Family: How do you define it?

Family is one that everyone can identify with in some way.  No matter what the life experience, everyone has a person or group of people they call family.  These are the people we turn to for love, support, and help; this is not limited to the people we are blood related to.  In Latino culture, we have seen how large of a role family plays in the characters’ lives.  Throughout the novels Bless Me, Ultima, Bodega Dreams¸ and Dreaming in Cuban, we see the main characters identify with their family; however, the people they call family are not always those that are their biological family.  The definition of family changes as the stories and characters develop.  The novels Bless Me, Ultima, Bodega Dreams, and Dreaming in Cuban demonstrate different aspects of family and how family can have more than one definition.   

           

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is a novel about a Mexican-American family.  The family has lived in Guadalupe, New Mexico for most of Antonio’s life.  However, the family welcomes one more person into their home that is not a part of their family.  Her name is Ultima.  She is a midwife and caregiver.  The family has a strong connection with her because of the help she has given to the family.  She birthed María Márez’s children and has helped the family in other ways as well.  For these reasons, she is considered a part of the family and so, the Márez allows her to live with them.  María said, “She Tended me at the birth of my sons–…Gabriel, we cannot let her live her last days in loneliness–” (Anaya, 4).  María is displaying her sense of family connection to Ultima through all she has done for their family.  In response, Gabriel says, “No… it is not the way of our people” (Anaya, 4).  He is referring to the cultural notion that they should ask Ultima to live with their family because it is not the way of their people to live alone when getting older.  Both María and Gabriel feel a connection to Ultima; they demonstrate their connection and gratefulness for her kindness by welcoming her into their home as a part of their family, even though she is not technically family. 

            

Debra Black from Arizona State University wrote in the “Bilingual Review” about family in Bless Me, Ultima.  Black discusses how the family in Bless Me, Ultima is a model to the reader of what a Latino family can be (148).  At the beginning of the story, Antonio talks about the people in his family and includes Ultima (Black 148).  Then, as mentioned in the paragraph before, we see why she was included in their family.  This family picture is common in the Latino culture: Debra Black quotes, “In Chicano culture, ‘the emphasis on familism is such that it includes not only the immediate family and extended relatives but fictive relations’ (Mirande 107)” (148).  Black refers to another article stating that this relationship and welcoming someone into their home is very much a part of the Latino culture.  Throughout the novel, we see Ultima as a part of the family.  She heals their relatives, she works around the house, and she looks after the family, especially Antonio.  We see how the family has accepted her when Ultima is being attacked by Tenorio.  He is accusing her of being a witch and Narciso sticks up for Ultima.  He tells them the accusation of being a witch is a serious one; so, “to discover the truth of the charge there is a very simple test” (Anaya 139).  He goes on to describe a way they can test their theory as to protect her, knowing it will show them she is not a witch.  This demonstrates how Ultima has been accepted as family and so they are willing to stick up for her even when accused of being a witch.

            

Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quiñonez also displays another family that is defined differently than blood relatives.  In the novel, the characters are further developed and they describe themselves as family even though they are not related.  They call this their “pana” which to them means when you have each other’s back and take care of each other; you are family.   Sapo and Chino, two main characters, have had this type of relationship for most of their lives.  Chino describes his friendship with Sapo as beginning in grade school, especially when he was trying to make a name for himself, which was done by getting in fights.  Chino says, “…he was my pana, my friend.  This gave me hope, and getting a name seemed possible” (Quiñonez 4).   He views Chino as someone he can rely on, someone that will take care of him.  The novel describes their relationships throughout the novel and we see how their relationship is seemingly more like family than simply friends.  Chino repeatedly does things for Sapo that he does not necessarily approve of, such as storing drugs for him.  In return, Sapo gives Chino the opportunity to work for Bodega which will help him provide for his wife and baby.  We see their relationship resemble a family more than a friendship by the way they support and help each other.

            

This same type of relationship is what motivates Willie Bodega.  When his character is developed, we see that he does most of what he does because of the loyalty that it brings from those he helps.  For example, Bodega is describing his business and in the end, he claims it helps everyone.  Bodega says, “…what it means is fourteen families that would riot for Bodega.  Fourteen families that would take a bullet for Bodega…  I take care of the community and the community will take care of me” (Quiñonez 29-30).  Bodega relies on this family type of relationship for his everyday business.  He believes that if he takes care of the people in the community, they will have his back and take care of him in return.  The entire community, Bodega dreams, will be a part of this relationship and they can then take care of each other. 

           

In the novel Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia, we see family defined yet again; but this time, family is defined within the parameters of blood relatives.  As the characters are developed, we see strong family bonds between women that extend through generations and even across an ocean.  Pilar discusses how she never made it to Cuba to visit her grandmother, Celia.  She feels as though this is a journey she must take so that she may know her grandmother; she feels as though this journey will make her destiny her own.  So, after many nights thinking about how she was unable to make the trip, Pilar says, “I call my mother and tell her we’re going to Cuba” (Garcia 203).  This quote has several meanings.  First, Pilar is displaying the strong family bond she feels to go and see her grandmother.  Second, she does not want to make the journey alone so she tells her mother they will make the journey together.  This shows the strong family ties and how family is defined through Pilar’s eyes.  The relationship between the women is strong and that seems to be the people they turn to and see as their family. 

           

In the novels Bless Me, Ultima, Bodega Dreams, and Dreaming in Cuban, we can see the different aspects of family and the different definitions family can have.  The novels each include their own idea of family.  We can see the importance of family in the Latino culture but more specifically, we can see how that broad statement is more clearly defined by specific cultures through the novels. 

Works Cited

Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. Berkeley : Warner Books, 1999. Book.

Black, Debra B. "Times Of Conflict: Bless Me, Ultima As A Novel Of Acculturation.”  Bilingual Review 25.2 (2000): 146.  Academic Search Premier.  Web.  14 Apr. 2012.

Garcia, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. New York: Ballantine Books, 1992. Book.

Quiñonez, Ernesto. Bodega Dreams. New York: Vintage Books, 2000. Book.

Machismo

Throughout Latino culture, we can see machismo.  In the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, we see aspects of machismo as well, especially through the main character of Oscar.  In the novel, Oscar embraces this machismo.  He is pushed onto girls at parties and dances with them.  Then, he ends up having two girlfriends.  The machismo is very common and prevalent in Latino cultures.  I saw this when I lived in the Dominican Republic.  To me, it felt like men were more forward.  It was like they expected that I would want to dance with them, want to go out with them, or even want to marry them.

This makes me wonder how the women feel about this machismo.  It made me feel uncomfortable.  I did not want to marry someone.  I didn't want to dance, especially the way they were, and I did not want to go out with someone I barely knew.  Now, is this simply how I feel because it is much different than my culture?  There are some forward men but it has never made me as uncomfortable as it did when I was there.  Do women enjoy being expected to comply with a man's request?  Or are they reluctant but feel as though they need to comply because it is so "normal?"

One other aspect of machismo that is found in the novel is the rejection.  Oscar has an expectation that the girls want to be with him.  However, he then decides to choose one and then she rejects him.  He is surprised and hurt by the rejection, as would most people.  However, part of me wonders if he is hurt by the rejection because of the expectation she should want to be with him.  It seems that with the machismo comes the expectation that the men can be forward because the women will accept.  So what happens when the man is rejected?  Is this a sign of machismo changing, that women are becoming more comfortable with making the choice themselves?  Or, are they enjoying the power of challenging the machismo of the man that is forward with them?

Family

There are many themes found in Latino literature that can be seen in many different novels.  In Latino cultures overall, family is a big part of their every day life.  Most times, your family is the people with whom you are the closest.  In both Bodega Dreams and Dreaming in Cuban, family is defined in different ways, which also affects the characters’ decision making.  Bodega Dreams ties into the family theme differently than Dreaming in Cuban.  However, in both novels, we can begin to explore the importance of family, the roles it plays in people’s lives, and how it is defined in the two different cultures. Family, as explored in Bodega Dreams and Dreaming in Cuban can be defined in more than one way and can include more than one group of people. 

Bodega Dreams is a novel that takes place in Spanish Harlem in the context of a Puerto Rican environment.  In this book, the characters are seeking to better their family lives as well as seek out those they care for.  Chino bases a lot of his decisions on his family.  However, I think that his family has two aspects.  At the beginning of the novel, Chino makes a lot of decisions for his family, his wife and child.   He begins to work for Bodega because he wants to provide for his family, especially with a baby on the way.  He wants to be the father, the provider, and the husband for his wife and child.  His other family is later defined.  Bodega and Sapo are another family that Chino strives to care for and protect.  Throughout the novel, Bodega, Sapo, and Chino all talk about having each other’s back.  It is all about being there for each other, supporting each other, and caring for the others as if they were your brothers.  Family can be defined in several ways and I think Chino and his different families demonstrate this. 

Dreaming in Cuban is a novel that takes place in Cuba as well as the United States with a Cuban context.  In this novel, the characters have their family and it is developed throughout the novel.   The family relationships in this novel are more related between the female characters.  It develops the mother-daughter and sister-sister relationships more than the entire family.  The relationship Pilar has with her family demonstrates many layers of family relationships.  In the beginning, Pilar has a strong relationship with her father and rebels against her mother.  However, this changes when she is let down by her father, finding out he is cheating on her mother.  After this, Pilar forms a close relationship with her mother.  Her family aspects and relationships change when she sees discovers the mistakes her father has made, how he has let her and her mother down.  Her relationship with her grandmother then grows especially strong when she and her mother travel to Cuba.  It allows her to bond with her family, a part of her family to which she hasn’t ever really connected.  This novel demonstrates how family sticks together.  This drove her decision from rebelling against her mother to supporting her.  Her mother was hurt because of her father and therefore, she wanted to protect that part of her family and relationship.

In both Bodega Dreams and Dreaming in Cuban, family plays a large role.  However, the definition of family changes as the story and characters develop.  These novels demonstrate the different parts of family, and how family can have more than one definition and more than one group of people.  They both demonstrate the important aspect of seeking to protect your family, especially when being attacked by another, whether verbal or physical.  Dreaming in Cuban and Bodega Dreams display the desire to protect those you care for.  In Dreaming in Cuban, Pilar grows closer to her mother and wants to be there for her when her father lets them down.  In Bodega Dreams, Sapo and Chino always have each other’s backs in fights, physical fights.  These two novels show how families protect each other, whether it is biological family or otherwise defined as such.    

Dreaming in...

Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia was an interesting book.  One thing that plays a lot into the book is dreaming.  It plays a variety of roles.  In some sense, the entire novel is similar to a dream because of the way it reads.  It is in the present tense and is like it is happening right now.  The feel of it is dreamlike.  I think that one of the main ways dreaming plays into this book is knit into the title.  After reading the book, I see the title and Cuban becomes an adjective.  It makes me think of it more as a "Cuban Dream"as compared to the "American Dream."

The "American Dream" is defined as "a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work" and further described on this webpage.  It turns out to be what most people hope for and believing that they can achieve this by working hard.

Then, from the book, I compare it to the "Cuban Dream" that can be found throughout the novel.  I think that the "Cuban Dream" can't be defined as "clearly" (I put clearly in quotes because I think the "American Dream" has a definition that most people know and strive for however it still differs for different people).  It is very different depending on the character.  I think Celia has a very different idea of her "Cuban Dream" than Lourdes has.  Celia's dream is very for the revolution.  She believes in the revolution and is very passionate about it.  She wants others to believe in the revolution as well.  It says, on page 117, "If only Felicia could take an interest in the revolution, Celia believes, it would give her a higher purpose, a chance to participate in something larger than herself." Celia's dream is for a new Cuba, a revolution, and a change.

Lourdes, however, has a different dream.  Her "Cuban Dream" is quite the opposite.  She is very anti-revolution and for a variety of reasons.  One is because of an experience she had.  She was raped by the soldiers.  This is one big reason she is against the revolution.  The influence of her father has also played into her views of being against the revolution.

These are just two examples of two different "Cuban Dreams" found in the novel.  Dreaming in Cuban has many different aspects of dreams throughout and this is just one I found interesting.  

It Don't Matter if you're Black or White

I know that my title isn't exactly grammatically correct.  Let me explain why.  Those are lyrics. Whenever I hear someone refer to things being black or white, I immediately think of the old Michael Jackson song, "Black or White." It is a song that I used to listen to a lot with my brother and sister.  We would put the CD in and listen to this song over and over and dance and sing.  Whenever I hear black and white, it always takes me back to these memories.  However, this song has nothing to do with Puerto Rico or what my post will continue to be about.  

Clara E. Rodriguez wrote an article titled Puerto Ricans: Between Black and White.  She talks about many racial issues about Puerto Rico.  As I was reading her article, there were a few things that stuck out to me, which is what I will discuss in this post.  The first thing I found interesting is when she was talking about Puerto Ricans being stuck between black and white.  She says that Puerto Ricans are not identified with either race, especially in a biracial society such as the United States.  This causes them to feel caught between black and white, which can end in them connecting with neither.  For some reason, much of our identity is based on our race and how that plays into our every day life.  In Puerto Rico, race is based on more than just color of skin.  It is based on facial features, class, color, and hair texture, according to Rodriguez.   This allows for a wide variety of races of Puerto Ricans rather than what the United States falls back to as a biracial culture. 

Another thing she mentioned was one-way integration vs. two-way integration.  One-way integration is the "norm"in the United States.  This means that blacks are usually sent to schools where the majority of the population in the school is white.  It doesn't go the other way around.  Rodriguez also refers to this within the culture as a whole with the example of in the United States, a black family doesn't adopt a white child but it does happen the other way around.  I find this very interesting to think about because being an education major, it made me think a lot about how this plays into education.  Only recently has education begun to be more open with including different races in education.  Before, students learned based on stories about white Americans.  It was a very one-way integrated system.  I think that things are changing and it is getting better, especially with the experiences I had during my student teaching.  I was able to see how this is slightly changing with stories and lessons not only based on white Americans as well as not only white American teachers.  I hope to see this continue to improve because I think that it is also important for the white American students to realize and think about the other people in the world and not look down on them. 

These were just things from her article that struck me.  It always surprises me how shallow it seems the United States can be sometimes.  I know that doesn't mean everyone but when I see things like this, it makes me hope that things continue to change. 

The Reflection of My Essence

I look at myself in the mirror.  I see my dark brown eyes, my dark but thin hair, my nose with my nose ring, and my lips.  My skin is white but tan.  My reflection does not display the mixture of races that lies within the Italian, the German, and the Dutch.  Despite the background, I am viewed as American.

As I stare, I see the reflection of the cars driving by, the train stopping on the tracks, and the clouds rolling in front of the sun.  The squirrels are scarce as winter weather is here.  The ground is lightly dusted with snow, which will probably melt by tomorrow.  I see the many college students walking and riding their bikes to class.  I see the ones racing the train as to not be late. 

Photo found on etruth.com

My mirror reflects the college life in northern Indiana.  It reveals the “norms” of college students.  I can see some doing dishes in the house next door.  I see others waiting to cross the busy street after a train has just passed.  I see a crowd of bikes outside of buildings all around campus.  I see the students with their book bags.  I see one of two looks on their faces: oh dang I forgot to do my homework or, I would rather skip this class and be in bed. 

If I look further, I see more than the cold of northern Indiana.  I can see into my home life in Ohio.  I can see the corn fields outside of my small town.  I can see Main Street lined with old buildings and empty lots where the oldest used to be.  Then I see the town.  I see the few local shops, the best Mexican restaurant there is, and one of the biggest super Wal-Mart stores in the area.

Then, I begin to see my second home.  As we ride in a mix between a 15-passenger van and the college sports bus, we drive into San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic.  I see the arch as we enter the town.  I see the motorcycles weaving in and out of the cars.  I see the traffic signs that most don’t pay attention to.  I see the beautiful mountains of the countryside.  I see the apartment building where my Dominican family lives.  I see the beautiful walkway into the apartment.  I catch a glimpse of a life that affected me so much that it will never be forgotten.       

I look in the mirror and see more than a simple reflection.  I catch a glimpse of three lives rolled up into one.  I see a reflection of the culture and lifestyle of a college student.  I see a reflection of a life at home that was so normal for the first 18 years of life.  I see a reflection of the cross cultural experiences and newfound family.  I see my life rolled up into a bottle of experiences. 

Adela Najarro

Photo from Najarro's Blog Profile

Adela Najarro’s family emigrated from Nicaragua starting in the 1940’s and concluded in the 1980’s.  From what I understand, she is a second or third generation immigrant and was born in the United States.  Her family immigrated and settled in some settled in San Francisco and some in Los Angeles.  Najarro has a doctorate in literature and creative writing and is currently teaching at Cabrillo College.  She is also a board member of Poetry Santa Cruz.  Najarro still posts current poems on her blog.  There was not much information about Najarro outside of her blogspot profile.  However, this still gave me some insight into her connection with her poetry.

When I hear a description of the desert, of the hot sun, the cactus, and the color of the sand and rocks, I immediately go back to an experience of my own of being at the Grand Canyon.  Poetry is used to achieve a similar goal.  Poetry gives us a sketch instead of a detailed painting of a larger scene so that readers can connect to their own experiences and fill in the rest themselves.  Adela Najarro’s poems give a snapshot of an experience so that we can use our imagination and experiences to fill in the cracks.  Adela Najarro’s poems in the anthology The Wind Shifts can be appreciated by second and third generation Latino Americans because they explore the experiences of being a bicultural American in an easily accessible and descriptive way.

One of Najarro’s poems that explore bicultural American experiences is “San Francisco.”  This poem is written in first person as a very descriptive snapshot of part of her life in San Francisco.  When she says “Above a Cuban restaurant…hangs the gay pride flag alongside a Direct TV satellite dish” and “my Papi rode a bicycle delivering Lela’s nacatamales” she highlights some of experiences of being a bicultural American.  The first quote references a restaurant where she sees a Direct TV satellite Dish.  This presents the luxury of TV many Americans have, even in restaurants.  The second quote is relating a lot to the Latino culture.  Not only does it include a Spanish word, but the food itself is largely a part of the Latino culture.  These quotes by themselves are directed towards different cultures, that of Latin America and that of the American life of luxury.  However, when these quotes are used together as things she sees daily, it demonstrates the bicultural aspects of her life.  This is just one example of how Adela Najarro gives a snapshot of an experience of being a bicultural American. 

Another poem that portrays Najarro’s bicultural American experiences is “My Mother’s High Heel Shoes.”  This poem is also written in first person with a detailed description of a memory.  She says, “Saturday at three o’clock old movies re-run on KTTV” and she refers to her “Abuelita” scolding her as well as a magazine “de Los Estados Unidos.”  The first quote is portraying the common occurrence of old movies being shown on TV in the United States.  The second is again using Spanish to demonstrate the bicultural American life.  With these two quotes used together to describe the same memory, it shows how Adela Najarro explores the experiences of being a bicultural American.

With the audience being second and third generation immigrants, the poetry plays an important part in Adela Najarro’s exploration of being a bicultural American.  Poetry is a way of giving an easily accessible glimpse of a larger picture to the reader so they may relate it to their own experiences and finish the picture with their experiences and imagination.  It gives a descriptive shell that can fit over a variety of experiences rather than describe a scenario that some can relate to and some can only picture.  When she says “All holds still with permission to touch a knee, hip, shoulder, a slight seductive brushing back and forth as we sit on pre-fabricated easy-to-clean subway seats” in her poem “Throughout New York City” it allows me to picture what she is describing and fill the rest in with my experiences or imagination.  Najarro uses this to her advantage throughout her poetry.  The bicultural audience can connect to the images she describes: her descriptions become a mirror into their life.  Others who have not immigrated as recently see her descriptions through a window, as I did when I read Najarro’s poems.  The descriptive language allows me to form a picture of what she is describing but my image comes from my imagination, not from an experience of my own.  For me, the poems provide a glimpse through a window of what that experience is like whereas for the intended audience, her poetry provides a mirror to a memory with which they are more connected.

The poetry can be used to teach others about Latino culture as well.  As literature, poetry offers that glimpse or snapshot of an experience or idea so that others may fill in the rest with their own imagination or experiences.  So, to teach about Latino culture, Najarro mixes the unfamiliar Latino culture with the familiar American culture.  One simple way this is accomplished is by including some Spanish words among the English words.  For example, in her poem “San Francisco” she says “my tía Teresa double-parks in front of the mercados on 24^th street para los quesos y los chiles in the back room.”  This one sentence contains both Spanish and English to communicate what is happening.  This is just one example of how represents both cultures in her poetry.  I also believe that this is used to demonstrate the process Latino immigrants go through by being bicultural Americans.  Sometimes, Spanish is the language used in their home while English is used in most other places.  They adapt to the American culture while still preserving their Latino culture.  This is a shared experience for most immigrants and Najarro provides either a window or mirror into it in her poetry. 

Adela Najarro, a poet found in the anthology The Wind Shifts, uses easily accessible and descriptive language to explore the experiences of being a bicultural American.  She uses poetic aspects, like giving a glimpse into an experience, to her advantage for her descriptions and poems so that others can relate and picture what she is describing.  Her snapshots into the life of a bicultural American allow other second and third generation immigrants to easily connect to her experiences while providing a window into the experiences for those who have not immigrated as recently.