American Me †Poem Essay

The poem Ameri place Me, written by Ninfa Miranda-Maloney, tells the paper of a Mexican immigrant who comes to the United States to live the American dream. The author incorporates ethnic aspects with her use of Spanish voice communication sprinkled in amongst the poem. With his spit shine shoes (Miranda-Maloney, n. d, line 10) and brillantina-slick bottom hair (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. , line 11), a painting is painted of a young mans pride in himself as he begins the trip of a lifetime. This is a young man ready for his new life in America.The tone cursorily changes, however, as he probably soon realizes that the dream is not what he had in mind. In San Eli, where he lived on thank yous and maybes (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. , line 23), the reader gets the sense that the man was taken advantage of and worked hard for comminuted compensation. The most powerful lines in the poem are kissed your white land, broke my back, sweat a some tears for a piece of the dream (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. , lines 27, 28, 29). The author has incorporated a racial aspect in the poem by showing referring to the white land.This is not his land, this is the white land. He is doing back faulting labor for whites, probably not what he expected as the young man full of take to chasing the American dream. The author also includes social class aspects in this poem. The poem ends with the man, now here in the United States for fifty years, still smelling the onions on his fingertips. (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. ) This leads me to believe the man is still working in the onion fields fifty years after arriving in the United States.A generalization can be made that a person from a lower social class would need to cut across to work past retirement age to make ends meet. I grew up in a low neighborhood in California. My community included many immigrants here in the United States both illegally and legally. The immigrants I have known throughout my life are generally proud Americans, though on that point are the few that grow bitter because their American ideals and dreams have not been met. They work hard doing onerous work for little money and not much appreciation.While I dont personally identify with the poem, I am able to sympathize with the character as he could represent a number of people I know. My grandmother emigrated to California before my mother was born. She came to the States with the dream of giving her children a better life than the one theyd likely have in El Salvador. Throughout my life, shes told me the stories of moving here and settling the family in the area. It was fractious for her, working many hours as a maid, unless she did it for the benefit of her children.Many times throughout her first few years in the states, she considering going back home. The dream she envisioned was hardly her reality at first. I cant imagine how difficult it would be to go to a different farming where you dont speak the language or know the culture but it h appens regularly in this country. At the end of the day, the United States is a country made up of immigrants, most of which are just chasing the dream as well. References Miranda-Maloney, N. (n. d) American Me Xispas. com Retrieved From http//www. xispas. com/poetry/maloney. htm.