https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QeaKC4FbsImq6OYygtluHyEjxPeMW59i/view?usp=sharing
Read âMy Life as an Undocumented Immigrantâ by Antonio Vargas. Be prepared to Discuss the piece through the Reading Protocol Lens in class (maybe take notes). Choose 2 of the following questions and write a brief (4-5 sentence) response to each.
- How does Antonio Vargasâs experiences influence his literacy development (reading, writing, speaking) and the development of his identity?
- Why do you think Antonio Vargas wrote this article? Who do you think is the intended audience?
- What challenges did Antonio Vargas face? How did he overcome those challenges?
- What experiences and/or people affected Antonio Vargas the most? Explain.
- What did you think of the piece?
What experiences and/or people affected Antonio Vargas the most? Explain.
When reading this article I picked up two main events/ experiences that must’ve really affected Antonio. The first experience that affected Antonio was when he went to D.M.V to get his license. When he went there he was excited to get his drivers license but ended up finding out that he was in America illegally and didn’t have legitimate papers. It must have been really hard on him to find this out from a stranger instead of his family. The second experience that affected Antonio was when he took his road test in Portland and got his license. That license gave him eight years to succeed professionally and possibly have the chance for the immigrant law to change so that he can stay in America legally. In a way, that license legalized Antonio for the time being.
What did you think of the piece? Reading this article opened my eyes in a huge way. I realized the struggle a immigrant might have if they don’t have the right papers. Getting a good, sturdy job in America is hard as it is but not having the right qualifications for it like a passport or social secuirty must’ve been hard on Antonio. He constantly had to live with the fear of possibly being discovered by someone for who he really is. I look up to Antonio for his strength and courage, writing this article wasn’t easy but he did it and really helped his audience open their eyes.
Dear Victoria, Thank you for your thoughtful response. I really like how you describe the different experiences that effected Vargas’ life. I also like how you describe how the article opened your eyes to the immigrant experience. Thanks!
Antonio Vargas is an undocumented Immigrant who left the Philippines when he was 12 years old. His mother was supposed to follow along, but never did. I feel like that is one of the events that was significant in shaping Antonio and who he is as a person. On top of having to lie his way through life using false documents to get jobs, licenses, internships and an education. His own mother wasn’t able to be by his side which I believe took away from his identity more. Back in the Philippines he learned English from being around his mother, but for him part of coming to America meant losing that accent. Antonio worked thoroughly through high school to learn the way Americans speak and their pronunciation of words . Antonio also faced many other obstacles that prevented him going down the right path into literacy. Daily to get by and to provide for himself he had to supply fake documents to offices and jobs, which had an effect on his mental health. Antonio describes feeling like an guilty “imposer” everyday . At the end of the day he had to continue dealing with that feeling if he wanted to get by and prove why he deserves to stay here. In high school Antonio also came out with a confession, he was gay. This added on to the stress he already carried around on his shoulder for two reasons. One being he needed to marry an American women to gain a green card, and two being his grandfather was very religious and considered homosexuality a sin. I feel like Antonio is very brave and should be a huge role model for all undocumented Immigrants. I wish he was able to really be himself and not live in fear. It’s unfortunate how the Immigrants laws are now; hopefully they will change soon.
Dear Shaniya, Thank you for sharing your thoughtful response. I really like how you describe the events that were key in shaping Vargas’ identity. I really like how you say, “Antonio describes feeling like an guilty âimposerâ everyday . At the end of the day he had to continue dealing with that feeling if he wanted to get by and prove why he deserves to stay here.” You also describe very powerfully, the conflict that Vargas faced when we came out as gay and how that experience deeply shaped his identity. Thanks!
Antonio Vargas discovered his passion for language shortly after coming to America, although it was difficult for him to differentiate between slang and speaking formally, he âspent hours at a time watching television and movies, pausing the VHS to try to copy how various characters enunciated their wordsâ (Vargas 11) this also helped him lose his accent. Vargas used journalism as a way of feeling validated in America, he believed if he worked hard enough he would be able to earn his citizenship. Throughout the article, Vargas expressed his constant paranoia of always having to hide his real identity, this article served as a way to finally open up about his immigration status instead of running away. Many immigrants can relate to the same struggles that Vargas faced from learning how to speak English, fit in, to making a living as an undocumented immigrant. Vargas resented his mother for making him go to America alone and have to go through challenges without her. With time those emotions turned on him, Vargas struggled to learn how to speak English, by he watched television programs/movies, and participating in journalism it helped him improve his writing technique and the way he spoke English. Being an undocumented immigrant caused Vargas to use fake documents and IDâs which were required to work in a professional setting, and travel. Thanks to his support network he was able to get his driverâs license, become a successful writer, and was able to move between multiple well-known newspaper companies, like The New York Times and The Huffington Post. Vargas also came out as an openly gay student that had caused tension between Vargas and his Catholic grandfather, but eventually, the two reconciled. When Vargas first found at the DMV that he had fake documents, and was illegally in America it gave him the motivation to prove to himself that with dedication and hard work his compensation would be to become a legal citizen. Rich Fischer and Pat Hyland influenced Vargas significantly as mentors, making way for new opportunities allowing him to build a strong support network. This piece voiced many of the immigrant struggles, and the desire to become successful while also showing the reality of being illegal and the anxiety, fears, and paranoia that come with living in America as an undocumented immigrant.
Dear Claudia, This is a wonderful summary and thoughtful analysis of the piece. I really love how you describe the conflict that Vargas faced as an undocumented immigrant and how the experience shaped his identity. I particularly like when you say, ” Throughout the article, Vargas expressed his constant paranoia of always having to hide his real identity, this article served as a way to finally open up about his immigration status instead of running away. Many immigrants can relate to the same struggles that Vargas faced from learning how to speak English, fit in, to making a living as an undocumented immigrant.” You both comment on his experience and make a connection to so many others. You do a great job of using the text to support your thinking! Thanks!
The story of Antonio Vargas is one i wish i could understand on a deeper level . As a 12 year old boy from the Philippines he came to America expecting his mother to follow which didn’t happen. Starting a new unfamiliar life is hard for any immigrant and Antonio expresses his experience in this passage. Antonio had a mix of feelings about being an immigrant. He was fearful, had anxiety, somewhat ashamed, and he hid his life and identity from the world. As he was developing he watched TV and VHS tapes and attended high school to get used to American culture and lose his accent in which he gained from learning English in the Philippines from his mother. He seemed to develop a love and/or passion for journalism and wanted to use it to as a way to earn citizenship. Throughout Antonios early life he had to use fake documents in order to do things such as work or travel. He also went through the struggle of being gay. His major problem was the fact that he has a catholic grand father who was not a supporter of homosexuality and he also had to marry a woman in order to get his green card. He eventually got his license in portland and with a lot of journalism work in new york he was able to build a life for himself. This led to him getting citizenship after getting caught at the DMV with bad documents. Antonio was able to make a strong system for himself with the motivation people in his life gave to him. I think antonios story is very empowering to other immigrants but no one will truly understand his struggles unless they to go through the hardships of a immigrant.
Dear Jacob, You do a wonderful job of describing the many challenges and conflicts that Vargas faces as he arrives in the United States without his mother and without proper documents. I really like how you look at the different factors that influenced Vargas’s identity and how his identity changed over time. I particularly like when you say, “I think antonios story is very empowering to other immigrants but no one will truly understand his struggles unless they to go through the hardships of a immigrant.” Thanks!
1) When Antonio Vargas first came to the united states just like any other immigrants is hard, especially for him not having real documents it was real challenging. But over the years he learned how to lose his accents and learned how to properly speak English âI wanted to lose my accentââ. He even read magazine, book and newspaper just to get his writing better.
2) I think Vargas wrote this article to tell his story, about the time he risks everything he had built not knowing the results âLolo told me that I was dreaming too big, risking too muchââ. As for who he intended I feel like it was for people that are just like him âimmigrants with a dreamââ. He probably did this to lift people up and give them hope that hard work pays off.
3) The challenges Antonio face were not having a real social security number neither a license. Not having a social made his education hard because he couldnât even receive no type of financial aids to go to college.
4) The experience that affected Antonio Vargas the most was language, sexuality and immigration status. For any immigrant the language is the first problem but with time and dedication is no longer a problem. When it comes to his sexuality he told people he was gay but that didnât face him but he got kicked out of his house for that.
5) What I think about this piece is that I can relate to Vargas in some ways I know is hard coming to a country not knowing anything. But in his case I felt bad for him for faking his life not having pictures of his family so that people wouldnât ask. As a reader I can say I enjoyed reading this pieces and proudly I can say that Iâm thankful for him encouraging immigrants to not give and find strength.
Dear Joscar, Thank you for your thoughtful comments on this piece. You do a good job describing the challenges that Vargas faced and how he worked hard to over come those challenges. You also do a good job of providing evidence from the text to support your thinking (quoting from the text!). I particularly like your response to the last question: “What I think about this piece is that I can relate to Vargas in some ways I know is hard coming to a country not knowing anything. But in his case I felt bad for him for faking his life not having pictures of his family so that people wouldnât ask. As a reader I can say I enjoyed reading this pieces and proudly I can say that Iâm thankful for him encouraging immigrants to not give and find strength.” Thanks!
1) When Antonio Vargas first came to the united states just like any other immigrants is hard, especially for him not having real documents it was real challenging. But over the years he learned how to lose his accents and learned how to properly speak English âI wanted to lose my accentââ. He even read magazine, book and newspaper just to get his writing better.
2) I think Vargas wrote this article to tell his story, about the time he risks everything he had built not knowing the results âLolo told me that I was dreaming too big, risking too muchââ. As for who he intended I feel like it was for people that are just like him âimmigrants with a dreamââ. He probably did this to lift people up and give them hope that hard work pays off.
3) The challenges Antonio face were not having a real social security number neither a license. Not having a social made his education hard because he couldnât even receive no type of financial aids to go to college.
4) The experience that affected Antonio Vargas the most was language, sexuality and immigration status. For any immigrant the language is the first problem but with time and dedication is no longer a problem. When it comes to his sexuality he told people he was gay but that didnât face him but he got kicked out of his house for that.
5) What I think about this piece is that I can relate to Vargas in some ways I know is hard coming to a country not knowing anything. But in his case I felt bad for him for faking his life not having pictures of his family so that people wouldnât ask. As a reader I can say I enjoyed reading this pieces and proudly I can say that Iâm thankful for him encouraging immigrants to not give and find strength.