Hispanic Group
hlspanic@aol.com
Ashley Hall
SC
Poetry
*"The Phone Booth at the Corner" by Juan Delgado A grandfather who doesn't understand many American things, including the language. He fails when he tries too hard but when he lets himself adapt he suceeds. *"Apa" by Rosalinda Hernandez An old woman tells her daughter to be educated in order to make a living instead of manual labor like she did. The mother is afraid for her because she has to face the racism and hardships of life. "Ciprianita" by Juanita M. Sanchez A person speaking about her grandmother complains of the harshness of modern day compared to the older woman's time. She vows to value her heritage for her grandmother's sake and also wonders how life differs between the ages. "Oranges" by Gary Soto A poor young boy tries to buy his love candy but can only pay with oranges. Understanding his position, the cashier accepts the oranges as pay to help the child. * Selections presented in class Octavio Paz Octavio Paz, one of Mexico's most famous authors, was born in Mexico city in 1914. His interest in writing came from his access to his grand- father's large library. He won many awards when he was young, and traveled many places, including Spain to compete. He wrote many poems and essays pertaining to his Mexican heritage. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990. His death in 1998 shocked and saddened Mexicans. It was a tragic loss of a great artist and creative person who cleared the way for future Hispanic Artists.
The novel Braided Lives, compiled by the Minnesota Humanities Commission is a collection of stories from different cultures existing in the United States. The Hispanic American section of this book describes the customs and traditions of these people. In most cases, the authors are of the ethnic group about which they are writing.
Stories
"Bless Me Ultima" by Rudolfo A. Anaya Ultima, a grandmother is accused of being a witch and killing a village man's daughter. She passes a test and proves that she is not a witch because she fools the men into believing her. "How To Tame A Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua A young girl is punished for speaking her native spanish but she later realizes that spanish dialects differ a lot even from village to village. She then respects and values her knowledge of her native tongue. *"A Very Special Pet" by Nicholasa Mohr A poor family comes to America for its oppertunities but still does not do well. Because of her love for the family, she kills the pet chicken, but the children find her beating it, and are rudely awakened to the fact that life is hard anywhere. *"The Iguana Killer" by Alberto Alvaro Rios A boy receives a baseball bat for his birthday but because of his ignorance he believes it to be an iguana killer. He feels more grown up because he now has the ability to kill his own foods and even entertain friends. He eventually kills an old turtle, and feels guilty until he realizes that everything is useful and makes a baby crib out of its shell. *"Growing" by Helena Maria Viramontes A teen aged girl is preoccupied with boys and puberty and puts aside her recent childhood. One day, babysitting her little sister, she spots her old friends playing baseball. She leaves behind her previous air of maturity and plays with the kids again.
Literature Links
Hispanic Culture: Some of Hispanic American's entertainment, art and musicHispanic Food: Ethnic cuisine developped by Hispanic people
Hispanic History: A summary of the Hispanic history, including Cortez to current immigration
Hispanic American Page: Back to the contents page