Week 3 – Mexican American Disambiguation

 Response 

 As a Mexican-American myself I related with Jose Olivarez the narrator’s point of views on the many identities and complexities of being a Mexican-American. From his lingo on words such as chicanos and gringos to his perspective on how we are viewed from the college’s as well as how we view each other in our own community. One of my favorite lines was when he said “ after they crossed the border they became diverse & minorities & ethnic & exotic ” this line reminds me of the issues of identity crisis not only us Mexicans must go through but other cultures must face as well. I also enjoyed his incorporation of spanish into the poem. This poem also has many relations to his other writing ‘’ maybe i could save myself by writing”. Both writings share a common idea of ‘’ ni de aqui ni de alla’’ meaning not from here or from there , while reading his poem i felt a sense of being understood and not alone. 

Summary  

 In the poem “ Mexican-American Disambiguation” by Jose Olivarez he speaks on the struggle as a Mexican american trying to find his identity when there are so many labels that society puts on him and many others. He mixes the serious topic with a sense of humor. He also speaks on how he believes society views him and the Mexican community. As well as explaining how the Mexican community views the outside world. He also expresses his struggle in reaching the American expectations with college .