The first symbol is at the beginning of the second paragraph. All the people stated don't attend church. The awful grandmother is the one who intercedes for them. They are literally Mericans. The people who do not attend mass are americanized Mexicans. This occurs because most Americans do not worship gods like La Divina Providencia,or called the Divine Providence. The symbol is significant as it sets a guideline on what a Merican is. The second symbol is another guideline and takes place at the very end. Junior recieves gum from a lady. He offers to give some to Keeks and Michele while asking in English. This surprises the lady as she remarks, "but you speak English!" (p.20, My Friend Lucy Smells Like Corn) Junior replies that they're, "Mericans." (p.20) The reply from Junior allows for another significant guideline. Being a Mexican is different from a Merican. They are speak and follow American tradition but are not fully American and leads to a cross between from American and Mexican which leads to being a Merican.
Two symbols that stand out to me in this reading is as Ian said, toward the end of the passage when Junior is offered gum and when the awful grandmother tells the children to stay outside of the church. These two both show the two cultures, American and Mexican mixed into what the children have grown to be, Mericans. This shows the American to Mexican contrast symbolized through language. When the awful grandmother tells the children to say outside, she speaks to them in spanish and then is when Michele says that she understands spanish when paying attention, implying that she is more fluent in english. Later, Junior is offered gum in spanish and replies in spanish. He then proceeds to offer some of his gum to his younger siblings in engligh. Then the lady who gave them the gum says "but you speak english!" Junior responds by saying "we're Mericans." This English to Spanish relationship symbolizes the American Mexican culture shown in this Merican family. Many times the languages you speak, or your family speaks shows your background or where your ancestors come from. For example, this family speaks both english and spanish, showing that they are Mexican Americans. In my family, you can see our background by the way we speak. My grandmother who came to new york from Puerto Rico speaks english with a very heavy spanish accent. As opposed to me, born and raised in New York I speak english more fluently than I speak spanish.
the first symbol that caught my attention was the names at the begining of the story, all of the names simply describe the people they replace the names of. it is as if the author does not know anything past the looks or uninformed ideas about the people she is writing about.
the second symbol I noticed was the awful grandmother. she is the only one who goes to church. she often forbids them from getting what they want. they are seemingly not aloud to have fun. they are suposed to stay were they are and wait. from what I observed, the grandmother is, in actuality, upholding traditions, she is trying to hold on to the traditions her family has left behind.
The awful grandmother in the Mericans passage struck me. I just loved the way Rachel described her, 'We're waiting for the awful grandmother who is inside dropping pesos into la ofrenda box before the altar to La Divina Providencia. Lighting votive candles and genuflecting. Blessing herself and kissing her thumb. Running a crystal rosary between her fingers. Mumbling, mumbling, mumbling...' I think that opening paragraph is very loud. Talking about an old grandmother, praying to La divina Provedencia is very striking especially the way Rachel described her. She describes her in a simple manner but you have that picture in your head, and you know what is exactly going on. Im also surprised that she used the word 'genuflecting' instead of simpler words like 'kneeling in respect' especially because of the way she narrated in the first few chapters. Another reason why i love how Rachel described this scene is because, while, Awful grandmother is inside the Basillica, praying, Rachel is outside, naively sitting on the steps, thinking why she prays so much.
The second symbol is her inner child, she said 'we cannot spend our allowance on fried cookies, or familia burron comic books or those clear cone shaped suckers that make everything look like a rainbow when you look through them.' i think that what she said is a part of her 'american' side. I think that that is what the Merican chapter is all about, being a child with two different cultures, for her, American and Mexican culture ties her up in between. ♥ Emma Francesca ♥
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This is ian
The first symbol is at the beginning of the second paragraph. All the people stated don't attend church. The awful grandmother is the one who intercedes for them. They are literally Mericans. The people who do not attend mass are americanized Mexicans. This occurs because most Americans do not worship gods like La Divina Providencia,or called
the Divine Providence. The symbol is significant as it sets a guideline on what a Merican is.
The second symbol is another guideline and takes place at the very end. Junior recieves gum from a lady. He offers
to give some to Keeks and Michele while asking in English. This surprises the lady as she remarks, "but you speak
English!" (p.20, My Friend Lucy Smells Like Corn) Junior replies that they're, "Mericans." (p.20) The reply from
Junior allows for another significant guideline. Being a Mexican is different from a Merican. They are speak and
follow American tradition but are not fully American and leads to a cross between from American and Mexican which
leads to being a Merican.
Two symbols that stand out to me in this reading is as Ian said, toward the end of the passage when Junior is offered gum and when the awful grandmother tells the children to stay outside of the church. These two both show the two cultures, American and Mexican mixed into what the children have grown to be, Mericans. This shows the American to Mexican contrast symbolized through language. When the awful grandmother tells the children to say outside, she speaks to them in spanish and then is when Michele says that she understands spanish when paying attention, implying that she is more fluent in english. Later, Junior is offered gum in spanish and replies in spanish. He then proceeds to offer some of his gum to his younger siblings in engligh. Then the lady who gave them the gum says "but you speak english!" Junior responds by saying "we're Mericans." This English to Spanish relationship symbolizes the American Mexican culture shown in this Merican family. Many times the languages you speak, or your family speaks shows your background or where your ancestors come from. For example, this family speaks both english and spanish, showing that they are Mexican Americans. In my family, you can see our background by the way we speak. My grandmother who came to new york from Puerto Rico speaks english with a very heavy spanish accent. As opposed to me, born and raised in New York I speak english more fluently than I speak spanish.
the first symbol that caught my attention was the names at the begining of the story, all of the names simply describe the people they replace the names of. it is as if the author does not know anything past the looks or uninformed ideas about the people she is writing about.
the second symbol I noticed was the awful grandmother. she is the only one who goes to church. she often forbids them from getting what they want. they are seemingly not aloud to have fun. they are suposed to stay were they are and wait. from what I observed, the grandmother is, in actuality, upholding traditions, she is trying to hold on to the traditions her family has left behind.
Test
The awful grandmother in the Mericans passage struck me. I just loved the way Rachel described her, 'We're waiting for the awful grandmother who is inside dropping pesos into la ofrenda box before the altar to La Divina Providencia. Lighting votive candles and genuflecting. Blessing herself and kissing her thumb. Running a crystal rosary between her fingers. Mumbling, mumbling, mumbling...' I think that opening paragraph is very loud. Talking about an old grandmother, praying to La divina Provedencia is very striking especially the way Rachel described her. She describes her in a simple manner but you have that picture in your head, and you know what is exactly going on. Im also surprised that she used the word 'genuflecting' instead of simpler words like 'kneeling in respect' especially because of the way she narrated in the first few chapters.
Another reason why i love how Rachel described this scene is because, while, Awful grandmother is inside the Basillica, praying, Rachel is outside, naively sitting on the steps, thinking why she prays so much.
The second symbol is her inner child, she said 'we cannot spend our allowance on fried cookies, or familia burron comic books or those clear cone shaped suckers that make everything look like a rainbow when you look through them.' i think that what she said is a part of her 'american' side. I think that that is what the Merican chapter is all about, being a child with two different cultures, for her, American and Mexican culture ties her up in between.
♥ Emma Francesca ♥
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