Reflection Journal

Chinese Silence No. 22 By Timothy Yu     Date: 2016 Setting: I think for this poem there is not a specific setting, from my point of view is just talking about Chinese culture in America and other parts of the world. Characters: This poem has as protagonists Chinese people and the stereotypes around them. Also, in this poem, it is possible to appreciate Italians, French, Americans, Canadians, Australians, and Scots. How did it make me feel? Can I make any connection to my life? This poem made me think about the different stereotypes society has for Chinese culture and other cultures around the world. Chinese Silence  No.22 from my perspective presents the typical stereotype where Chinese are calm, even some Chinese typical instruments are shown; for example, the opium pipe and finger puzzle. Also, it made a reference to one of the most significant representations regarding architecture for this culture: Great Wall of China. However, in the poe...

T.S.A By Amit Majmudar Setting:  The setting for this poem is not one in particular; however, readers can infer it is based on different situations Asian people face in airports.  Event:   I consider this poem presents a reality a young brown male with Asian descendant faces when he goes through the T.S.A. Or in more general terms the reality that people from Southern Asia may face in this situation in the T.S.A. The Transportation Security Administration (T.S.A.) was an organization founded after the 9/11 attacks, was especially chary with people coming from the southern part of Asia. Characters:  From my perspective, the character of this poem is the speaker. His experience in airports, and in life after the 9/11 How did it make me feel? Can I make any connection to my life? I really enjoy reading this poem, I consider it pictures how the fact that you come from another culture, or even how you look is going to create others perspe...

To Live in the Borderlands  By Gloria Anzaldúa This poem written by Gloria Anzaldúa exposes how it is to live in the border between Texas and Mexico. This writing piece shows how a person who lives in the borderlands have a mixture of racial identities, and also the reader can see the combination of two languages, English and Spanish. I feel that this poem gives the idea that the person who lives in the borderland is a mixture of two cultures, the person has a hybrid race; however, he/she does not belong to any of them. I think it presents a clear panorama of how it is to live in the border, and how difficult is for a person who lives there be related or be familiarized with only one of the cultures. An individual who lives there is defined as a "mulato(a)" a person whose parents are from different races. In this poem, I can see the problems of identity the speaker has. I know that for a person must be complicated to define his or her identity if he or she is a ...

"Mexican" Is Not a Noun By Francisco X. Alarcón I liked this poem, from my perception it presents to the reader how it is to be Mexican, their reality. In the poem, the writer says that being Mexican is not a noun nor an adjective, it is a verb.  Verbs are actions, the author is saying to the reader that being a Mexican is about actions; however, for them, their actions are seen with a negative perspective because of people opinion, normally a negative one.  Francisco X. Alarcón presents a part of the reality of Mexicans in terms of jobs. He says that a Mexican life is a long low-paying job. This gives the reader the idea that they cannot get good jobs, jobs that can give them more opportunities, more incomes. They cannot have this opportunity probably because of discrimination, lack of opportunities. Also, in many parts of the poem, he uses negative words. He gives a negative connotation of being Mexican; for example, it is possible to see this when he...

The House on Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros Characters: Esperanza, Nenny, Carlos, Keeky, Mama and Papa, Lucy, Rachel, Aunt Lupe, Sally.  Esperanza is the main character of the story, she's ashamed of who she is. She wants to be different, she wants a different name, a different hair, she wants to be older and have all those things her family cannot give to her.  I really enjoyed this reading, to see how innocence is represented in Esperanza, she thinks she is a grown-up; however, Esperanza has a lot to learn about life, about responsibilities, about adulthood. I think I understand the way she feels, how she wants to be older, to have friends of your age, something she cannot find on her sister Nenny, because she is younger.  She wants to change who she is, that is what I perceive. I can say she is not happy about the place where she lives, about some aspects of her family and she just wants to fit in. Esperanza is still a child; however, she thinks ...

  HE COMES FOR THE JEWISH FAMILY, 1942 By Sharon Olds During World War II, Jewish were chased by Germans, taken to concentration camps. Adults, children, men, and women, they were all taken no matter what.  Jewish knew that when Nazis arrived their final destination was going to be a camp or death.  In this poem the family knew what to expect, they knew the German hated them, that he was going to take them to the camps, and their daughter was going to be taken with them, they had no consideration for children.  What they did not know was how easy was for a German to destroy a beautiful instrument like the cello.  It is well known that musical instruments as the guitar or in this case, the cello are somehow the representation of a woman's body.  "What they did not know was the  way he would pick her cello up by the scroll neck and take its dark lovely body shape and break it against the fireplace. The brickwork ...

MAUS A SURVIVOR'S TALE By Art Spiegelman  Characters: Artie, Vladek, Anja, Richeu, Mala , Lucia. Themes: Holocaust, race, family, guilt, past, memories, power. Maus tells the story of Vladek, it is really interesting to see how Artie narrates his father's story during World War II.  I can see how Vladek is affected by war, he likes to save money because he knows how helpful money would be if another war occurs. The comic is about part of his life before war, when he met Anja, his story with Lucia and even when his first son was born. His life during war, the time they had to be hidden and even when they arrived at Auschwitz.  This comic show the part of the history and reality Jewish people had to live during the war, and how this affected the survivors after it finished. I consider this comic present reality, a part of history in a creative and original way.  The representation of Nazis as cats, Jewish as mice, American as dogs and Polish ...

Phenomenal Woman   By Maya Angelou Admiration. Proud. Happiness.  With these words, I can describe how this incredible poem made me feel. Maya Angelou in the poem is not talking like a proud or presumptuous woman, she is just telling the reader what makes her a phenomenal woman, and I can perceive she is really proud of herself and does not envy what other women have because she is happy the way she is. She feels like an amazing and unique woman and that is exactly what she projects to others. They show herself a strong and beautiful woman. And for me, it is nice to see how she feels phenomenal so others see her as a phenomenal woman too.

                          The Negro Speaks of Rivers By Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers is a poem by Langston Hughes in which he emphasizes how it is to be African American. I think he tried to project the history of the race starting in Africa, coming to America and finally getting their freedom.  I consider that in this poem represents African American history in a really good way, and everything is represented by ancient rivers. Starting in the Euphrates, then the Congo, the Nile and finally the Mississippi River. Also, rivers mean movement and the human race is in constant movement. I really enjoyed how Langston Hughes tells African American history with those rivers, rivers that have been present in since ancient human history, even before the color of skin matters to society. 

 If I Laid Them End to End By:  Kimberly Blaeser  Apprenticed to Justice 2007 This poem was written by  Kimberly Blaeser. I consider that this poem is a collection of memories not only of the author but the memories are from different people, Indians. She tells the reader about different situations she and her people went through. Two of the most remarkable problems are hunger and alcoholism. In one of the stanzas, she mentions that the night her mother baked biscuits they went to bed with some food on their stomach; however, if we think about it a biscuit is a really small snack, h ow can someone feel full with a biscuit? In that line, she says "[...] took the wrinkle out of out bellies that night " If I analyze that, I can understand that some nights before they were starving when they went to bed.  Also, she mentioned a common problem we can observe in Indians,  alcoholism. I consider this problem is mentioned a lot by different auth...

Title: How to Write the Great American Indian Novel Author: Sherman Alexie From: The Summer of Black Widows Date: 1996 Characters: Indian Men, Indian Women, and White people. Sherman Alexie wr ote this poem making a contrast between the Indians and white people. He used negative vocabulary in the poem, for example, he used the word "tragic" at the beginning of the poem. this referring to the Indians. Also, he described Indians' life as a tragic one: "There must be one murder, one suicide, one attempted rape. Alcohol should be consumed. Cars must be driven at high speeds." Additionally, this part of the poem is a reference to one of the short stories he published "Indian Education," where he mentioned all those tragedies. For me, this poem is very stereotyped, he said that for example, Indian men should not cry in public and he should be a warrior, and they are described as savages. I really enjoy reading this poem. I think...

 Every Little Hurricane By Sherman Alexie Setting: 1976, New Year's Eve, Spokane Indian Reservation Every Little Hurricane takes place in Spokane Indian Reservation, in a New Year's Eve party. It is about little Victor's family and how a "hurricane" passed through his house and his family. Characters: 1) Victor: It is the main character of the story. Victor is nine years old, for him, his family is important, despite all the problems they may have. 2) Victor's Parents: They were hosting a New Year's Eve party. They were so drunk that they passed out on their bed. Victor loves them and feels safe with them no matter what. 3) Victor's Uncles:  Adolph and Arnold are Victor's uncles, they started a fight, they used to fight all the time; however, when the fight stopped they continued with the party. Every Little Hurricane is a story that reflects many of the social problems Indians have in reservations. From this story, I ...