about the difficult times and why his family had left Puerto Rico in the first place. The author also divided the struggles amongst generations the first generation had difficulty because of their rapid expansion. The second generation had trouble because of the remaining prejudices from the previous generation. Another key point that was brought up in Harvest of Empire was the immigration waves and the varying difficulties that each wave faced. For example the immigration trends with Cubans. The first immigration group of Cubans moving into Miami was widely successful helping to build up some of the major profitable companies in the Miami area. This group had little difficulty assimilating into the United States mainly because of their lighter complexion. In addition the second generation had darker complexions making it more difficult to assimilate. The major difficulty for both groups was trying to gain access to America. The second wave had greater difficul...
Moving from the unpleasant life in the old country to America is a glorious moment for an immigrant family that is highlighted and told by many personal accounts over the course of history. Many people write about the long boat ride, seeing The Statue of Liberty and the “golden” lined streets of New York City and how it brought them hope and comfort that they too could be successful in American and make it their home. Few authors tend to highlight the social and political developments that they encountered in the new world and how it affected people’s identity and the community that they lived in. Authors from the literature that we read in class highlight these developments in the world around them, more particularly the struggles of assimilating
...ared a common experience in the Old World as well as the New World, and both groups held in common a trust that God would provide the means necessary that would ease and hasten their struggle for peace, and their belief in freedom from oppression and persecution. Although each group’s faith is different, their cultures and traditions divergent; they met resistance to their way of life and living with an historical perspective with God and the idea of progress on their side. Every immigrant story is a progression in every realm of thought.
After reading The Book of the Unknown Americans, I realized how difficult immigrating to the United States can be. I am an immigrant also, so just reading the story makes me relate to many problems immigrants experience relocating to a different country. Immigrants often face many issues and difficulties, but for some it is all worth it, but for others there comes a point in time where they have to go back to their hometown. Alma and Arturo Rivera came to the United States to better their life, but also so that Maribel could attend a special education school. While Arturo had a job things had gone well for the family, but once Arturo lost the job and passed away the two of them had to go back because they felt that that was the best option for them. Reading this book made me realize how strong an individual has to be to leave their own country and relocate somewhere else not knowing if this will better your life or cause one to suffer.
Immigration has always been a contentious issue in the United States. Benjamin Franklin thought that the influx in German immigration would flush out the predominately British culture in America at the time. (5) Furthermore, a continual wave of foreign cultures began pouring into the American metropolitan areas at the turn of the 20th century. The migration of Italians, Poles, and Jews across the Atlantic Ocean began a mass assimilation of cultural ideology and customs into the United States, yet many people thought that these migrants could not adapt. Today, the American society has become a melting pot of foreign influence; however, many cynics remain skeptical about the incorporation of Latin American people and their influences. Accordingly, these same critics are just as naïve as their previous counterparts, who refused to accept the many gifts and contributions these immigrants have to offer. We must ask ourselves: How long will it take to peacefully incorporate Spanish immigrants into American society? America was built on the movement of these cultures, and the current population of this country must set aside its non-democratic premonitions, and embrace the historical and positive aspect of Latin American immigration.
Portes, Alejandro, and Ruben G. Rumbaut. Immigrant America: A Portrait. N.p.: University of California Press, 2006.
To say that immigrants in America have experienced discrimination would be an understatement. Ever since the country formed, they have been seen as inferior, such as African-Americans that were unwillingly brought to the 13 colonies in the 17th century with the intention to be used as slaves. However, post-1965, immigrants, mainly from Central and South America, came here by choice. Many came with their families, fleeing from their native land’s poverty; these immigrants were in search of new opportunities, and more importantly, a new life. They faced abuse and Cesar Chavez fought to help bring equality to minorities.
Jose Antonio Vargas’s article on My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant is a writing about his childhood journey from the Philippines to the United States as an Undocumented Immigrant. Vargas writes this article to emphasize the topic of immigrant and undocumented immigrant in the United States. He uses all three appeals: pathos, ethos, and logic in his writing, in specific, he mostly uses pathos throughout of his entire article with a purpose for the reader to sympathize and to feel compassion for him. The use of these appeals attract many readers, they can feel and understand his purpose is to ask for others to join and support other people who undocumented immigrant like himself. In addition, it gives other undocumented immigrant people courage
Charles Ball’s Fifty Years in Chains and Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl were both published in the early 1860’s while Kate Drumgoold’s A Slave Girl’s Story came almost forty years later I believe there were things overshadowing Charles’ attention. While the man does give credit to a supreme being, his relation to the Christian culture comes from his encounters to which he documents in great detail with fellow slaves. As previously stated, I believe the significance of the slave’s ability to maintain reverence for the religion they practiced provided insight into what gave them hope. The story of Exodus is linked to many slave narratives and it was no different for these three Slave-owners looked upon the African Americans as lesser people who were in desperate need of support.
Samuelson, Robert J. The Hard Truth of Immigration. 2005. Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Annette T. Rottenberg and Donna Haisty. Winchell. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 704-06. Print.
"Immigrants and the American Dream." Society 33.n1 (Nov-Dec 1995):3(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale University. 26 Sep. 2006.
Immigrants traveled hundreds of miles from their homes, only with what possessions they could carry, in order to obtain the rights and chase the promise that America had to offer. Mary Antin illustrates in The Promised Land how if given the chance, immigrants will represent the promises and virtues of American society. Antin shows that public education, freedom from religious persecution, and freedom of expression as a citizen are aspects of life Americans may take for granted but immigrants certainly do not.