Blog #4 for Antonio & Delfinio

First, I have thoroughly enjoyed the reading of this book. The tale of the Mennonite drug cartel in the Epilogue was mind-boggling . . . well, on to the prompt for this last blog.

In the small high school where I teach, I am not an ELL teacher, but I have had ELL students in English or in study hall. One young man in particular, I remember from study hall. Most students do not expect to be disliked by their teachers, but this kid did. He had very limited English and was dating a very pretty caucasion young woman. She would try to help him with his homework, but when she was "stumped," she would ask me to help him. He was pretty beligerant at first. It wasn't long before I found out why. In the course of helping these two in study hall each day, they told me quietly of how they were made fun of for dating each other. The young man, in particular, had few friends. I became aware of the fact that the caucasion students made the Spanish-speaking ELL students feel as if they thought the ELL students were not as bright as they were, and any dark-skinned immigrant student was automatically involved in gangs or drugs. This young ELL student was a really sweet, smart young man. But, his existence in school was not the same as the kids who grew up in this small town. It wasn't anything as obvious as in the book where the Spanish-speaking kids played soccer, and the caucasion kids played football. On the surface, it might look like this ELL student had the same existence as everyone else: he had friends; he attended classes; he attended pep rallies; he had a girlfriend, etc. But there was one world for caucasion students and another for immigrant ELL students who were made to feel "not quite as good" as their monolingual, caucasion friends.

I had not seen this particular young man in years, but not long ago, while standing outside a grocery store in the next town over waiting for my husband to pick me up, I couldn't help but notice a young man staring as if he knew me as a smile literally bloomed on his face. He came up and hugged me and called me by name. At that moment, I remembered his name - it's been years since he graduated. He told me he was working and had recently married and was expecting his first child. He was so proud of all he's accomplished since graduation. I asked if he was now or had been studying at a college or tech school . . . but it was apparent pretty quickly that he did not consider that important. I reminded him how bright he was in high school and that I thought that if he ever decided he wanted to go back to school, I knew he had it in him to be able to do it and succeed. However, I told him I was very happy for his success with his job and rejoiced with him as he showed me a picture of his new bride.

As teachers, I think we need to be aware of introducing ELL students to other students, especially really outgoing students who are willing to include others and are not cliquish. One way to do this inconspicuously is to be sure we incorporate small group work where kids are made to work with people outside their immediate group of regular friends. But, this is just one small way of trying to aid in the dissolving of the "dual existence." In working on projects, the students have to communicate and it's a lot easier to be drawn into someone's personality and see that person for who they are & not for the label they happen to wear because of the particular school culture. As teachers, students need to see us as excited to get to know all our students, and they need to see that we find them all fascinating, that we don't play favorites or play into stereotypes.

Antonio's Gun and Delfinio's Dream Blog #3 (Ch 6 & 7)

Considering the two situations in chapters 6 & 7, I see the high school music teacher named Hector Seemann's situation that is described in chapter 6 as much worse than the situation in chapter 7 where immigrants to the U.S. build houses in Mexico never to actually live in them. The reason is quite simple: Hector blamed others when he could have helped himself, whereas the immigrants building restaruants in chapter 7 did not waste time in blame--they went out & built something! Hector Seemann wrote operas and other pieces of music during the time that he taught music at the high school level in Mexico. He had dreams of doing something with his compositions, but he did nothing with them. Senor Seeman had the education and training that would have allowed him to play an integral part in bringing chamber music and opera to Tijuana. Yet, a teacher's aid named Enrique Fuentes did so much more to actually change the musical culture of the area than his friend Hector, the high school music teacher did! Senor Seemann did not even use the ticket bought for him by Senor Fuentes to attend the first opera played in Tijuana, much less play a role in bringing the performance of Pagliacci to fruition! As someone who once majored in vocal music and earned an associat'es degree singing arias, I found chapter 6 quite interesting. Life is choices. If I do not sing now anywhere but in the shower, that is my fault. Senor Seemann might actually have had the honor of having one of his pieces played by the Tijuana orchestra or had his friends perform his opera had he taken the initiatiave to join in their efforts. It was not Mexco that betrayed Senor Seeman; it was not his friends who betrayted him; Seemann betrayed himself by not sharing his talents and gifts when they were needed most by his hometown. He could have been an integral part of the beautiful music and culture that his friends created in Tijuana. It seems as if he chose to feel sorrry for himself instead.

I see the immigrant families who built restaurants in the Chicago area as having done something amazing. They built beautiful homes in Mexico dreaming of returning to their country of birth and to the hometown they remembered fondly having done something of worth. They did something of worth; they just did not realize that the most beautiful thing they were building was a new life in the United States, not Mexico. They built businesses and lives for their children in the U.S. They helped friends get started in business and built a community of sharing based on a "Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself" mentality. Sure, they wasted some money and time on houses they would never live in. What they were actually building without knowing it were vacation homes to relax from the hard work with their families a couple of times a year. In doing so, their chidren were able to attend festivals and to see what their parents had left behind in order to build better lives for them. Chapter 7 outlined the immigrant spirit; it is an example of what makes this country the great country that it is! I cannot see chapter 7 as a bad situation.

Blog Entry #2 Antonio & Delfinio Ch 4 & 5

It was quite interesting to read about how entire families earned a living through painting on black velvet in Mexico. Growing up in southeast Texas, I saw a lot of vendors selling these type paintings on street corners. As child, I thought they were truly beautiful and wondered at the ability of someone who could create the striking matadors or the perfect likeness of my favorite movie star as a child, John Wayne. Of course, I had no idea that more than one person had painted each painting. It was quite interesting to read about the process and the carefully guarded secrets of painting a stream, or a nose, or the perfect ear, etc. Without guarding those secrets, though, anyone could have "set up shop" and hurt the business of the master artists who taught their apprentices the trade. Seeing how many people were hurt economically by the wane in popularity of the paintings was quite startling. I remember that change. My mother and I had stared at the paintings longingly when I was a child. Then, one Christmas after the velvet painting craze had long been over, my mother received a velvet rendition of the Last Supper complete with little white lights above the heads of the apostles. I remember how my father would put that painting up in the hallway that led to my grandmother's bedroom each time we knew that particular relative who'd given the painting was on the way over to the house. Then, after the visit, the painting would go back into the closet which it usually occupied. At the time, I had no idea that the fact that my mother no longer admired paintings in black velvet and that countless mothers across the US had stopped admiring them was literally depriving thousands in Mexico of their "bread and butter."

For the artists who were most in demand for their velvet artwork, their craftmanship and success brought a sense of pride and accomplishment to the entire family. In most cases, according to the book, entire families worked in the business. This sort of family business is something that most Americans cannot comprehend in this day and age. I cannot imagine how hurt the artist or family of artists would have been to see my family hide our velvet painting as if it was somehow "trashy" or beneath us. I know that ELL students face this type of ridicule in every school across the nation, not in regard to velvet paintings perhaps, but in other ways where the food they eat or even their skin color is fodder for bullies. For instance, I've always hear the crass term "wetback" used growing up to describe the Mexican immigrants who swam across the Rio Grande to enter Texas. However, leaving Mexico requires bravado; it requires courage. For the twenty-nine-year old woman in the book, it meant facing her own death for the chance at a future for her children back home in Mexico. If I were the child of that woman, it would hurt so much to hear the horrible terms and the hatred in the voices of Americans when they speak of Mexican immigrants as lesser beings. How many of us as Americans would risk our lives for the sake of bettering the lives of our families? I like to think I would give my life for my children, but these immigrants actually do risk their lives for their families! I will have to respond to any ELL student who is ridiculed as a mother would defend her child . . . who knows how many relatives any ELL student may have lost in the struggle for life!

Blog Entry #1

My position on the current state of immigration was not altered by the first 3 chapters and the introduction of Antonio's Gun and Delfinio's Dream. The US government was founded by immigrants "by the people and for the people." The Statue of Liberty is an invitation to immigration! However, I cannot say that I am happy with the current state of immigration. I have a good friend who came here from Cuba when she was six. Her parents came much later as her father was busy rotting in one of Fidel Castro's prisons. Her husband is a wonderful, talented man who also immigrated here from Cuba in a boat dodging bullets as he hit the water. Later, he dodged sharks. He came to the US seeking political asylum. This hard-working individual has faced a lot of mistreatment from American bosses on jobs who assume that he is an illegal alien because his English is a work in progress even though he's gone through all the proper channels to work and live in this country and recently became a citizen! My point is that mistreatment and underpayment of workers is happening here because of illegal immigration. The mistreatment suffered by Delfinio and other young workers in Mexico City is appalling, but from some of the stories I've heard, the same sort of thing is going on here in the U.S. I do think, personally, that because of the geographical nearness of Mexico, it is easier to immigrate illegally from that country than, say, from Afghanistan. However, it is still illegal. There are so many people who would love to come here seeking political asylum, a better way of life. There are many women who are treated as if they are not human in other countries. I would like to see all people have the right to come here by proper petition through legal channels.

This leads to my thoughts on immigration reform. The corruption in the government in California (the Tomato King & Robles) is a prime example of immigrants being abused because of not knowing their rights. These people elected officials that they thought understood them, and instead, they were used and abused by those elected officials just as they had been under the Mexican system. The book has opened my eyes to some things. It has made me believe that there must be a cap on US dollars that are allowed to be sent back to Mexico to relatives or to fund advances in roads, etc. in Mexico. If Mexican immigrants to the US were only allowed to send a certain amount home & only to immediate family like wives, children, or parents, then some of the illegal immigration might stop. Some of the abuses that are occurring with immigrant workers might stop. All legal immigrants need to be given mandatory classes on adjusting to American society so that they will know their rights. Perhaps this is already done. I only know that the red tape most legal immigrants go through is astounding! Then, it seems grossly unfair to me that in spite of going through all the proper channels, legal immigrants are abused b/c people believe they are illegals. The book brought tears to my eyes. People are people and deserve basic human rights whether they are here legally or illegally!

Introductory Message

Hello out there!
I currently teach high school English and French and am enrolled in a graduate school program.