Summary Of How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents By Julia Alvarez

All of it has helped her land with the amazing life she has made for herself and her family today. Julia Alvarez was born on March 27, 1950 in New York City but her parents were from the Dominican Republic so they moved back when she was just three months old with her and her other

When her sisters go and visit her, the girls think that she looks like “the after person in one of those before-after makeovers in magazines” (117). Sofia essentially changed everything about her after just a few months in the Dominican Republic. She goes from someone that smokes weed and has wild stories about boys to a girl who is in touch with her Dominican roots. However, in Sofia’s case, parts of her identity are rooted in her innate characteristics. Even though some things have changed about her, there are still things that are the same about her.

By sharing her work with the world Alvarez opened her heart and shared her beliefs and how she came adulthood much quicker than most. Her novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents shares diversity, pain, strength, and courage to young adults around the world. Julia Alvarez What a time to be alive! Alvarez was born March 27, 1950.

Lee 1 Breann Lee Period 3 22 September 2014 Compare and Contrast Paper The books “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”, by Julia Alvarez and “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson are very similar novels. The main characters share similar experiences growing up in their New York setting that shapes them throughout the book. Both Melinda and Yolanda feel like outcasts because of their low self-esteem and their problems communicating. In “Speak” on Melinda's first day of school Anderson writes “I am clanless…I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, and definitely the wrong attitude.

Evelia Ramos was born in Jalisco, Mexico. She was born in September 11, 1980. When she was older, her and my dad decided to get married. Then they decided to move to Oakland California. When they came to California they were expected to get a better life they would have in Mexico.

She died in New Jersey at the age of 77. She grew up in a poor neighborhood of Santo Suárez in Havana. Her family was made up of 14 members. She was the second of 4 children. The diversity of music that was surrounding her as a child influenced her music style.

All of the girls are lost in between both countries tradition and they cannot choose between the traditions without disappointing everybody in their family. According to Alvarez, “ I would never find someone who would understand my peculiar mix of Catholicism and agnosticism, Hispanic and American styles” (99). Indicating that the girls specifically Yolanda is accepting that she lost her identity in both countries because she has to live with two different traditions according to where she currently is. In Alvarez’s view, “But hey,we might be fish out of water, but at least we had escaped the horns of our dilemma to a silver lining, as Mami might say” (108). The girls had dealt with both countries for a few year already and they still feel like an outsider.

Life is full of the unexpected, be it good or bad, it is part of our development as people. The things we want is often not what our parents want, especially while considering a place to live. In the passage “Trespass” by Julia Alvarez, which portray some of the difficulties of being bullied, the body development and language barrier, which everyone goes through at some point of their life is shown from a young immigrant's experiences. Carla experience all of that and more, but it is the things we experience that helps our development. Being different is always being looked down upon, but, it takes strength and courage for one to accept themselves as they are, flaws and all.

For a nine-year-old who wants nothing more than to make her mother proud this was exciting. In the beginning, we can see her excitement and desire, “in the beginning I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so.” (Tan). However, as we follow the story we see her excitement quickly fade to sorrow and anger. The high expectations immigrant families place on their children is still a very relevant social issue and can be witnessed throughout the United States.

Journal Entry # 2: Second Culture Kids by Dian Curtis Regan The teenage girl in the short story “Second Culture Kids” is named Amina. She was originally from Guanta, Venezuela and had recently immigrated to Houston, Texas. The reason that Amina’s family immigrated to the U.S. was to get away from the major rioting that was occurring to kick out Cesar Chavez or to move up his election date. As a result of the rioting there was mass violence, and all communication to the outside world was shut down.

It is through this that Reyna is able to make her story personal. Her educational struggles and story of assimilation, is something that many immigrants share, but the story of her family is one that is only shared by her and her siblings. After coming to the United States, Grande is constantly torn apart by her father’s near bi-polar personality and her mothers neglect. Under the roof of an abusive father we see Reyna have to struggle to assimilate out there but also find it difficult to find her place under her own roof. The constantly changing dynamics of the relationship between Papi and the kids is excellently outlined by Reyna.

This is when Yolanda is talking about her dating life and a lot of men at her college wanted to sleep with her but she said no because it was against her beliefs and values as a person. As soon as she said no to all of the men that came up to her they became uninterested in talking to her. This shows a culture difference because in the D.R dating life is a lot different in which there are less guys that she comes across. This is shown through the book when Yolanda says “Why I couldn’t keep them interested was pretty simple: I wouldn’t sleep with them”(Alvarez 87).

For as long as people can remember, the stereotype that men have “more power” than women in a relationship has been a relevant argument. In the novel How the García Girls Lost Their Accents the Author, Julia Alvarez, writes about four girls and part of that revolves around their relationships with men. In all of their relationships with men, he has the power in the relationship which means he makes the decisions for them. When they lived in the United States the girls and their mother had more say in the society. When they lived in the Dominican Republic men just saw them as submissive housewives who bear their children.

She was then raised in El Paso, Texas. As a child, she began kindergarten where she spoke the only language she knew, which was Spanish. She soon discovered that her language only brought her trouble from her teachers and administrators. Being

Immigrants that are new to the American society are often so used to their own culture that it is difficult for them to accept and adapt to the American culture. The language that is spoken, as well as the various holidays and traditions that Americans entertain themselves with, aren’t what most immigrants would deem a neccessity for their life to move on. Nonetheless, they still have to be accustomed to these things if they have any chance of suceeding in a land where knowledge is key. The story “My Favorite Chaperone” written by Jean Davies Okimoto, follows the life of a young girl who along with her brother Nurzhan, her mother known as mama, and her father whom she refers to as Papi have immigrated to the United States from Kazakhstan, through a dating magazine. Throughout the story each family member faces problems that causes them to realize just how different their life is know that they’ve immigrated..