Social Connection: Mexican Immigration

My Antonia Creative Writing: Mexican Immigration

1.  Identify specific examples of issues of race,
boundaries and immigration in My Antonia.   
Here are some guidelines:

A. Race/Culture

When does language interfere with equal opportunity for immigrants?  

·   In the beginning of the book, the Shimerdas are taken advantage of by
Krajiek, another Bohemian Immigrant into making them pay a ridiculous
sum of money for a house that is in very poor condition.

How does one’s culture pre-destine a person for a specific lifestyle?

·   The culture of the Bohemian immigrants predestines Antonia and her
family to work as hired hands for most,if not all of their life.  
Also, for Jim, as the rich white boy, he is supposedly predestined to
become a successful man in the future,
but in the end, he chooses to leave that behind.

Which characters are able to step out of their pre-destined position?

·  Characters that were able to step out of the predestined positions were Jim,
in the end of the book, he decides to divorce his wife and leave his job as a
lawyer to live back in nature.

Which characters struggle with their assigned place?  
Why does Cather allow the reader to see this struggle?  
How is it part of the American Dream?

· The characters that struggle with their assigned places are Mr. Shimerda; he didn’t want to move to America because he was already living his dream as a famous violin player with lots of money. Another was Jim, in the end of the book he realizes that he doesn’t want the city life, and he goes back to living in the rural land. Cather allows the reader to see this struggle, because she is showing the reader that not everybody is happy or satisfied with the situation that they are in. This is apart of the American dream, because if people are living something other than their American dream, then they aren’t living their American dream.

B. Boundaries:  where do boundaries occur in the novel (community, recreation,
housing, and customs).

·  One boundary found when Jim is told not to dance with the hired girls when he really
wants to.

C. Immigration:  identify the different immigrants and indicate each one’s circumstance.

·  The Shimerdas: The Shimerdas are Bohemian immigrants that moved to the United States
because Mrs. Shimerda wanted to live in America.  Mr. Shimerda didn’t want to move
because he was already was well of as a textile worker making beautiful tapestries
and quilts.  When they come to the United States, they work on the Burdens farm, in
a house that they bought from a fellow Bohemian Immigrant, Krajiek,who despite being
in a situation like them, he chooses to take advantage of the state that they are in,
and he makes them ridiculous offers that they have to take in order to live.

·   Peter Krajiek: Krajiek is also a Bohemian immigrant, but unlike the Shimerdas,
he is very greedy and he sells the Shimerdas their and for a large sum of money.

·   Pavel and Peter: Pavel and Peter are Russian immigrants who drift from area to area.

1.  Go to the website      

http://www.score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/immigration_debate/

2.  Read several articles and make comparisons to issues of race/culture, boundaries
and immigration raised in My Antonia.

CREATIVE WRITING:

Instead of writing about the Nebraska prairie land in late 1800s – we should explore
current day immigration issues concerning the Mexican immigration issues in our
country today.  Choose a chapter of My Antonia and mimic her narrative structure,
using issues connected with Mexican Immigration.

Chapter 3:

It was a Friday Afternoon when our dad took us to meet our new neighbors from Mexico. We were bringing them some small neighbor gifts, nothing much, baked goods and other foods as a welcoming gift to the neighborhood. I couldn’t wait to see what the neighbors were like, and I was ready for them. On the way we passed by the usual, the yard of the Levis’, with the colorful and bright flowers that were growing along their yards, and the Jones, who had the large swimming pool with the diving board. Mom had told me that the family, The Encarte family had bought a house from Howard Levi, and that he had sold it for much less than it was worth because he too was from Mexico, and his father had served in the Mexican Army with Mr. Encartes’ father. I’m hoping that they are good people; I would hate it if I found out that they were selfish people that were taking advantage of Mr. Levi. We also found out that Mr. Levi is lending them a stove, washer, dryer, and other utilities that they can use until they will be able to pay them back. As we approached the Encartes place, the area became a lot nicer, with beautiful flowers on the hill, with a pond that was as smooth as glass, and trees that grew to be 15 feet tall with beautiful leaves growing off of them. As we got closer and closer, the house became noticeable. What a great house, it wasn’t too large, but wasn’t small either, big enough to hold a family of six at the most. When we got out of the car, we were greeted by the family, Mr. Encartes; a man with seemingly average proportions, Mrs. Encartes; a very slender and petite woman dressed in daily clothes, a boy of 11 or 12 who was very skinny and tall, and a 15 year old girl who had brown hair and a petite frame like her mother.

When we got out to meet them, they greeted us in English and welcomed us inside their house. Their house was pretty typical inside, they weren’t exquisitely furnished, but wasn’t bare, they did have some art that they brought with them from Mexico. When we got inside we met their family, Mr. Carlo and his wife Maria, their son Joseph, and their daughter Carla. When we handed them our gifts, they took them happily and set them on their table. They then proceeded to give us some things that they had made, fresh beef tamales with mole sauce, and deep fried tortillas filled with honey. Soon afterwards, Mr. Levi came out and greeted us and then talked to Mr. Encartes in Spanish. We were then told that Carla and Joseph had enrolled into the same school as me, and I was asked to help them get aquatinted with the school. I agreed and had both of them come and walk to the school with me. As we began to walk, Carla began asking me questions, “what is the school like, how are the people, what are the activities that they host?”. I began to answer them and when I was finished, I asked both of them what they liked to do and what they were interested in. Carla answered that she was interested in dancing and Joseph said that he like mathematics. As we got closer and closer I began learning more about them, they were so very interesting, they told me stories about their homeland and of the life they lived in Mexico, it was all so fascinating. When we got back to their house, it was already late in the afternoon and the adults were all laughing and sipping iced tea on the porch talking about whatever adults talk about. I couldn’t wait to see how the rest of this year unfolded.