"Bad Influence" By Judith Ortiz Cofer

Ever been punished by your parents and was forced to leave for a summer or so? Well I have, when I was about 14, I got in trouble with my parents, and I was sent to Florida for three weeks to stay with my aunt. I was mad and annoyed by my mother's decision. She felt I needed to be isolated from my environment and think about what I did wrong. I was completely frustrated with my parents and became even more mad when I was forced to go to Florida. However, spending time in Florida made me a better person, I acknowledge what I did wrong and realized that is not something I want to keep doing. This is exactly what happens in "Bad Influence", its about a girl named Rita, she gets caught with a boy, and her parents sends her to Puerto Rico.  During her time there, she hated it in the beginning and felt out of place with her grandparents. They had traditions she could not understand, for example when her grandfather enter houses and cleans out the "Mala Influenia", means in english bad influence. However in the end she becomes close to her grandparents and understands the traditions, even became a little expert herself. I can totally understand how she adapts into that environment, because as humans we are made to adapt to any environment and grow. Rita, grew and understood herself and family in the end, "I saw in my mother's eyes that she was scared I might hate her for sending me away. And she should have been, so I let her suffer a little. But then I squeezed in next to her in papa's toy car and held her hand. (page 90)" Growth and knowledge are learned when one is exposed and open minded.

The Circuit By Fanciso Jimenez

This story has to be one of the most difficult stories for me to read. It's a sad story of a child who is poor and  family is always moving around. When I open the book, and read the first few sentences, I knew it was about immigrants. It reminded me about a study I did back in high school about immigrants. Some of these people come to America with no papers and become strawberries pickers or cotton pickers, off the book. They usually do this because they have no other options, and people allow them to work because it's cheap labor. They usually get paid between 30 cents and $5 dollars an hour, depends on who you are working for and the way you work. They work by the season, the best season to work is when its hot, like spring and summer. That's when things are blooming and growing, therefore more work to do and money. However, its no way to live. It broke my heart how the children in the book must help their father so they can get more money for the family but must lose out on an education. Education is the key for them to get out of that work cycle, and live under better conditions, instead of always moving around. The most impact was when the little boy was learning to read and was going to start learning the trumpet, but when he arrives home, he saw the boxes packed, he knew that once again, he was leaving. The ending made me wonder what will happened to the child? clearly the child has potential to be successful and I hope he continues his thirst for knowledge. 

"Rules of the game" by Amy Tan

"Rules of the Game" By Amy Tan in Leaving home book is about a little chinese girl named Wavely Place Jones. She was born in America but her parents were born and raised in China. Hence, her parents are very strong minded about the chinese culture. Wavely was taught about China and their culture at home by her parents but she also learned about the American's culture. Therefore, Wavely always felt the differences between from both cultures, as her mother once said, "This American rules, every time people come out of the foreign country, must know rules. You not know, judge say, too bad, go back.(page 43)" Wavely's mother always made it clear that there was the "American way" and the "China way". This reminded me of about the picture we once discussed in class, called "How Mali lost her accent", its a picture about a small girl, conflicted between her heritage and America, She lost her accent by adapting into the American's way. Everyone struggle with identiy issues, always. Especially if your ancestors were foreign or your grandparents are from a foreign country, you will learn about your heritage culture, not the America's culture. For an example, my grandparents were born and raised in Puerto Rico, and growing up at home, I was taught spanish, how to cook spanish food, spanish culture, etc. However, at school and outdoor activities, I was learning about the American's culture. I feel like this issue will always be around, especially since America is so diverse and has all these different cultures in it. It's easy to get lost and conflicted but that is the beauty of America.

"The Dancer" By Vickie Sears

Recently, last weekend I read "The Dancer" by Vickie Sears and had to prepared notes for my next class. I had to lead the class discussion for a short story "The Dancer" by Vickie Sears. The story is about a five year old girl named Clarissa, she moved in with the narrator of the story. She was labled as a "Sociopathic", she even tried to kill the family's cat. However, dancing saved her soul as she began going to the familys dance parties and was inspired by Molly Grayball. I felt like this story was for each and every one of us who reads the story. It shows you as a person who hold alots of angers but if you find something you truly love and help you vent, go for it. It'll do good to your soul."Things was feeling real warm and good, and then it was time for the women's traditional. Clarissa joined the circle. She opened her arms to something nobody but her seemed to hear (Sears, page 25)" I feel this quote shows how inspired this girl was and being that inspired changed her soul. If something inspires you, embrace it.

A place of my own . . :)

When I first enter to my dorm in Benson Hall, I was excited. I was excited about entering a new space and making into my own. To make a place into my home away from home, I had all these ideas to make it my place, yet when I enter the room for the first time, I felt disappointed. Everything was awkward looking, dusty, and not what I expected. I felt out of place, and desperately wanted to go back home, a place that's already a home to me. Things got worst as my parents were leaving me, I suddenly felt like the room got more gloomy and dark. I felt like there was nothing I can do about the room. As the days went along, I saw my roommate decorating her side of the room, it became more familiar to me. Every time I look at her side of the room, it was home to her, made me feel like I needed to make my side of the room home or I was going to be miserable within those four walls. Finally, I decided to put up pictures of my close-friends from home, add a quote to inspire me in the morning, "Wish it, Dream it, Do it." Its over on the wall from my headboard, so when I wake up, its the first thing I see to motivate me to wake up and do what I have to do. Things were finally looking better in my room, the room was becoming more familiar to me and homey. It became my sanctuary whenever I want my own personal space from the world, or just Gallaudet. I realize that home is wherever you make it your home, don't be afraid to make something unfamiliar familiar. 

ASL Video for The first two poems . .

The First Two Poems . . .

When I read the first poem in the book, "Leaving home", on page three by Sandra Cisneros, I felt like she was making a statement, how much she wants to get away and  be in her own space . As the writer expressed about having her own space, she really demonstrates it by writing, "Not a man's house. Not a daddy's. A house all my own. ("leaving home", pg 3) . From my perspective, something in her life caused her to want her own space, it's something very valuable for her to have that personal space. I wonder if something as a child made her feel that way or an event . I began to really believe it has something to do in a person's childhood that caused them wanting to run away and have their own space, especially when I read the second poem on page 7. My guess about the second poem was that its about two teenagers wanting to get away and have their own life, "And feeling awful because San Francisco was on a postcard on a bedroom wall. We wanted to get there . . ("Leaving home", page 7) Both writers were not happy with something or someone in their lives and wanted to have their own space.

Rochman, Hazel and McCambell, Darlene. 1997. "Leaving Home: Stories".
USA. HarperCollins.