My Mexican Heritage

Immigration affects families in many different ways. In the book “Enrique’s Journey” by Sonia Nazario, family is a core element. After Enrique’s mother leaves for the U.S., the whole concept of their family gets distorted. The walking out of Enrique’s father and the abandonment of his grandmother help to disband the family even more. Enrique also threatens to repeat the same mistakes his family made with his daughter when he considers leaving her behind in Honduras. Family is the central theme in Enrique’s Journey because of his relationship and resentment with his mother, the rejection of his father and grandmother, and Enrique’s decision to leave his daughter, Jasmin, behind.

At this point in time reflecting on my past experiences I think the first thing I would do differently with my life is believe in myself and not doubt my decisions or my looks. Growing up I have always been made to feel ashamed of my dark skin, my bigger body and my hispanic heritage because it was different from what society had taught me and my family. If I knew no one would judge me I would embrace the darker pigmentation of my skin, accept my body for how it is and wear my heritage with pride. During the summer might go out swim Instead of staying inside and worrying about getting a little bit darker; I would stop wearing long sleeve shirts on the hottest day to avoid having people see the darkness of my skin. I would wear red lipstick

Enrique’s mother’s decision of leaving couldn’t have been any worse, “She walks away. Donde esta mi mami? Enrique cries, over and over. Where is my mom? His mother never returns, and that decides Enrique’s fate” (Nazario 5). His mother leaving without saying a word to him was heartbreaking because he had no idea she was leaving forever. Enrique became unhappy and had to grow up with this feeling inside him which later caused him to make poor decisions. Being left by his mother, Enrique had to stay with his grandma and “every year on Mother’s day, he [made] a heart shaped card at school and [pressed] it into her hand. “I love you very much grandma”… but she is not his mother” (Nazario 12). The growing love for his grandma caused him to consider her as his mother. Since Enrique was young and didn’t understand why his mother had left him, he blamed her for not being there for him. Nazario hopes to persuade readers to feel like they need to dwell on the topic of immigration and notice that it is still happening

My cultural identity, as I know is Mexican American because both my parents are born in Mexico and I was born here. I can also be defined as a Chicana because that is another way used to call a Mexican American. My culture can be seen in so many different ways like for example it can be seen in food, music, religion, dance, art, festivals, and even more. Most of these traditions have changed a little bit over time as they were brought to the U.S. What I mean by that is that some of those traditions were brought from Mexico, and had a little change into them because they were combined with some traditions that have already been here in the U.S.

Hispanic Heritage is an important concept that surrounds my entire life. Mexico is a wonderful and beautiful country. This culture has been important in my life because it helps me define who I am and how I view the world in many ways. At the age of 16 my parents crossed over the border to the U.S in order to give a better life to me and my siblings. They came at different times my mom came with my grandma then later on that year my dad came with his parents. My parents didn't know any english to start off just spanish but time passed and my parents learned and understood english. They came over with nothing, my dad would have sleepless nights worrying about what their next meal will be. Till this day both my parents are hard workers, I appreciate and love them for everything they have done. I fit into the Hispanic community by

The details on how my family arrived in America have been passed down by various members of my family. The accuracy and detail of these memories have diminished with every retelling. Some of my family arrived in America so long ago that all that remains of their experiences are rumors and stretched truths. As a story gets retold over and over it loses much of its accuracy. While much of my family history relies on this kind of storytelling, there are some in my family who were alive and experienced the challenges faced by immigrants. Though born in the United States, my maternal grandfather, Sebastian Passantino, was very familiar with the hardships of being an immigrant.

Students started walkouts because they were being mistreated and discriminate. They were not offered the same rights as a white teenager. Also, they were not allowed to speak Spanish at any time during

Who I’m I? that’s the question I would always ask myself. My whole life my parents would say your Hispanic an when people ask me what are you? I would say I’m Hispanic whom my parents told me I’m.

I was borned in a small village call San Bartolome Quialana located in Southeastern Mexico. It is best known for its indigenous peoples and cultures. Here, in San Bartolome Quialana, women proudly cover their heads with multicolored chews and protect their satin dress with their gauze blouse and bib garments, each made with their own hands. The fabric is reserved for the women who also work in the fields. I mostly grew up with my mother Guadalupe,Smirna and Friedy. My brother being 14 years and my sister 12. In San Bartolome Quialana I grew up speaking an indigenous language call Zapoteco. I lived in a bigger house there but didn't have any warm water, nor a shower. Our kitchen didn't have a stove we made our own tortilla in a comal. My

I was born in Dallas, Texas but when I was 3 years old I was taken to my parents’ home country, Mexico. My mother took my younger sister and me to Mexico while my father stayed in the United States and worked to provide for us. I spend 6 years in Mexico and I went to school there. I had an amazing childhood in the place my parents were born and had the opportunity to grow up around my family and culture. I became a fond lover of the traditions and the peaceful life of what I consider my country. I have many amazing memories from living in Mexico. The way everything called for a celebration where everyone was invited. The dedication that every festival I attended showed. Simply all the traditions that even when I live miles away from Mexico have stuck with me, things I still celebrate with my family every year. I love to be able to call myself Mexican American and to be able to share my parents. My love for Mexican culture plays a role in my decision to want to go to Spain. I want to see where some of the customs I know originated from and see where my ancestors came from.

Grandmother Maria and Grandfather Felipe came to the United States to work in the railroads in Oklahoma, and then the steel mills in Gary. During the Depression, Maria’s grandmother wanted to leave the US and return to Mexico. Maria’s mother, Josephina, was three years old at the time. They had four children together but had not yet officially gotten married. Her grandfather refused to leave so her Grandmother returned to Guadalajara, Mexico without him, taking the children. He refused to send money to her to help support the children so her grandmother essentially raised the children alone. She did laundry and whatever work she could find to support her family, still it was very

A day does not go by when I do not embrace my Latino roots or the cross that hangs around my neck; however, they do not define me per se. Instead, I firmly believe that my background and religion influenced me to cultivate the values and beliefs that I hold to this day. I will not write this assignment stagnant to one identity, whether that be as a Latina or woman of God because I am more than that.

The person who I am is composed of hundreds of identities, being a sister, a daughter, a student, a woman, conversely, one identity transcends others- being Hispanic.

The author Sonia Nazario goes on this journey to get the feel of what immigrants do in the real world. She wrote this story that way us readers understand the struggles immigrants go through daily. United States citizens do not realize there is a growing number of immigrants daily. Enrique’s mother Lourdes left him at such a young age with a lot of responsibilities, that children should not have to worry about. Lourdes wanted nothing but the best for her children, therefore she traveled all the way to the United States, that way she could make a lot of money to support her children. As a mother she did not want her kids to have the life she did. Throughout Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario, the author includes emotional and logical appeals, accurately supported by statistics and personal accounts that give perspectives on the same issue of immigration and Enrique living without his

Enrique’s Journey focuses and sheds more light and understanding on the aspects and challenges of extreme poverty, family abandonment, systematic issues of an immigration system and what one has to go through in the face of adversity. The book centers on Enrique who starts out as a young boy living in extreme poverty in Honduras with his family. Enrique is an older adolescent, Hispanic, poverty economic status, unemployed most times, and is in a relationship with one child. This case study will further look at Enrique’s personal experiences from a young child up to young adulthood and how that has shaped his development has a person from coming from such difficult environmental circumstances. This will also look at the different environmental perspectives in the micro, mezzo and macro level when pertaining to effects on human behavior.