But why do we need such a poem? Pat Mora explains: Although the dominant language of the poem is English, only one sentence of Spanish is also used. This could be representative of the idea that among the majority of white natives, the Mexican narrator is considered almost insignificant, ignored, and considered useless. For example, a reader may skip, ignore, or not pay much attention to a sentence written in another language. Another widely observed phenomenon is the exoticization of the East. As a rule, things or people called exotics are considered somewhat inferior due to their appearance, culture, and the underdeveloped conditions of their country. The poet isn`t sure Americans call immigrants “exotic” and “inferior” because she also uses the word “maybe.” But he uses the word “certainly” to amplify the effect of the alienating effect imposed on him by his own people. It is a natural phenomenon that when something is superior to them, we like to find “differences” and gaps in order to save our ego. We can therefore get to the point where it is the rich qualities and abilities of immigrants that serve as the reason for their alienation. The title itself is enough to defy logic. legal foreigner. The first word formally recognizes that a person is identified as falling within the scope of the law, the second word designates him or her as a stranger. Deconstruction aims to find “cracks and discontinuities” in a text, so the poem lends itself to deconstruction as it deals with the theme of fragmentation on multiple levels.
The poem imprints the experiences and emotions of immigrants, especially legal immigrants, whose lives and personalities are distorted/fragmented because they are in two places, but do not belong to either of them or are valued as they should be. Multilingualism is a skill that should be valued, but it serves as a barrier for an immigrant. Pat Mora uses the technique of “language appropriation” to show the rapid transition from English to Spanish, to show how deeply rooted both languages are in the immigrant. When the narrator of the poem is asked, “How is life?”, she immediately switches to Spanish and replies: “I `stan volviendo loca`”, which means “I am going crazy”. This linguistic “binary” also signifies its inner and outer struggle, which only it can fight. A “legal immigrant” can be a “signifier” for many of the significant ideas in this poem. For example, it may represent the idea of self-alienation of immigrants due to the psychological turmoil due to their multiple (Mexican-American) identities. Such people always remain multi-layered beings because their idea of the house remains fluid and it becomes almost impossible to have a single unified identity. An immigrant must face inter- and intracultural problems in order for him to develop a divided personality or sub-individuality. This binary can also be used with W.E.B. Du Boi`s idea of “inner duality”. Legal Alien is a short poem that attempts to define what it means to be a Hispanic legally living in the United States while not officially being a citizen of that country.
The poet uses hyphens to show the separation of an immigrant`s psyche and life. Hyphenated words “bilingual, bicultural” depict people who belong to different places and at the same time are representative of both, but they are treated as “native foreigners.” Thus, the hyphen not only connects, but also separates. These hyphenated words can also be considered stereotypes or prejudices associated with immigrants, as they are often misjudged or prejudiced because of these two characteristics. This hyphenated identity breaks the person in two. No matter how hard the immigrant tries to fit into the crowd of locals, he can`t bridge the gap. Legal Alien, a short poem in free verse, explores the identity of the Mexican-American caught between two cultures and confronted with prejudice on both sides. And here the tone of the poem changes as the speaker suggests that they work legally and are relaxed enough to speak two languages, but they are a bit strange, like those first words. The poem “Legal Alien” comes from the book Songs by Pat Mora, an American writer and poet.
She uses metaphors, images, paradoxes, two languages, symbols, etc. in her poem. It is written in free verse, but it highlights people`s fixed and rigid ways of thinking and how people limit others because of their bad judgments, preconceptions, stereotypes and prejudices. But the legal alien is able to do so. They have jobs, they speak English, they eat at a Mexican restaurant and order in Spanish. They feel comfortable in both worlds, it seems. Andrew has a keen interest in all aspects of poetry and writes extensively on the subject. His poems are published online and in print. But they are also not fully accepted by Mexicans, who consider them foreigners (foreigners) because they are not pure Mexicans. Legal Alien is a poem in free verse with 22 lines, a single stanza, so there is no fixed rhyme pattern or consistent metric rhythm. This reflects the natural informal language.
Note the syntax (how clauses and grammar work together): lots of embedded commas, strides (lines that go to the next without punctuation), and parentheses. When one line moves to the next without punctuation, the meaning remains. Many lines of this poem are blocked, so the reader should not pause but move on. Bilingual, bi-cultural, able to slide from “How`s Life?” to “Me`stan volviendo loca”, able to sit in a wood-paneled desk and write memos in smooth English, able to order fluent Spanish in a Mexican, American but hyphenated restaurant, by Anglos as perhaps exotic, perhaps inferior, definitely different, seen as foreign by Mexicans (their eyes say: “You may speak Spanish, but you`re not like me”) an American for Mexicans a Mexican for Americans a practical sign Sliding back and forth between the edges of the two worlds smiling, masking the discomfort of being prejudiced on both sides. When opposing ideas are juxtaposed, they are brought together to create tension. as when the speaker declares that a legal alien can escape Wie`s life? to Me`stan volviendo loca. (They drive me crazy). Pat Mora has been a voice for those who have not had representation for years. She has written many poems that help others understand the plight of the Mexican-American people struggling for a strong identity. She is also an author and teacher of children`s books. Electronic supermarket Use the following information to answer question 17 N N opening. To amplify ideas, the repeated use of words and phrases is used.
As in: 5 Correct rating 100 out of 100 Flag question Text question Which of the following “For a variety of complex reasons, anthologized American literature does not reflect the ethnic diversity of the United States. I write, in part because Hispanic perspectives must be part of our literary heritage; I want to be part of the validation process. I also write because I am fascinated by the joy and power of words. The last line is again one of the strange words, usually a single word, but cut here to look different. As readers, we understand the meaning, but we are not 100% satisfied with its appearance. The reader is aware of the two words as a unit (bilingual, bicultural), but sees them separated, connected only by a hyphen. They are considered by Anglos (English speakers) as different – exotic (strange) and inferior (to be exploited). Brienne found a new password for her email account at school When she got Which of the following are the basic properties of pure water a colorless The first line reflects curiosity about the situation. The two words do not need to be separated here, the second word does not need to have a capital B.
The poet decided to divide the words on the page as a physical illustration of the antithesis. c 800 d 400 Reviews The maximum production gain rate is 20 and the average sum If two or more words are close to each other on the same line and begin with the same consonant: ASSETS LIABILITIES EQUITY Trade receivables Revenue Cash sales Discounts. In the end, the poet does not offer an appropriate solution to the problem, but lets the reader know that she treats it with a smile to hide the embarrassment or discomfort.