MLA Citation
Latino Voices is a book about writing’s by Latino authors. The book
includes writers like Sandra Cisneros, Luis Rodriguez, Victor Hernandez Cruz
and Piri Thomas. These writers are born in the United States and some are
immigrants from El Salvador, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico and other Latino countries
.This book contains fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The writers speak on the
struggle of being a Latino and an American. They speak on racial issues, the
American dreams and the division of ethnicity. Other topics are also the
increase of poverty and aids, love, hope, family relationships and death. This
book contains fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Latinos, Latinas and Hispanics
make up a diverse cultural group in the United States. The Census in 1990 counted more than 22
million Latinos. Latinos are not a race but they are a mixture of European,
African, and Indian. They are blue eyed, blond and of German, Russian, French,
and English ancestry. Although Latinos are classified as Hispanics by the
government many of them don’t think of themselves as Hispanics they identify
themselves from their national groups, groups such as Mexicans, Puerto Ricans,
Chileans, and other. Latinos speak Spanish but there are different versions.
Latinos are from diverse religion, they are catholic, Christians, Jewish and
Muslims. In my opinion there is a
struggle in being a Latino. We as Latinos do not see many other Latinos being
politically involved, being doctors or millionaires/billionaires. In Miss
Representation a woman said “we are what we can see”. So by this it means that
if we can see someone being something then we become inspired and we will
become. So out there in the world there are not many successful Latinos so we
as Latinos cannot become inspired.
Many Latino communities are stereotyped; they are seen as communities
that have violence, abusive of drugs and welfare. The culture of Latinos cannot be ignored.
They cannot be ignored because of the food, language, murals, religious iconography
and music. These things have traveled out of their communities and into the
rest of the U.S. But there are not only those Latinos there are also Latinos
that live in the suburbs these are the upper and middle classed Latino
families. These are the ones that represent the American Dream. These Latinos
are supposed to live in the “ideal” communities but they are often faced with
racial segregation, negative stereotypes and prejudice. So by this Latinos are
often isolated or they lose their ethnic identity. Latino men are often seen as
the ones that have the most power in the household. Women as seen as the
caregivers they stay at home to take care of their children, household and to
take care of their husbands. But the American Society has changed everything,
women now want an education. I think is how it should Ove been since the
beginning but it is good that they realized that it was time from them to get
an education.
Unfortunately it seems that Latinos do not see the importance to talk
about the infection of HIV and AIDS. Most Latinos know someone who is infected
with HIV. Latinos that are HIV positive are faced with double prejudice by the
public. This has led to Latinos rethinking what they feel about gays,
prostitutes and drug addicts. Latinos are stereotyped as lazy or unambitious.
But Mexican, Mexican Americans and Central Americans have had a great
contribution to the economy of the United States. Latinos have done labor jobs
than Americans refuse to do. Families that work in fields have moved from to
state to state each season to work for fruit and vegetable growers. This has
affected their child’s education but this is the work cycle that gives them
food.
Latino immigrants often speak Spanish only, but their children learn
English at school. The second and third generation Latinos often speaks English
only. However most Latinos are also bilingual they speak Spanish and English.
Many Latino and Latina writers have blended the two languages and have created
“Spanglish”. But throughout the country some schools have adapted an “English
only” environment. By this we see another form of racial segregation because
they are saying Spanish is not allowed and that is not right. I think that my
generation of Latinos and the future generation of Latinos will help not to
stop but to reduce the racial segregation. We will be able to do this by
becoming more politically involved and become more successful.
Aparicio, Frances. Latino Voices Brookfield,
Connecticut: The Millbrook, 9-21-14.
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