Literature Circles: Post #6

"To be Latino in the U.S. is rather to participate in a unique process of cultural syncretism that may become a transformative template for the whole society," Julia Alvarez. Page 232.

This quote relates back to the question of "How do the characters maintain their cultural ties to their homeland while living in America?" because it shows that Latinos also go through the process of assimilation, which is what Julia means when she says, "process of cultural syncretism." This process may come faster or slower for others and different people stay more traditional. One thing that I think every Latino still celebrates are quinceaneras, because of their extremely high importance to all 15 year-old Latina girls.

I can link this quote back to everyday life, because it deals with the way people interpret different cultures and even news that we see on the media. Recently I heard a speaker from Iran who told us about the other people in Iran who are not involved in all of the chaos that lies beneath the country, but rather have a strong spiritual tie to God, or at least coming to that point.

What is one issue that you think is often misinterpreted or you think has a different side or opinion to it?

"Why I come out of this year feeling a deeper understanding of the challenges facing our Latino community as we come of age in the United States as well as the challenges facing our daughters and granddaughters as they come of age a young women," Julia Alvarez. Page 253.

This quote relates to the hardships that the young Latino girls are facing. It seems as though Julia is trying to say that each year or generation there is more weight and pressure on the young Latinos to live up to. Whether is it to keep the tradition going, or have the same career as their parents, we all have to live up to something.

I think that Julia is ultimately making sure that the young Latinos will be prepared to embrace and endure what lies ahead for them. Times are now getting very hard and Julia is trying to send a message out to make young people more aware or what is in store for them and what we will soon have to deal with.

What is one challenge that you think younger generations will have to face in the future?