Perdomo's "Nigger -Reecan Blues"
1. Why do you think there is an anxiety about being fully "Boricua"? Why can't being half Cuban and half Chinese enough?
2. This piece raises the topic of racial identity inside a minority. Why do you think an already-oppressed minority would possess a tendency towards discrimination within it's own community?
3. What is the importance of the vernacular in this piece? Why strategic use does switching between the conventional and the vernacular offer for the poem's reading?
Baca, "So Mexicans Are Taking Jobs from Americans"
1. This poem employs a simple language, often using rhetorical questions in its presentation of stereotypes impose don Mexican immigrants. Why do you think the poet chose this kind of language, this tone?
2. I am most intrigued by the depiction of the "leader" (who I think we can assume is white). He is described as "asthmatic", "turtle heavy", with a "nest of wrinkles" and a "paddling" tongue. In other words, he is dehumanized. Do you think this aggressive approach is in retaliation t the dehumanization of Mexican immigrants? If so, do you think it is successful in this poem? Can we trust a poet whose conceit is overtly one-sided?
Esteves, "South Bronx Testimonial"
1. In this poem, the American dream is crushed by its own landscape; the city is a place of "despair" where young ladies are crushed into shapes of old women. But as the poem progresses, the poet forces her native land in the work, the stark New York landscapes literally breaks off with each word and a lush and bountiful world emerges from beneath. What does this say about the meaning of "home" for the Hispanic American immigrant? Is the memory of home a place of refuge in the mind or can it be a tantalizing impossibilities, especially for immigrants who, for myriad reasons, cannot return to their native countries?
-Ocean Vuong
1. Why do you think there is an anxiety about being fully "Boricua"? Why can't being half Cuban and half Chinese enough?
2. This piece raises the topic of racial identity inside a minority. Why do you think an already-oppressed minority would possess a tendency towards discrimination within it's own community?
3. What is the importance of the vernacular in this piece? Why strategic use does switching between the conventional and the vernacular offer for the poem's reading?
Baca, "So Mexicans Are Taking Jobs from Americans"
1. This poem employs a simple language, often using rhetorical questions in its presentation of stereotypes impose don Mexican immigrants. Why do you think the poet chose this kind of language, this tone?
2. I am most intrigued by the depiction of the "leader" (who I think we can assume is white). He is described as "asthmatic", "turtle heavy", with a "nest of wrinkles" and a "paddling" tongue. In other words, he is dehumanized. Do you think this aggressive approach is in retaliation t the dehumanization of Mexican immigrants? If so, do you think it is successful in this poem? Can we trust a poet whose conceit is overtly one-sided?
Esteves, "South Bronx Testimonial"
1. In this poem, the American dream is crushed by its own landscape; the city is a place of "despair" where young ladies are crushed into shapes of old women. But as the poem progresses, the poet forces her native land in the work, the stark New York landscapes literally breaks off with each word and a lush and bountiful world emerges from beneath. What does this say about the meaning of "home" for the Hispanic American immigrant? Is the memory of home a place of refuge in the mind or can it be a tantalizing impossibilities, especially for immigrants who, for myriad reasons, cannot return to their native countries?
-Ocean Vuong
Nigger-Reecan Blues
ReplyDelete2. I think that this piece could definitely come across as discrimination if you think of it in terms of him rejecting African roots and being annoyed at people referring to him as black. I don't think he was necessarily trying to disassociate himself with being black, but more so trying to be accepted as what he really is. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that hes drawing a parallel between the African American and puerto rican struggle. He describes the image of a woman holding her purse a little tighter whenever hes near and at the end, as well as throughout the poem, he basically says 'we are the same'. Many other times throughout the poem he talks about how one race is like the other. So, I took this to mean that he was making a connection between the two rather than calling attention to the separation of races.
3. I think that incorporating Spanish into the poem was a way to further authenticate his message. Switching languages was very important to his point. It kind of proves that despite his bilingualism hes still judged purely upon his skin color.
here's a video of Willie Perdomo performing nigger-reecan blues
http://youtu.be/7An4hEmRHTk
Willie Perdomo’s piece “Nigger-Reecan Blues” explores the ambiguity of racial identities. For Puerto Ricans, their race is considered an enigma because their ancestral roots range from predominantly three groups: the white Spaniards, black West Africans, and the indigenous Tainos. While those who are uncertain of their origins often do not mind being categorized into larger racial groups, Willie, on the other hand, strongly opposed the miscegenation of his ethnic identity. In fact, I believe that Willie expressed his opposition by reaffirming racial stigmas that denounced the black community. Therefore, I agree with Chanequa because I too think that the reason why Willie neglected to identify with blacks was not solely because he was racist against other minority groups. But by assertively arguing that he “ain’t never really was/ Black,” Willie is defending the authenticity of his “Boricua” heritage. Through Willie’s disagreement, Perdomo is implicitly illustrating the efforts that many ethnic groups have made in order to preserve the distinctness of their cultures.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Willie’s final remark was an act of sarcasm. One reason why Willie might have acknowledged that he is “noooooo different than a nigger” is because he was simply too tired of arguing. In some ways Willie’s acceptance of the fact that society will always associate him as a black man clarifies why many people frequently succumb to stereotypes. Unfortunately, just like Willie, many individuals surrender to the pressures of society because they are aware that in the United States identity will always be a question of power.
Chereene Lingo wrote:
ReplyDeleteIn response to question 2, there is often discrimination within oppressed minorities because individuals feel the need to be better than someone. I find it silly for those within oppressed minorities to discriminate against each other, but my own observation has brought me to the conclusion that this act is rooted in the society of these individuals. Minorities discriminate upon each other based on false notions that have been passed down to them. The larger message behind discrimination is I am not like you or I am better than you. All that is achieved by this inter-racial discrimination is a temporary feeling of superiority.