Batt, Alicia

GEL 101

10/7/07

German Project: Writing prompts and responses

1)Write a short family immigration story explaining your ethnicity, immigrant dreams, and any reasons for wanting to come to America over other countries to CA. over other states. In this writing, also explain reasons why you like or dislike living in SoCal, and if and how you have felt racial discrimination.

2)Write a short response to the photograph and its picture of reality here in SoCal and America. Explain what the different images mean to you.

1)My ethnicity is of Hispanic origin. My grandfather and grandmother came to America so they could gain more job opportunities and a better future for their family. My grandfather worked two jobs when he came to America and they were jobs in the fields and he also worked in making coffins at the same time while my grandmother stayed in Mexico watching her twelve children. It was the only logical reason to them and I agree. My grandfather migrated to the U.S. in the 1950’s and along with him came with him was the two oldest siblings in the family and their names are Robert and Lydia Flores. My grandfather would bring two siblings at a time to America since each person cost around $5,000 to migrant here; he did this until everyone of his family was brought to America and he started from the oldest to the youngest of his children so they could work, make money, and help bring everyone their together. The reason why they migrated to America instead of other states was because they heard from word of mouth from other people that going to the north involved more opportunities and freedoms. In addition, they had felt no racial discrimination when they came to America. Plus, my mom’s siblings always took jobs nobody else wanted to do in America, which were dirty and difficult labors to do. This is my family history of why my grandparents migrated to America.

2)The different images in the picture to me symbolize a various amount of meanings. First of all the map is of California and to me it means a place of new opportunities of living, religion, and equal rights. The roots coming from the persons shoes symbolizes new life going to sprout in California meaning California is a good place to start a new life with your family. The woman seating on the donkey and the man guiding the donkey with his stick symbolize a Christian story of the bible that Joseph is leading Mary to a new life for her family. The people on the raft symbolizes that the people will go through whatever means necessary to reach the destination of America. The walls symbolize the opening doorways to new life. The American flag symbolizes freedom, equality, and new dreams of opportunity to be your own person without being hurt or challenged in the process by others. The green grass shows prosperity and a new beginning of life sprouting before your very eyes to create and mold. Finally, the sun symbolizes the pathway to new light of a better future yet to come and waiting for you to take advantage of grasping this opportunity. These are all the interpretations I found from this one photograph of different images.