Name: _________Kaelah Garduno _______________
Fall 2022
Essay Topic: Race: Immigration
Poets + Poems: Pat Mora:
Reason for Choosing Topic: I relate immensely to this topic. My family comes from a family of
immigrants. Both my Abuela and Abuelo immigrated to the U.S. when they were very young.
It is your chance to really show off what you have learned this term. Consider literary lenses we have
covered, interesting ways of phrasing devices, sentence variety…the list goes on.
I. Introduction
A. Hook
Immigration, just like many other controversial topics, creates a divide within the United States depending on what
stance one has on said topic.
B. Relevancy/Background Info:
For Mexican-American poet Pat Mora, it is clear where she stands on the issue.
C. Thesis Statement:
In her poems “Fences”, “La Migra”, and “Immigrants”, Mora explores themes of division that immigration brings upon
people and oneself through various literary devices; The film “El Norte” also supports Mora’s themes in her poems.
II. Body #1: _______Fences__________ (topic)
A. Transition + Topic Sentence:
Pat Mora uses symbolism, juxtaposition, and simile to express themes of separation between rich
and poor.
B. Analysis:
-
-
Fence (Title) is being symbolized as the social and economic barriers that divide the locals from the tourists
The cactus fence physically separates these two groups—one poor or working-class, the other wealthy
Lines 8-13
Juxtaposition of rich v poor
Stanzas 2 and 3 show juxtaposition of the working class vs higher class who get to lounge around on the
beach while every day the working class prepares this space for them
Line 5-6
Lines 10-12
Simile: line 17
C. Supporting Evidence (What kinds of cultural documents contemporary to the work add to
your reading of it?):
JSTOR: Mexican immigrant debate: a view from history
D. Concluding Sentence/Wrap up Paragraph:
Each literary device Mora utilizes strengthens her theme of us vs. them.
III. Body #2: ____La Migra_____________ (topic)
A. Transition + Topic Sentence:
Similarly in her last poem, Mora uses symbolism and juxtaposition. In this poem however, she uses parallelism to
convey her message.
B. Analysis:
- Juxtaposition: form of poem juxtaposes the two characters of the poem
-
-
Symbolism: The desert, as a location and as a symbol, plays an important role. She
describes the desert as a nurturing force for people of Mexican origin who live near the
US border or must cross it by foot. Undocumented migrants respect and adore nature,
which is why it defends them and feels their plight. In this poetry, the regard for nature
displayed by border crossers contrasts sharply with the disrespect displayed by the Border
Patrol for both the migrants and the bounds of his own power.
- (Lines 27-29).
Parallelism: Both stanzas have similar beginning and ending. The Mexican woman and
the border patrol are given their respective contestant roles. The poem's situation, or the
"game," appears to be ongoing, and the repetition suggests that many people have taken
on these roles at various points in time.
- Lines 1, 19
- Lines 2 and Line 21
C. Supporting Evidence (What kinds of cultural documents contemporary to the work add to
your reading of it?):
JSTOR: La Frontera: The Border as Symbol and Reality in Mexican-American Thought
D. Concluding Sentence/Wrap up Paragraph:
The literary devices used in La Migra supplement Mora’s main message of her work.
IV. Body #3: ___Immigrants______________ (topic)
A. Transition + Topic Sentence:
In her last poem, Mora uses enjambment, diction, and synecdoche to draw attention to the identity
struggle that Mexican-Americans deal with.
B. Analysis:
- Enjambment: poem is a run on sentence, ends in a question
- Uses enjambment to make readers focus on the question at the end of the poem
- Diction: “dark” lines 11-12, line 8
- Synecdoche: Line 1, referring to all immigrant parents trying to make their children fit
into American culture
C. Supporting Evidence (What kinds of cultural documents contemporary to the work add to
your reading of it?):
Jstor: MEXICAN IMMIGRATION AND MEXICAN AMERICAN IDENTITIES
D. Concluding Sentence/Wrap up Paragraph:
Hence, Mora’s application of enjambment, diction and synecdoche in this poem. illustrates the
internal battle that immigrants deal with of wanting to keep homeland culture while also trying to
enumerate themselves in American culture.
V. Body #4: ____El Norte (Film)_______________ (Art Piece)
A. Transition + Topic Sentence:
The film, “El Norte” supplements Mora’s themes expressed in her work.
B. Analysis:
- Movie is about immigrating into the Us
- Brother and sister, their family is killed by the Guatemalan gov and they are forced to flee
to “el Norte” (The north)
- First attempt to cross the Mexican border into the US fails
- Second attempt they go through the sewage pipes; horrific experience, filled with rats
- Finally get into the US but realize how difficult life is w/o documentation
-
Enrique (brother) becomes busboy, gets promoted, and gets approached by a wealthy
business woman with an amazing job offer in Chicago
- Enrique doesn’t want to leave sister, eventually takes job, but then Rosa (sister) falls
gravely ill w/ typhus from the rat bites
- As she’s dying she says, "In our own land, we have no home. They want to kill us. In
Mexico, there is only poverty. We can't make a home there either. And here in the north,
we aren't accepted. When will we find a home, Enrique? Maybe when we die, we'll find a
home."
C. Supporting Evidence (What kinds of cultural documents contemporary to the work add to
your reading of it?):
N/A
D. Concluding Sentence/Wrap up Paragraph
In closing, Pat Mora’s poems, “Fences”, “La Migra” and “immigrants” as well as the movie “El
Norte” all convey themes of immigration and the struggles that come with being an immigrant from
below the Mexican-American border in this country.
Annotated Bibliography
●
Summarize: What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics
are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of
your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.
●
Assess: After summarizing a source, evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with
other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective?
What is the goal of this source?
●
Reflect: Once you’ve summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your
research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can
you use this source in your paper? Has it changed how you think about your topic?
Source #1
The
Mexican
Immigratio
n Debate:
The View
from
History
Katz,
Michael B.,
et al. “The
Mexican
Immigratio
Summarize
Assess
An in depth look at the
timeline of mexican
immigration starting around
1965 when congress made it
easier for legal immigration
to resume
This source is useful. Although it
does have some un useful
information unrelated to my topic,
it does help support the shown
division between the working class
and the upper class.
Gives a timelines of main
events
Illustrates how mexican
immigrants contribute to
economy
Reflect
This source will be helpful in
regards to shedding light on the
history aspect of immigration as
well as how mexican immigrants
came to shape up American
economy.
n Debate:
The View
from
History.”
Social
Science
History, vol.
31, no. 2,
2007, pp.
157–89.
JSTOR,
http://www.
jstor.org/sta
ble/402679
36.
Accessed
19 Nov.
2022.
Source #2
-
La Frontera:
The Border
as Symbol
and Reality
in
Mexican-A
merican
Thought
García,
Mario T.
“La
Frontera:
The Border
as Symbol
and Reality
in
Mexican-A
merican
Thought.”
Mexican
Studies/Est
udios
Mexicanos,
vol. 1, no.
2, 1985, pp.
195–225.
JSTOR,
-
study analyzes
“concept of the
border in evolution
now mexican
American thought,
commercing with
the first great wave
of mexican
immigrants during
the early 20th
century”
3 newspapers that
were heavily
influential bc of
their regional as well
as political
connections
I feel as if it may be a useful
source. It's quite different than my
other sources considering it looks
at newspapers as a main topic of
the study, but after reading it there
may be some useful information i
can use to further strengthen my
argument.
I haven’t made a concrete decision
of how I will use this in my
argument. However, it did pique my
interest and I feel if I give it a few
more read-overs, I will be able to
utilize it in my paper.
https://doi.o
rg/10.2307/
1052036.
Accessed
19 Nov.
2022.
Source #3
JSTOR:
MEXICAN
IMMIGRA
TION AND
MEXICAN
AMERICA
N
IDENTITIE
S
-
Fernández,
Lilia.
“MEXICA
N
IMMIGRA
TION AND
MEXICAN
AMERICA
N
IDENTITIE
S.” Journal
of
American
Ethnic
History, vol.
32, no. 3,
2013, pp.
78–82.
JSTOR,
https://doi.o
rg/10.5406/j
amerethnhis
t.32.3.0078.
Accessed
17 Nov.
2022.
-
Source #4
“El Norte”
-
-
-
journal article
reviewing two
sociologists studies
on whether/how
“Mexican
immigrants
assimilate, integrate
into the country’s
fabric and contribute
to American society
state”
Studies show that
Mexican Americans
are distinct as a
social group
Form a sense of self
in relation to
mexican immigrants
“Ethnic
replenishment”
mexican immigrants
provide for mexican
American ethnicity
Mexicans seen as
less a part of US
mainstream than
their social and
economic
intergration
-
Movie is
about
immigrating
into the Us
I believe this source is useful, it
shows how the influx of
immigrants keep the immigrants
who have established themselves
in the US attached to their roots,
because the immigrants who have
been here longer have tried to fit in
with American culture, losing
touch of their homeland culture.
This source is related to the theme
of “Immigrants”; it will be useful in
supporting the claims made in the
poem.
This movie compliments Mora’s
themes shown in her work.
Although it is not about Mexican
Immigration, they do have to cross
I watched this movie in Spanish
class my freshman year of high
school. It resonated with me greatly;
I felt true emotion while watching
-
-
-
-
-
Brother and the Mexican-American border and
go through the same struggles
sister, their
Mexican immigrants do.
family is
killed by the
Guatemalan
gov and they
are forced to
flee to “el
Norte” (The
north)
First attempt
to cross the
Mexican
border into
the US fails
Second
attempt they
go through
the sewage
pipes
starting in.
Mexico and
ending in
California;
horrific
experience,
filled with
rats
Finally get
into the US
but realize
how difficult
life is w/o
documentati
on
Enrique
(brother)
becomes
busboy, gets
promoted,
and gets
approached
by a wealthy
business
woman with
an amazing
this film. It portrayed the struggles
endured in their home country as
well as how difficult it is to
immigrate into the U.S., and the
hardships that follow. Crossing the
border is only the first part of the
battle, making a life in this country
is the other half.
-
-
job offer in
Chicago
Enrique
doesn’t want
to leave
sister,
eventually
takes job,
but then
Rosa (sister)
falls gravely
ill w/ typhus
from the rat
bites
As she’s
dying she
says, "In our
own land,
we have no
home. They
want to kill
us. In
Mexico,
there is only
poverty. We
can't make a
home there
either. And
here in the
north, we
aren't
accepted.
When will
we find a
home,
Enrique?
Maybe
when we
die, we'll
find a
home."