Homework Due Monday, Sept. 20th
**No Class Wed. Sept 15th**
- ***Draft of Project 1 Due Mon. Sept. 27th***Â
- Read Jose Antonio Vargas’ piece “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” and respond to the questions below. Please respond to AT LEAST ONE classmate’s post!Â
- What did you think of this text? Explain!
- What is it mostly about? Write a 2-4 sentence summary. Be specific. Refer to the text itself. Use quotes even!
- What is the genre of the text? What is the tone?
- How do Antonio Vargas’s experiences influence his literacy development (reading, writing, speaking) and the development of his identity? Be specific. For example, how does an experience impact the way he speaks or his experience in school or at work?
- 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.
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1) I think this text is very sentimental and personal, sharing a story like his takes a lot of courage. This text felt so heartwarming to read because it showed his childhood obstacles and how he overcame them overtime. Lastly I related to this text emotionally because my parents were also an immigrant and my parents had to work hard to be an U.S. citizen.
2)This writing is mostly about Jose Antonio Vargas sharing his journey in America as an undocumented immigrant. He shares his personal stories of what he had to overcome when living in a fear of getting caught, he wanted to prove that he is worthy living in America by working hard and creating his own status. Jose Antonio Vargas came out as gay but he mentioned that was easier than sharing that he is an undocumented immigrant, he stated in his writing “Tough as it was, coming out about being gay seemed less daunting than coming out about my legal status.” He was left with his grandparents, that did help him but he knew only he had the potential to do so.
3) The genre of the text is personal narrative/ autobiography. The tone of this text is emotional, intimate, and passionate.
4) His experience impacts the way he speaks because he had to learn quickly the “formal English” and “American slang” in order to fit in and be accepted. To add on, his experiences impacted his work and school life because he had to be cautious about where he applies for work and in college because both those places require to show proof of passport, birth certificate, social security and much more which Jose Antonio Vargas had but they were fake.
5) I think Antonio Vargas wrote this article to share his story to the world and to show another perspective in what society thinks about undocumented immigrants. I think the intended audience are the people that went through or are going through the same circumstances, letting them know that at the end all that matters is how hard you have worked to earn what is accepted being a immigrant.
6) Jose Antonio Vargas faced a lot of challenges such as, having to leave his hometown and mother to start a new life, having to learn how to speak the language that is accepted, having to live in fear of being caught by his false documents, finding jobs with those fake documents, constantly lying to everyone so he doesn’t get caught and coming out to his grandparents was another challenge itself. He overcame those challenges by staying determined and had a clear goal set which was make sure he can be a citizen as soon as possible.
7) I think having to constantly lie to people about his truth and that being a guilt for many years made him realize he can’t keep living in this fear which made him want to make a change. The people that affected him the most we as his mother because he had to be separated from her at a young age just so he can have a better future. His grandparents provided with many resources and help as well.
I agree with everything you write and specially the amount of courage it took to write this article and the feeling he most of have felt when writhing it is unlivable. The fact that he was working hard to achieve his dreams but also living with fear because his courage and limitation. But I’m still wondering was he able to fix his immigration status or was he deported back to Philippine.
I agree that he had to live in fear for most of his life and be very cautious with jobs because he didn’t have proper documentation. I like how you said he basically had to reinvent himself and assimilate into American culture.
I agree it was heartwarming to read and did seem like it took him a lot of courage because he did not know what him confessing everything would do to him but he was brave and said all the truth knowing the consequences, especially since this was posted in the New York Times.
Excellent job!
a. I thought that this text was very deep and emotional, It was sad to see how even though he grew up here, got a great education and became a great writer it still did not help him in having a proper life here in. Me and my my family are immigrants and to get here my parents worked hard so we could all get our green cards in my country and come here to start a new life here with bigger opportunities. I could not imagine being in his shoes and how many challenges he has faced and still not having the life he always wanted.
b. The text is about Jose Antonio Vargas going through big challenges and facing many problems of being an undocumented immigrant. He had to start a life by having nothing and no documentation to help him out. In the text, it states “If anyone asked why I was coming to America, I should say I was going to Disneyland.” This represents on how throughout his whole life had to lie through everything even his friends in order for them not to find out about him being a undocumented immigrant.
c. The genre of the text is Personal Essay because he went through lots of experiences that he shared with us in this text making it very personal and important for him to share. The tone of the text is very deep, emotional and intense.
d. Antonio Vargas’s experiences influenced his literacy development by him not having much advantages as other citizen/green card people. Which meant that he had to work extra hard to speak English without an accent and be on top of all his grades and work to make an impression, to make himself look like someone important so that he could get his green card and become a legal immigrant.
e. I think that Antonio Vargas wrote this article to make a change. He risked himself being caught and going behind bars because of how many illegal documents he has shown in order to make a change so other undocumented immigrants don’t have to go through the same experiences he has been through. The intended audience is undocumented immigrants or immigrants in general that have went through similar struggles as him. He shares his experiences so they wont feel alone that there are more people going through similar struggles.
f. Antonio Vargas faced a lot of challenges starting with having to leave his old life, his own mom and 2 year old sister at that time to start a new life in America. Even after he came here he could not get advantages legal immigrants would get which made him push himself really hard to be noticed and to be seen as someone important. Even by then at the end he still could not find a solution to become legal immigrant nor a citizen no matter how hard he tried or did well in his career.
g. Having to make illegal documents all the time, him having to rely on other people to stay in the country made him want to try even harder. Also lying his whole life to any friends he made that wanted to travel with him but he could not do that without documentation.
I definitely agree, I too think that this text was emotional and I wonder if after everything if it was hard to write/ put together.
Excellent job!
1 – As I try to read the text through the perspective of Jose Vargas, I just can’t. I can’t imagine how rough it was for him and especially the day he went to the DMV with a fake green card. The lady who didn’t report him instead nudged him to not come back, was a sign for Jose to start moving different. The deeper I get into reading the text, the more grateful I become for everything I have. How I never imagined that there are illegal immigrants in this country right now that have to literally survive so they don’t get kicked out. Throughout the text Jose talks about how he had to live different compared to those who were U.S Citizens.
2 – The text “My Life As An Undocumented Immigrant” is about Jose Vargas growing up in America at the age of 12 as an illegal or undocumented U.S citizen. Meaning that he wasn’t a U.S citizen. Jose Vargas was inspired by other immigrants who were able to make a living in America. He makes it clear in the text that us immigrants aren’t who you think we are. He states “We’re not always who you think we are. Some pick your strawberries or care for your children. Some are in high school or college. And some, it turns out, write news articles you might read.” This quote shows how immigrants are working hard and trying their best to make a living regardless if they are illegal or not.
3 – The genre of the text is a narrative essay. Jose Vargas is a telling a story about how he grew up undocumented in America. The tone I get from the text is movie vibe. As he tells his story I can create the scene in my mind. When he starts putting everything together in page 3 from him figuring out how his “uncle” who brought him to America wasn’t his uncle but someone his parents payed $4500 to sneak him in through a fake passport. The tone feel is smart. How smart his family planned to bring each other to America.
4 – One thing Jose Vargas was trying hard in was to get rid of his accent. He would watch several different T.V shows and repeat the phrases they would say. He would read books, magazines and articles at the library trying hard to unlearn the Filipino accent. The text states “I wanted to lose my
accent. During high school, I spent hours at a time watching television (especially “Frasier,” “Home Improvement” and reruns of “The Golden Girls”) and movies (from “Goodfellas” to “Anne of Green Gables”), pausing the VHS to try to copy how various characters enunciated their words. At the local library, I read magazines, books and newspapers — anything to learn.” This quote clearly shows how Jose Vargas was really trying to get rid of his accent by doing the most. Going to the library constantly reading and even watching T.V shows. Jose learning to get rid of his Filipino accent would influence his identity by making it seem he was born in the U.S. Him unlearning the accent would impact the way he speaks and make people far from believing that he is an immigrant.
5 – The article Jose Vargas wrote is for current U.S immigrants. To inspire and provide them courage that they can make a living and be successful in the states. Jose has gone through a lot challenges whether they were close calls or not, he was always anxious about being caught. He risked a lot throughout his life. He came into the country on fake papers that he was never to see again. Snuck into the country by a cayote who he was told to be his “uncle”. Used a fake passport to obtain a real social security and able to work legally. At the end Jose Vargas stayed strong and true to himself. Going through many emotions as he states “The more I achieved, the more scared and depressed I became. I was proud of my work, but there was always a cloud hanging over it, over me.” Every time Jose would level up, the fear of getting caught always strengthen. He shares his story to the public to show that no matter who you are, you just have to stay true to yourself and that you are not alone. People are out there who have similar struggles if not worse.
6 – Throughout the text Jose Vargas states many challenges he faced. A big challenged that he faced and handled like a man was coming forward and clean. After leaving his job at the Huffington Post he came straight forward to his bosses and employers. He states “I’ve reached out to former bosses and employers and apologized for misleading them — a
mix of humiliation and liberation coming with each disclosure. All the people mentioned in this article gave me permission to use their names. I’ve also talked to family and friends about my situation and am working with legal counsel to review my options. I don’t know what the consequences will be of telling my story.” Jose Vargas telling the people he worked for and worked with was the best thing he could’ve done. He has been living with that guilt in his heart for many years and even stated that he became more depressed the more he succeeded. Telling the truth to everyone he’s been with relieved him from that guilt and has helped him live more freely and relaxed.
7 – The person Jose Vargas has been affected the most was his mother. He hasn’t been able to see his mother in person since he was 12 years old. She applied for even a visitor visa for the U.S but was declined. At the end of the text Jose gets emotional as he writes a letter to her to catch up on the time he hasn’t spoken to her for the month. You can tell as we read that all he really wants is to see his mother, the person that sacrificed their seat to give to someone who would make good use of it.
I really enjoyed reading your response. The story he shared when he went to the DMV was very scary and he could have easily been caught right there. He knew he had to change his lifestyle just to prove he’s worthy to be here even with no documents.
Excellent job!
I thought this text was really raw and honest and it painted a nuanced portrait of an undocumented immigrant. This text is mostly about the experiences of Jose Antonio Vargas’ life as an undocumented immigrant and how he was forced to lie and be crafty in order to succeed in a country with very strict immigration policies. The genre of the text is personal essay and the tone is anxious but positive. His literacy and identity were influenced by his experiences because he had to be secretive with his personal information and was wary of blowing his cover to certain people so he worked hard to be a successful writer in the english language and his identity as an undocumented immigrant was covered up to avoid legal issues. His intended audience is other aspiring writers and undocumented immigrants in general. He is encouraging these people to pursue their dreams and dream big despite the legal obstacles they may face. Antonio Vargas faced challenges such as being restricted from getting a license, his inability to travel, the discouragement from his family members, and his inability to be fully honest with most people in his life. He overcame these challenges by finding the right people to confide in, thus building a network of support and eventually coming clean and writing this article. The experiences that affected Antonio Vargas the most were being rejected from getting a learners permit because this first instilled his fear of getting caught. Another formative experience was starting to work for the Washington post and becoming craftier with documentation in order to keep writing for major news sites.
Excellent job!
I think that the text was very honest and emotional. Jose Vargas showed the readers through the text that he had to overcome so many obstacles in life. The text is mostly about Jose Vargas coming from the Philippines to America as an undocumented immigrant. He explains the difficulties that he faced for not having the proper paperwork to be in the United States. He was inspired by other immigrants to come make a living in America. He also feels like that even though he shares the same values as any other American, but in “America someone that is an American is someone that lives in the country legally with adequate legal papers declaring someone to be a citizen”. The genre of the text is a personal essay. The tone of the text is sincere. Vargas’s experiences influenced his literary development because he had to work hard to get rid of his accent. He also had to watch tv shows , movies and read books and magazines to help him get rid of his accent. I think he wrote this to inspire other immigrants like him. He wrote it to show them that even though they will face a lot of challenges not to give up because you can become successful. I think the intended audience are illegal immigrants. One challenge that Vargas had to make is leaving the Philippines to come make a living as an immigrant in America. Also another challenge he had was that he was afraid of being caught because he was using fake documents. He Overcame those challenges by working hard and living his truth. The person that affected Vargas the most was his mom. She sent him to America at such a young age so he can have a better life.
Excellent job!
I think that the text was very honest and emotional. Jose Vargas showed the readers through the text that he had to overcome so many obstacles in life. The text is mostly about Jose Vargas coming from the Philippines to America as an undocumented immigrant. He explains the difficulties that he faced for not having the proper paperwork to be in the United States. He was inspired by other immigrants to come make a living in America. He also feels like that even though he shares the same values as any other American, but in “America someone that is an American is someone that lives in the country legally with adequate legal papers declaring someone to be a citizen”. The genre of the text is a personal essay. The tone of the text is sincere. Vargas’s experiences influenced his literary development because he had to work hard to get rid of his accent. He also had to watch tv shows , movies and read books and magazines to help him get rid of his accent. I think he wrote this to inspire other immigrants like him. He wrote it to show them that even though they will face a lot of challenges not to give up because you can become successful. I think the intended audience are illegal immigrants. One challenge that Vargas had to make is leaving the Philippines to come make a living as an immigrant in America. Also another challenge he had was that he was afraid of being caught because he was using fake documents. He Overcame those challenges by working hard and living his truth. The person that affected Vargas the most was his mom. She sent him to America at such a young age so he can have a better life.
I think that the text was very honest and emotional. Jose Vargas showed the readers through the text that he had to overcome so many obstacles in life. The text is mostly about Jose Vargas coming from the Philippines to America as an undocumented immigrant. He explains the difficulties that he faced for not having the proper paperwork to be in the United States. He was inspired by other immigrants to come make a living in America. He also feels like that even though he shares the same values as any other American, but in “America someone that is an American is someone that lives in the country legally with adequate legal papers declaring someone to be a citizen”. The genre of the text is a personal essay. The tone of the text is sincere. Vargas’s experiences influenced his literary development because he had to work hard to get rid of his accent. He also had to watch tv shows , movies and read books and magazines to help him get rid of his accent. I think he wrote this to inspire other immigrants like him. He wrote it to show them that even though they will face a lot of challenges not to give up because you can become successful. I think the intended audience are illegal immigrants. One challenge that Vargas had to make is leaving the Philippines to come make a living as an immigrant in America. Also another challenge he had was that he was afraid of being caught because he was using fake documents. He Overcame those challenges by working hard and living his truth. The person that affected Vargas the most was his mom. She sent him to America at such a young age so he can have a better life.
I agree, the text felt very honest and emotional because the Author shared a lot about his personal life. Coming out in your writing is a big step towards accepting who you are. The emotional part kicks in when the author spoke about living in fear, this is something no one should have to do.
I agree, the text felt very honest and emotional because the Author shared a lot about his personal life. Coming out in your writing is a big step towards accepting who you are. The emotional part kicks in when the author spoke about living in fear, this is something no one should have to do.
I think that this text is amazing and I love every detail provided, especially the translations. This text is mostly about Jose’s life and struggle here in the United States. He goes into depth about how challenging it is to be an immigrant. The genre is personal essay and the tone is sad but confident in a way. His development influences his literacy development because when he first arrived in the U.S. he wanted to adapt quickly and fit in, so he did. He watched shows, read books, and analyzed as much as he could to improved his English. His experiences also influence his development because if he hadn’t went to the DMV that day, he would’ve been walking around with a fake social everywhere and gotten into way more trouble. But this affected him heavily because after this incident he never really opened up to anyone and was extremely cautious. If this never happened he would’ve lost everything and got sent back to his country. I believe he wrote this article to shine light on immigrants and how hard it is to be one in the United States and his intended audience in this article are immigrants. Antonio faced several challenges, some of those being: passed up vacations with friends, friendships, having fun, job opportunities, and even relationships due to the fact that he was living in the shadows. I believe that an experience that affected Antonio the most was the DV experience because if it wasn’t for that he wouldn’t have been here for so long because he would’ve gotten caught. People that affected him were Pat and Rich because they went the extra mile for him and they truly helped him out a lot with their guidance and he even said that they were like surrogate parents to him.
-Darleny
Excellent job!
– I really liked how personal and transparent the reading was. It could only be written by someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I could relate as my parents want the best for me and have gone through a lot to get me to where I am today. I liked that it was a closing to his life in America and the 18 years he had lived in hiding.
– Jose Vargas is an undocumented immigrant who considers himself as American while the US does not recognize someone like him. Him and his grandfather would go through many hurdles to keep everything under control and as normal as possible. He would learn English culture through tv and even began to interview Americans as validation for living in the US. In the text it says “I convinced myself that having my name in print — writing in English, interviewing Americans — validated my presence here.”
– This is a personal essay with an informal tone as he exposes himself and hides nothing about his true self
– He already knew English before coming to America but had to learn to hid his accent. He would memorize the words he couldn’t pronounce and learn how to spell them instead. He would learn about culture from tv and began to consider himself American as well. He wanted validation as as such began interviewing others and writing articles in the US. Being unable to fly he would often lie to others about not being able to go on trips and other events.
– I think that he wrote this article to get it off his chest and finally be without fear for once. To make others feel assured that someone else has gone through the same. Its also for those against immigrants and to show that some status does not take away how much someone can contribute or help or consider themselves American as well.
– He faced many hardships trying to get jobs and living in constant fear that he would be found out. He could not drive fly or do much without being a citizen and was sorta trapped in where he could go. He had many fake documents that would get him forged ones and through many connections would go under the radar. The ones that affected him the most was the constant asking of documents and trying to prove himself without being found out for who he really was.
I agree with this as he was trying to show people what he can really contribute and bring to the table.
Excellent job!
1. As I read this text I felt very touched. Not only was the author a great role model for the society he also contributed a lot towards the American Culture. He completed all the levels of education from Elementary to college while maintaining a job throughout his Teenage to adulthood years which could be very exhausting for many people but he still managed to overcome any obstacles faced. Even when doing all this and living up to his fullest potential he still wasn’t able to become a registered immigrant. No matter how much time and effort he spent bettering this country he was not accepted by this country. America is supposed to be a country for new opportunities i understand they do not want illegal immigrants here due to terrorist attacks and other political issues but when someone is contributing more to society than an average American they should be granted citizenship on my behalf.
2. The Text “My Life As An Undocumented Immigrant” is mostly about the lifelong experiences of Jose Vargas and his feelings on Immigrating from the Philippines to the United States Of America. Jose Vargas immigrated from the Philippines to the USA at a young age, as he grows up he realizes that he is an illegal immigrant but it doesn’t stop him from working hard to his fullest potential. This takes a big toll on his life because he was always feeling that he had to live in fear which would lead him to hide his true identity from everyone he meets not knowing if he would be caught anytime soon. He was also limited to certain activities that an illegal immigrant couldn’t do such as traveling and getting a driver’s license like every other American citizen. For Example, the text states, ” The license meant everything to me — it would let me drive, fly and work. But my grandparents worried about the Portland trip and the Washington internship. While Lola offered daily prayers so that I would not get caught, Lolo told me that I was dreaming too big, risking too much.” The author did not let the fear of being caught as an illegal immigrant stop him completely from doing the things he dreamed of doing, he had help from people who supported him and worked around many obstacles to live the life he wanted for himself. Every move he made was a risk.
3. The Genre of the text “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” is an Autobiographical/ personal essay because the author explains the life of an immigrant from his perspective and the obstacles he faced trying to live the American Dream knowing that he doesn’t get the same privileges as any other American Citizen. The tone of the text ” My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” is Anxious because throughout the text the author is always worried about what will happen next, even though he works very hard and is on the way to becoming successful every day he lives with the fear of being caught and deported back to the Philippines.
4. Antonio Vargas’s experiences influence his literacy development because since he wanted to stay completely under the radar as an illegal immigrant he would want to show no sign of another culture so he practiced speaking in an English accent, wrote properly in English, and read using English culture. For example” I wanted to lose my accent. During high school, I spent hours at a time watching television (especially “Frasier,” “Home Improvement” and reruns of “The Golden Girls”) and movies (from “Goodfellas” to “Anne of Green Gables”), pausing the VHS to try to copy how various characters enunciated their words”. Antonio Vargas was doing all he could to get rid of any sign of another culture so that he could be fully disguised as an American citizen, this was one of the things he had to do to be cautious.
5. Jose Vargas Wrote this text for Anyone who wants to move to the United States or for People who are already immigrants in the United States. He wants to push the message that anything is possible and the shot at a successful life is not impossible if you are passionate about it. Throughout the text, Jose Vargas undergoes many challenges but he still keeps on going even though he knows he is limited to a lot of things as an illegal immigrant. He uses the resources around him in order to pave a successful path for himself even though to his grandfather it seemed as “pushing it”.
6. Antonio Vargas faces many challenges throughout the text but one challenge that really stood out to me was losing his accent because it isn’t easy to just change the way you speak and what you grew up inheriting, it takes time and a lot of practice to do so which is exactly what he did so that he feels like he is one step closer to being considered an American. He took the time out of his day and put effort into completely transforming the way he spoke so he can become successful. He also picked up journalism because he believed that interviewing Americans would guarantee people to look past him if he made a name for himself interviewing Americans. Another challenge that Antonia Vargas faces is not being able to get his license. He overcomes this challenge by finding alternatives that may be easier such as going to Oregon because the requirements seemed less strict and the father of a friend helped him by having him register under their address so he could receive his license.
7. The person that affected Vargas the most would be Lolo because he provided Vargas with the hospitality and shelter he needed to survive so that he could become successful. Lolo would also warn Vargas to be careful when chasing his dreams because he was worried he would get caught. Vargas and Lolo might not have been on good terms when he came out as gay, but Lolo eventually put aside their differences and they reunited. Without Lolo making Vargas aware of his situation at a young age he probably would have never worked so hard since the day he found out and created a goal for himself because being an immigrant influenced him to work ten times harder, he felt that if he became successful he could be considered an American.
Excellent job!
a) I thought this text was very touching because the author shared one of the challenges he faced in his life and what he had to go through to try to overcome these challenges. It was an in depth view into his life and the ambitions he had and what he wanted to achieve since coming to America.
b) It was mostly about the author sharing his experience on the challenges he faced with having fake documents and the things he had to do to make it seem like he had the appropriate documents to pursue his ambitions. His main ambition was to become a journalist. The article displayed the anxiety and stress he dealt with not having the appropriate documentations. He obtained the job he wanted, but he still felt the guilt inside of not having the appropriate documentation. He also shared he couldn’t participate in a lot of activities because of this challenge he faced. According to the text, it states “From the moment I wrote my first article for the student paper, I convinced myself that having my name in print — writing in English, interviewing Americans — validated my presence here.”
c) The genre of the text is personal essay. The tone of the essay is very reflective as the author was describing his past experiences and how he felt about them.
d) Antonio Vargas’s experiences influenced his literacy development by making him a better writer and making him more passionate about reading and writing. An example is in the text, it shows an instance when he first started writing, he believed having his name out there and showcasing his contributions would make him valuable to the Americans and he would feel accepted. His experiences also developed his identity by shaping him to be more determined to achieving his goals.
e) I think Antonio wrote this article to share his experiences about being undocumented and wanted to shed more light on this topic and make people more aware of what undocumented immigrants have to go through. His intended audience is for people who are going through the same thing as him, as well as people who may not like undocumented immigrants.
f) Antonio Vargas faced many challenges. One of the challenges was as he was achieving more success, but he was also facing the guilt and anxiety that came with these accomplishments. He overcame this challenge by quitting his job at the Huffington Post and opening up about his life.
g) The experience or people who affected Antonio Vargas the most was the people close to him. One of them was Lolo. One of the things Lolo said always stuck to him. She told him “what will happen if the people find out” and that has always crossed mind when he feels guilty about something and start making him very exhausted about who he really is.
Excellent job!
1.I thought the text was interesting, being able to learn about immigration by the illegal means and how life was being undocumented was interesting. Not being able to take part in many things in a society you believe you’re a part of is very challenging.
2.This text is mostly about jose sharing his journey with being undocumented, wanting people to know the difficulty and fears of alien immigrants,and the difficulty with having to stay hidden and not stand out to the public. for example , when he applied for the times him not having proper papers made it so he wasn’t able to be recruited.
3.The genre of this text is a personal essay of joses immigration process and the tone is informal with how jose was expressing his feelings in the article.
4.His experiences helped his literacy growth by the want to succeed in life and following his dreams helped to develop his writing. Like many other immigrants struggle with the English language but after watching shows and reading articles he was able to write his first article that got him into the field of journalism.with his new home he was able to find his passion in language and tried to learn slang and formal speech when he was younger. But the key thing that was mostly impacted by his experiences is his writing. He was able to grow in journalism with the help he had from his family and friends, to get him into college and finding jobs where he wrote articles reporting on weddings or more serious topics like the drive by. His determination to prove that he could be useful in society was what gave him the drive to want to get higher in the journalism ranks so he wouldn’t be apart of the stereotype.when he was working for the post he had to stand out by doing “enough” so he could receive help for peter and the higher ups. All these experiences helped to improve his speech by being around so many reporters and peers he was able to grasp the knowledge of simple and formal conversations and he was able to improve his writing through the different jobs at different newspaper outlets.
5.I think he wrote this article to show people the struggles of being an undocument immigrant, the fear of being found out and how it weighs on them, not being able to go forward in life because of not having proper identification and being able to identify with a country you love because you dont belong there legally. He wants people who arent aware of the true life of undocumneted immigrant learn about their struggle from a personal story, a real pov experience.
6.He faced many challenges during his stay. The one that occurred the most was not having the proper identification like a drivers licenses to do certain things without giving away your situation. But he was able to research different places that offers easier access to a drivers license so he can pursue his dreams more. The struggle of success and internal conflict, he was always constantly afraid of being found out and not being able to pursue his goals because one always conflicted with the other. If wanted to pursue his dreams it came at the risk of being caught and if he wanted to stay hidden he would never be able to achieve his dreams,examples he thought that if he just did well at all his jobs he could fix the problem which was not true or his receiving that message from his grandmother after the prize announcement of what will happen if people found. This shows the struggles of success and staying hidden conflicting with one another. But he resolved this by stopping the running and owning up to his lies to the people around him, and wrote the article to tell his story.
7.The people who affect him the most are the people in his network like his family, his mother sending his away to america, his grandparents taking him in to give him a better life, friends like rich who helped him so he could attend college and pursue a career. His experiences like visiting the DMV was most impactful for showing him the true fear of living as an undocumented immigrant, this was the start of his anxiety over being found out which contiuned on throughout his life. His experiences with success like receiving the rewards affected him by showing how dangerous his choices where because sooner or later he would get caught for standing out the way he was.
Excellent job!
a. I think in this text you can see what people do so that their relatives and loved ones prosper in life. Is a really sentimental and personal article that has a big meaning to Jose Antonio Vargas because this is his story about his life and what he went through. I think that the amount of courage that he took to write this article is incredible and admirable. It has so much meaning. The fact that he had to live with fear of being deported his entire life is unbelievable. He is a role model for everyone, especially immigrants, because even though he didn’t have papers he still completed his education, having jobs throughout his life, he still was able to fulfill part of his dream.
b. The article “My life as an undocumented immigrant” by JosĂ© Antonio Vargas is mainly about how he moved to the US during his childhood and, as he grows up, discovers that he is illegal in the country. When he was 16 he went to the D.M.V. to get a driver license like any other kid would at his age in the US. “But when I handed the clerk my green card as proof of U.S. residency, she flipped it around, examining it. “This is fake,” she whispered. “Don’t come back here again.” It was then that he confronted his grandfather and asked him if it was false, then the grandfather confirmed and told him everything about how he could get here to the US and his mother could not come. From that moment Jose Antonio Vargas thought that if he worked hard for his country (US) they could accept him and they would give him papers for his great work. Throughout his life he worked and studied very hard and went through many challenges that he had to experience. He could not trust people much for fear that they would give him away. “(Claiming full citizenship was actually easier than declaring permanent resident “green card” status, which would have required me to provide an alien registration number.)” he felt like in “imposter” because he was lying to people he care about but he had to do it to “live and survive on my own, and I decided this was the way.” He had no choice but to strive and take risks because he didn’t want to depend on his grandparents. He was grateful for everything they have done for him.
c. The genre of this text is an autobiography/personal essay because the author is explaining how his life was and what it is like to be a person who dreams of great things being in a country undocumented. The tone of this text is frightening because throughout every step the author takes in his life he was worried of being caught and deported back to a country that he barely has any memory of.
d. The fact that the wanted to to blend in with other Americans he started to read and watch a lot movies to lose his accent and to write formal/standard English so he will not get caught and this impacted that literacy development because he develop a passion for writing and his English teacher in high school Kathy Dewar, introduce him to journalism and that’s when he got a sense of confidence and belongingness.
e. I think that Jose Antonio Vargas wrote this article because he was tired of living a life full of lies and fears. But he also writes it in gratitude for all who help him throughout his life. He wanted to show readers and immigrant and citizen of the US the struggle a lot of undocumented people go through in the US. The intended audience for this article are everyone in general and especially immigrants because it’s giving an example that anything is possible and that if you work hard for it you will be able to achieve it, even though there are obstacles in the way, the end results are always worth it.
f. One of Jose Antonio Vargas biggest challenge was being undocumented because in the US you need your papers to do a lot of things like to apply to college, work, and many other things. But he was able to overcome this obstacle with the help of some of his mentors and grandfather. They helped him find an alternative to get a driver license, a scholarship paid and was able to land some of his dream jobs. But he was still living a life full of fear and guilt. Another obstacle that Vargas faced was losing his accent because he didn’t want people to know that he was from another country, he wanted to blend in with other Americans and be as disguised as possible. He overcame this challenge by watching a lot of TV shows, movies. He would pause the movie to repeat what the character said so he could pronounce it properly. He would read everywhere. But no matter what the challenge was Jose Antonio Vargas never gave up.
g. The experience that impacted Vargas the most was when he went to the D.M.V to get his driver license and the clerk told him it was fake, that’s the moment he started to live with worry and was being limited to a lot of thing being and undocumented immigrant. There are many people who affected Vargas life like his grandparents that brought him to the US for a better future, his mentor in high school Rich and Pat that help him through his high school and along with Jim they help him get a driver license and a scholarship for college and Peter who help guide him when he was in Washington working for The Post.
Excellent job!
a) I personally think the text was a bit sad to read but unfortunately, millions experience this years-long issue in America. I personally can’t relate to this for two reasons – one that I’m a naturally-born US citizen and two, my parents, who are immigrants, didn’t have to face this dilemma.
b) This text is mainly about the author’s journey in the USA as an undocumented immigrant. Like many others who arrive at the country, he had to face difficult circumstances as an undocumented citizen, mainly through the use of false documents. As the author states about his situation in short, “…I am still an undocumented immigrant. And that means living a different kind of reality.”
c) The genre of the text is mainly a memoir of his life as an immigrant in America and what he had to experience living as an “imposter” throughout the two decades. The tone of the text can be probably be described as regretful. The author builds this tone up all the way to the end with his final decision on his circumstances, “I’m done running,. I’m exhausted. I don’t want that life anymore. So I’ve decided to come forward…I’ve reached out to former bosses and employers and apologized for misleading them…”
d) As an immigrant and with little knowledge of English, the author had to learn it throughout his time in America. He had learned literacy through many sources including from books, magazines, newspapers, and school. It has also developed his identity in that as his time in America went on, he was aware of, “anti-immigrant sentiments and stereotypes” that grew around his community, which he was a part of despite telling himself so.
e) Vargas wrote this article for one main reason: to fully reveal the biggest truth about himself that he had hidden from many that he knew for decades, as his intentions was stated in the paragraph, “So I’ve decided to come forward, own up to what I’ve done…I don’t know what the consequences will be of telling my story.” The intended audience would probably be for US citizens who would realize the hard life of an undocumented citizens and what they have to go through.
f) The first challenge he had to face, as he states, is the English language. He overcame this by watching English shows, movies, reading books and magazines, etc. However, the biggest challenge, and the overall topic of the piece, he had to face is carrying a false identity using falsified documents. Although he never overcame this challenge, he made his life easier by revealing the truth and apologizing to his bosses, coworkers, friends, etc.
g) I guess the people that affected Vargas the most were his grandparents for “giving me [Vargas] the chance for a better life in America.” His grandparents had been supportive for him from the very start. He also credited his teachers and other faculty members at his school as his “second” family and also being supportive for him.
Excellent job!
A)I think this text was really very inspiring and emotional and I also related to this piece because my parents used to be immigrants and I was separated from my parents for most of my childhood and I got back with them when they were able to take care of me. B) This piece showed me the experience of being an immigrant and all the hardship you have to face to work in the environment. All the people that were around Vargas supported him to the fullest. This writing is about Vargas sharing his experience of being an immigrant with fake documents and all the obstacles in life he had to face. Vargas lied to some people and had a burden in beginning but in the end, he told people who he mainly trusted who he was. Vargas made many relationships with different people and he surrounded himself with good people. C) The genre of this text is Autobiography because Vargas is explaining his life as an immigrant with fake documents and he shared all the obstacles he had to face. C) The Tone of this text is worried/ anxious in the beginning and at the end, he is confident because he comes forward and tells everyone what he did. D) Vargas’s experience helped him get rid of his accent. For example, Vargas watched different shows and that helped him speak English more fluently. Vargus learned how to write better by reading books and magazines. E) Antonio Vargus wrote this Article to share his experience of immigrant and to thank everyone that supported him to the fullest. He tells everyone about his secret so he can let off of the burden and live with no fear. He wrote this article for other immigrants and to give his regards to all people that supported him. F) There were many challenges that Vargus had to face. One of the challenges is Vargus wanted to get rid of his accent so he ” spend hours at a time watching television shows and pausing the VHS to try to copy how various characters enunciated their words” and he also read magazines and read books. Another problem was Vargus couldn’t go to college because of his immigration problem and he was missing important documents so he told pat and rich about his situation but they couldn’t help him with college. Vargus was offered a job at the Washington Post and he told peter everything about his situation and peter acknowledge Vargus so he decided to help him. G) Vargus’s school staff tried to help him but couldn’t because he only had one solution which was to go back to the Philippines but he couldn’t do that. Peter helped Vargus in the office with his work and he wrote a different article and meet different people to network with
Excellent job!
The text, in my opinion, was really honest and heartfelt. Through the book, Jose Vargas demonstrated to the readers that he had to face numerous challenges in his life. Jose Vargas, an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines, is the main focus of the work. He describes the problems he had as a result of his lack of necessary documentation to be in the United States. Other immigrants inspired him to come to America and create a living. Even though he shares the same ideals as every other American, he believes that in “America, an American is someone who resides in the nation lawfully and has proper legal papers declaring oneself a citizen.” The text’s genre is a personal essay the text has a genuine tone to it. Vargas’ literary development was influenced by his experiences, as he had to fight hard to overcome his accent. To assist him to get rid of his accent, he had to watch TV shows, movies, and read books. I believe he wrote this to encourage other immigrants. He wrote it to show them that, despite the many obstacles they will face, they need not give up because they can succeed. Illegal immigrants, I believe, are the intended audience as well as people who need encouragement to try and achieve. vargas was faced with many challenges but his main challenge was being undocumented he was able to find alternatives to it and managed to get his drivers license. i think the experience that affected vargas the most would have to be when he realized the papers he had were fake and he could get deported