A Reflective Letter to Myself

Dear Allison,

Here I am at the end of English 1B. It was a challenging journey full of long nights and constant fight against procrastination. Yet, those challenges, especially in essay writing, have helped me express my thoughts and arguments more efficiently. During my time in this class, the opportunity to be able to expand my comprehension and appreciation about reading, writing and of California with its dream was something that was very valuable. However, throughout the course, one of the most important aspects that I learned is how the organization and the type of essay influences the impact of the writer’s message.

After a shock of the grade I got on the first in-class essay written about our own interpretation of the California dream, I knew I needed to improve my writing skills for the real challenge that lay ahead of me — the first out-of-class essay about the California dream in music. Now this essay was quite difficult for me due to it requiring so much analysis and preparation. Normally when I write an essay, I think about the prompt and write my thesis straight away. Then I will trying to find supporting material. However, the problem was that I couldn’t even think of a thesis for this one. I knew that the message the Chili Peppers wished to send was a negative one, but what exactly proves this idea in the song? Once, after I tediously analyzed the song, I felt confident in my thesis and had found supporting evidence. Nonetheless, I was very worried about how I would be able to structure this essay in a way that would effectively represent my interpretation of this song. That was my main struggle with this essay, I couldn’t understand how to structure it nor figure out the best method for writing it. Even when I came up with a organization that I thought was foolproof, it proved to be part of my downfall when they essay was graded. I the realized that I had a problem with the paragraph level because I had started to make too many points in each paragraph, which caused confusion of the main point of each paragraph for the reader. From here, I knew I had to be more conscious of the structure and type of essay that would portray my ideas in the most compelling way.

After the previous essay, I was shown another challenging essay structure that I was very nervous for and that was the second out-of-class essay about Native dreams through poetry and history. This essay proved very different than the past two we had previously done for it was a compare and contrast essay. I remember doing these in the past, but it had been over a year since I had been in an English class and this proved very difficult for me to structure. Thus, I looked up some formats online and there were several different ways to structure it. The other hard part proved to be on the reading level for I am not very knowledgeable in deciphering poetry. Therefore, during this thinking process, I had to use my skills as a reader combined with my skills as a writer to fully understand what each poet meant. Because of this I was able to figure out a general meaning and expand on this. Once this was accomplished, I then had to figure out the best format to help my compare and contrast essay to really take flight. Thinking about my thesis and the points I wanted to make, the structure of the block-by-block method seemed to fit my needs. When I was finished writing this essay using that organization, I believed an important aspect to this essay was that the structure was important to understanding all the features of each paragraph. I thoroughly enjoyed that essay’s arrangement and think that if I had taken a different perspective or a different structure, it would not have been as effective.

The most challenging essay for me, overall, was the in-class essay about the immigration question through fallacies. I have worked with fallacies before in English Language in high school, but there was not much emphasis on them so I was at a loss on how to even begin writing this essay. Thus, when I started writing this essay, I decided to use the format that i believed would provide the most clear arrangement of my ideas. Since this essay was timed, I could not just try different ways to structure this essay. I had to think fast and type quickly to see if the arrangement I chose would help or hinder my essay. At the end of it, I think I made the right decision and, after some proofreading, I turned it in without a second thought. When I received my grade, I was ecstatic to see my result for something I was so unsure about. This made me realize that as a writer, I had improved in my analysis of how structure plays an important role in development of a point and understanding of a topic.  

For me, not taking an English class for a good amount of time and then throwing myself into a higher version of one caused me to be very anxious on how it would affect me. However, through this class, I have gained valuable knowledge on not only the importance of reading, writing, and analyzing, but also some insight on the significance on how the organization and the form of essay play into the overall meaning of the written piece. Having this knowledge will help in the future for it provides me with how to logically organize my written works in a way that supports my viewpoints efficiently. Also, knowing the history of California and unveiling the deceit of the dream it sets out for unaware immigrants helps shape my viewpoint of California a bit differently. It allows me to use this information that I have learned about in a way that makes me want to understand the mistakes from the distorted past in order to build the brilliant hope that the future brings.

Sincerely,

Allison (Myself)

Reflection: Multiculturalism

The topic was a very interesting thing to not only read and write about, but it was thought provoking to think about as well. Multiculturalism is something that does not seem prevalent in today's age. However, it may be because many people have the wrong impression of what true multiculturalism is. Through the three works I viewed, each one had a different interpretation of the significance of multiculturalism in a society, but they all shared a similar theme -- that multiculturalism may be hard to achieve because society is so fixated on the characteristics that define people. Without understanding and avoiding the ignorance that causes stereotypical racism, society may never be able to realize the dream of multiculturalism that so many desire.

As a reader/analyzer, reading and watching the three works -- Crash, American Son, and Bordertown -- has given me a new perspective on this topic. I have learned that digging into the deeper meaning behind pieces is essential in discovering the true message. If true understanding is not reached, some messages may be misinterpreted or not understood. Sometimes, however, some works' meanings may be intentionally hard to determine, so it is important as a reader to pay close attention to detail. As a writer, I must work on making sure everything flows nicely in my writings. If it doesn't flow well, then my interpretation that I set forth for my readers may be muddied and hard to convey.

Multiculturalism: Contributing to a Better Society?

Many desire to live in a society that does not focus on the characteristics that section people off into certain categories of prejudicial stereotyping. This concept is, in essence, is labeled “multiculturalism.” However, in contemporary society, this dream of multiculturalism is not conveyed in many’s attitudes, actions, and behaviors. Instead, the existence of discrimination, racism, and cultural classification have intensified as the steps toward a multicultural society turn into the beginnings of a race and cultural war between the masses. In the movie Crash by Paul Haggis, the novel American Son by Brian Ascalon Roley, and the play Bordertown by Culture Clash, each piece describes the hardships of immigrants coming into America to follow the fallacious dream that it is presented as, but then encountering the actualities of racist and stereotypical behaviors that await them in this fabricated portrayal of America as a Garden of Eden.

Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, depicts the reality of a multicultural society and how the prevalence of racism in accordance with this society causes more problems than solutions. To help emphasize this point, the movie portrays life in a contemporary version of Los Angeles in which plays on the image that Los Angeles paints for itself as the center of California culture. Through the connotation of the title, Crash, the movie starts with a car crash in which symbolizes the "crashing" of cultures in a multicultural society. Just like individual cars on a road, the movie shows that most people try to associate only with others of their own cultures, therefore isolating themselves from other cultures, just like how people with higher-end cars typically look down on those with cheaper cars and vise versa. However, in actuality, it is hard to do this for there are many interactions between people of all races everyday, like interactions with all types of cars on the road, and this is unavoidable whether they like it or not. Like an actual "crash," when people of opposing ideologies interact or “crash” into each other, they will try to put the other person at fault and will use anything against the other that would make themselves seem superior. This lack of acceptance and cooperation with others leaves a bigger gap to mend until no common ground can be found. This is explained by Detective Graham when he states, "It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something (Haggis).” Haggis interprets this as how the idea of racial supremacy has encouraged manifestations of stereotypes in which sections off society from each other. As society becomes more sectioned off, then the need to “crash” into each other will become more desired.

The movie Crash illustrates that the prejudice displayed by people is from relative ignorance and that this

ignorance is the cause of the cultural competence people of a supposed multicultural society seem to face. In the California dream, some believe that this place is a multicultural Eden, that all cultures, races, religions, etc. can live in peace together. However, this is not entirely true. Crash shows the presence of a race war in the infamous heart of California. In Crash, the characters in the movie may seem so expressive in their blatant dislike of other cultures. These expressions of racism typically happen not because it is a natural instinct but, instead, shows that it is from a misunderstanding and a lack of knowledge of other cultures. Thus, people then lead to stereotyping because that's all they can detect about others besides their skin color. For example, "They think we're Arab. When did Persian become Arab?" This ignorance leads into the inevitable realization that culture does not define a person's character. However, the movie illustrates the topic of racism a bit different than most people’s idea of it due to this view of a racist society in which many of the characters experience a situation that makes them feel as if there is some type of hope to be found in a society that pushes for everyone to be against each other. Not only does this save the audience's view from that of a multicultural society being fallacious, but leaves the audience with a sense of duty to make a change in the world towards something better than Haggis himself can portray.

Crash displays the lives of its characters in differences of perception. The movie does not just draw a line between people and define them only as victims and offenders. Instead, it erases that line and shows that the victims themselves are also offenders. It helps display the actuality that those who seem like the world is against them may also be just as prejudiced as some of the people who offend them. In reality, there is no clear way to decide who is good or bad, racist or unprejudiced. For example, when officer Tom Hansen exhibits a caring attitude for how officer Ryan was racially stereotyping an African American couple, he later showed prejudice by killing a African American kid because of the stereotype that they aways carry guns. Consequently, Crash illustrates that there is a little bias in each person and they act on these biases in their everyday lives. Each person craves to feel a type of dominance over others; thus, they exhibit racist behavior. 

In the novel American Son, Roley speaks of the injustices that immigrants face when coming to America to realize their dreams. However, America is not as good as it is portrayed to be. It is a place of prejudice, discrimination, and racism. It seeks not to accept those of different cultures and mindsets; instead, it wishes for these people to succumb to their own culture and assimilate to something that these people cannot identify with, which is what author Gregory Jay defines as the melting pot theory in his article “What is Multiculturalism.” Instead of acceptance and the understanding of a multicultural society, these immigrants are confronted with forced cultural appropriation and stereotypes that show that their is no progress in a world with no empathy. 

In American Son, Riley portrays the struggle to find one’s own understanding of their cultural identity through the characters he describes and what experiences they face. The novel follows the family of the Sullivans, who are a Filipino-American family living in southern California in the 1990s. The two sons are both with different personalities from each other, Tomas is more menacing and Gabe is more quiet and closer to his mother. Tomas deals with struggling to find his own identity in a society so biased about which one a person portrays themselves as. For example, Roley writes, “He is really half white, half Filipino but dresses like a Mexican, and it troubles our mother that he does this. She cannot understand why if he wants to be something he is not as least try to look white (15).” Thomas contradicts what he truly is in order to fit in with the dominant culture around him. This denial of lineage leads to a violent life that he ultimately got involved with when he chose to instead revolt against this dominant culture. This leads readers to understand the idea of uncertainty of self in the family and an acclimatization to living in California’s supposed multicultural society. On the other hand, Gabe faces similar identity issues; however, these issues stem not only from his own image but his mother’s as well. Since no one can tell his heritage, because of his white skin, he uses this to his benefit. In the novel, there is a heavy theme of how white skin adds to one’s advantage in society and how society may call itself a multicultural one, but, in reality, it is centered around a dominant culture. With this, when being treated kindly by the tow truck driver when he breaks down, Gabe does not wish for this driver to realize what his heritage actually is. So when the driver meets his mother, he calls her his “maid” because he is ashamed of her image of ''short and dark and wears funny-looking giant purple glasses (Roley 30).’’ Gabe’s embarrassment allowed him to succumb to stereotypes in which did nothing to help him find his own identity but hurt his mother instead. In American Son, this search for an understanding of identity leaves the family troubled as they struggle to find a place for themselves in the California culture that they live in. 

As an immigrant, it is hard to become accepted in a country that doesn’t fully want immigrants who don’t assimilate which leaves immigrants conflicted about what they want. For example, in the novel, the tow truck driver described the towns of white people and why they don’t have a multiculturalist society through the statement ''these locals are crazy. . . . They take troubles into their own hands. When undesirables come up, they tell them to get lost, and if they don't, that's their own peril (Roley 88).’’ Do to this extreme case of prejudice behaviors against immigrants, many immigrants don’t wish for the world to know what they really are. Instead, they try to hide their heritage so that they can feel accepted. However, this desire to assimilate to the dominant culture sometimes leaves a conflict of interest in people, such as Gabe. Yet, for Gabe, this conflict of interest between love of his mother and embarrassment of what she looks like causes Gabe to pick between caring what others think or fixing his relationship with his mother. Overall, American Son illustrates how assimilation can become a barrier in families. In essence, this prejudice between cultures affects immigrants in a way that either leaves them disenchanted, conflicted, or in need of acceptance. 

One form of media, the play Bordertown, uses a comedic and dramatic outlook to portray the idea of multiculturalism in modern society. In this play, the use of satire and humor help portray the individual experiences of multiple people in the San Diego and Tijuana areas which gives a more well-rounded view of modern day multiculturalism. Culture Clash illustrates a true multicultural society through the metaphor explained by the La Jolla Woman saying, “I get to see different cultures that way. And boy, do we have tons of culture here, but it’s a strange mix. A hodgepodge. I call it a ‘Callaloo.’ Do you know what that is? That’s a West Indian stew that has spices and herbs, but you can still taste all the individual flavors (Culture Clash 19).” This woman’s idea of multiculturalism is showing the inclusion of different cultures coming together to make a whole, yet still having those cultures still be individual and not assimilated. This view she presents shows to be the true altruistic view of multiculturalism that so many do not respect. 

The understanding what a true multicultural society is leads the reader to come to their own conclusions to if there are any true multicultural societies in modern day and if they are all that they are perceived to be. However, through many of the play’s scenes that discuss the idea of stereotypical racism, Bordertown explains that multicultural societies are not always as perfect as they are painted to be. For example, the Ex-Marine in the play says, “My god, America is so obsessed with what color you are and what your background is, just forget about color, just put it out of your head for one minute (Culture Clash 46).” Living in a society that prides itself with a multicultural attitude does not make it as foolproof as one would like to believe for then the Ex-Mairne states that “Hell, I’m trying to forget about color right now that’s how come I’m drinking so much today (Culture Clash 46).” This shows that even if the steps toward a multicultural society were reached, stereotypical racism is so engraved into the behaviors and attitudes of people that it would be so hard to stop. Thus, the desire of multiculturalism is similar for the desire of the California or American dreams. With the similarities between these dreams and the lust for a fair society for all people that seems to never be reached, multiculturalism may even be considered a dream itself. Like these dreams, the craving for something that seems too good to be true may leave one bitter and disenchanted when those dreams aren’t realized due to a lack of maturity in this society that doesn’t wish to respect all cultures but have them homogenize to the ideals of the dominant culture.  

Multiculturalism is a dream that many desire but that may not be realized due to the complications it brings. In the movie Crash by Paul Haggis, the novel American Son by Brian Ascalon Roley, and the play Bordertown by Culture Clash, each piece of media describes the difficulties of immigrants that migrate to America to experience the thrill of the freedoms and liberties of a multicultural society that are encompassed in the dream there, yet each one is disillusioned by the stereotypical racism that greets them instead. Due to the way each author and director exposes the experience of living in a multicultural society through their characters and their stories, the stories all depict different view points of this issue and yet all of them portray the harsh reality that the unfairness of racism is prevalent in society. Without society fully adapting to a multicultural way of life, each person will continue to fight their own moral battle of their own need of dominance and reluctance of subordination.

Reflection: The Immigration Question

Immigration is a tough topic to discuss for many people because of the opposing views that come with it. In the two essays "California Needs a 'Time-Out' from Immigration" and "Revamp Immigration," they each explain their points of views about this controversial topic. One points out the flaws in immigration and tried to mend it through inclusive means whereas the other points of these flaws also but see how a continuation of them will cause further damage to the United States. Immigration, in general, is hard to reach a conclusion for because this conclusion will hurt some group of people. Thus, many other articles about this topic have risen to the surface, as well. Many, nonetheless, use a form of fallacies to make their argument seem like the better option. However, if it is addressed by those who can make a difference with it, then the path to the real solution may surface, not because others were tricked to accept that conclusion but is a universal agreement between the nation. 

I believed this topic was very interesting due to the opposing views of each essay and how they seek to fix the problem. As a reader, it is important to know when a writer or speaker is using fallacies to lead a reader to be persuaded to accept their conclusion without actual evidence. When finding these fallacies, one can determine if the argument the writer claim is any weaker without these deceiving additions, in which it usually is. Although as a writer, I must make sure to not use these fallacies in my own writing for they may seem like they help, but without evidence to back them, it is no use to the argument I am trying to make.

Solution or Addition to the Problem?

Immigration, especially illegal immigration, has been a debatable topic for not only campaigns in elections but amongst families and friends. This has been a tough subject for the United States to handle due to such extreme views about immigration. Due to Mexico bordering the United States, many of the immigrants that come into the nation originate from Mexico. As a result of this, there are many people who believe that an association between the United States and Mexico concerning immigration would benefit both nations. This has brought much controversy between the masses on whether this will, indeed, benefit the nations or will result in a parasitic relationship in which harms the nations. Thus, many articles and other forms of media have surfaced in which expresses an opinion on this topic. Sometimes readers of these articles are fooled into believing a conclusion as a result of fallacies. However, instead of believing these fallacies support an argument, on closer examination, these fallacies may instead show weakness in an argument. In the article “Revamp Immigration” by the editors of the Contra Costa Times, they argue for the implementation of a “guest-worker” program between the United States and Mexico in which immigrants will legally enter the United States to work without becoming a permanent resident. Nonetheless, the flaws and fallacies presented in this article cause the argument of “guest-workers” to be weak and unpersuasive in which does not give support the conclusion that this is the best course of action for the United States to take.

The use of the fallacy, appeal to pity, in this article tries to stir up empathy from the readers to consider the editors’ conclusion that there should be a “guest-worker” program; however, this appeal to pity in the information that the editors’ offer is not that relevant to their argument. In the article, the editors employ this tactic with lines such as, “19 illegal immigrants who suffocated while being transported in locked big rigs, puts an exclamation mark on the urgency for change in the United States’ immigration policy.” The writer uses this fallacy as an attempt for the reader to feel sorry for the immigrants who lost their lives trying to cross the border illegally and thus, accept their conclusion in which would end all the death and suffering experienced by these immigrants coming into America. The problem with this fallacy is that it tries to place blame on America for their tough immigration policy, however, it is not America’s fault that this occurrence took place. There are many risks that one must take into account when trying to illegally cross the border into the United States, yet many take those risks anyway for the thought of a better life. For the statement made by the editors, it is important to know that the immigrants made the conscious decision to try to sneak into the United States illegally for they knew what to expect and took the risk anyway. Even if there was an implementation of the “guest-worker” program, there may still be many people who will try to cross the border illegally. Also, this program typically will only support those who are willing or capable to work in the United States; thus, those who are unable - such as pregnant women, the elderly, or children - will not be able to partake in this program. Since there is no mention of families in this article, most families may feel that their only admission to the United States may then to be crossing the border illegally. Thus, because the article does not mention the important aspect of families, it does not account for families might who feel forced to assume the risk of crossing the border with their working relatives.

The use of the post hoc fallacy in this article causes the argument to be weakened by the assumption of a course of events that has no explanation of how it is true. The editors employ this fallacy in the lines, “If the big-rig victims had reached their destination safely, they would have found jobs in the United States in a variety of industries that depend on undocumented workers.” This fallacy has a cause and a effect that it is not proven that they have a relation to one another. The cause - if the immigrants had reached their destination safely - and the effect - that they would all be working hard - do not prove causation. The argument the editors give do not prove that one will cause the other nor do they give any evidence that the immigrants would have found employment upon their arrival. Instead, the editors do not know if these immigrants would be hard-working people in America and they have no evidence to prove it. Thus, they cannot assume this cause and effect relationship is valid in which weakens their argument and causes lowered support for their proposed solution.

When the editors utilize the fallacy of hasty generalization, it further weakens their argument due to their assumption that certain industries depend only on illegal immigrant labor. For example, the editors state that, “We see them every day and we benefit from their labor. They harvest our food, clean our offices at night, fix our hotel beds, and work in the kitchens of some of our fanciest restaurants.” This fallacy makes an assumption of where all undocumented immigrants work. However, this is just a stereotype that works to sway people into believing that is all they work for in jobs. The editors do not give any evidence to support this claim. In many instances, certain industries may use the labor of illegal immigrants because the employers can pay them less. However, it does not necessarily mean that these industries depend only on illegal immigrant labor and that illegal immigrants are the only ones working these jobs. Many illegal immigrants do not only do the jobs most Americans do not want to do but instead find jobs and education that can further their experience in the United States. Thus, this argument is is weakened by its hasty generalization of the stereotypical viewpoint of illegal immigrants.

Not all illegal immigrants are able to obtain employment upon their arrival in the United States. The use of the false dichotomy fallacy, the editors state that “with the increase emphasis on security, it is better to know who is crossing the border, on what day, and where they're working than to continue to force them to come in the dark of night in suffocating truck trailers.” For this fallacy, the editors have set up the situation so that people can only agree with setting up a “guest-worker” system or continue to watch as so many immigrants die trying to cross the border. However, these are not the only two options available to fix the situation for there are many other programs that have been thought about or are already implemented, such as visas. Nonetheless, the editors only list two options, one which is absurd and the other fitting into their solution, and withhold the other choices so the reader is pushed to agree with the editors’ solution. If the reader was informed of the other choices that were available, they would be able to logically assess which side they would be on, yet the omission of such information leads the reader on to consider the editors’ conclusion.

With the increase of security measures on immigration, it has become difficult for many people to follow the falsified dreams that the United States has created in coming to this country. However, the solution to

this problem may not be to implement the “guest-worker” program that the editors of the Contra Costa Times suggested due to their use of fallacious statements that prove to weaken their argument for this concept. Additionally, the editors relied on the empathy of their readers, assumptions, and a lack of evidence to create an unsupported contention. Overall, immigration may need a few adjustments to support a healthy relationship with immigrants and other countries who supply them. However, although places like Mexico are having problems with their economy and the welfare of their people, the United States should find a solution to their own issues before they come to the aid of others’.

Reflection: Native Dreams -- Poetry and History

During this essay process, I actually learned a lot about the Native Americans that I have never known before. I had no clue that the Natives had such a past in California and I think that it is a sad thing to keep such a history from the population just to accommodate a dream. As I read poems of descendants of such people who experienced such calamity, I realized that even today these people are not treated fairly about the ancestors. For that reason, recognition of these occurrences and trying to clear up the biased way history is will be the best choice in obtaining a bright future of no reoccurring mistakes.

As a reader, I should start thinking about what is not told in the text and start reading between the lines. There is so much that I may have missed when not looking into the text and just blatantly reading. Also, I have learned that as a writer, especially in essays, I tend to put too many points in one paragraph which may cause confusion for the reader. Thus, to make sure the reader is not confused, I should make my points clear and concise. Overall, I believe I am getting better as a writer, but I do have a long way to go.

California Dream for Some, California Nightmare for Others

Learning about the past allows an understanding of the present and how it can help shape the future.

Thus, the knowledge of history is valuable in avoiding repeating past mistakes. However, history is biased by those who write it, and sometimes the truth can become unclear as time goes by. Therefore, history can be open to many different types of interpretations and modification, leaving it inadequate and incomplete. California has its own history of tragedy and triumph, sometimes with the tragedies outweighing the triumphs. However, many do not know of California’s dark heritage. This may be because many wish to conceal this history to make it seem as if there has always been a California dream and never a California nightmare. Nevertheless, there was a California nightmare and this nightmare began with the enslavement and carnage of the Indigenous people who once populated the land. In the poems Indian Cartography by Deborah Miranda and Itch Like Crazy: Resistance by Wendy Rose, both authors describe similar accounts of the victimization of the Native Americans in which develops a connection that both literature and history have to help unveil the equivocal past.

Indian Cartography by Deborah Miranda is a poem that illustrates her father’s reminiscing of his past. Based on the metaphor she set at the beginning of the poem, “My father opens a map of California— /
traces mountain ranges, rivers, county borders / like family bloodlines,” Miranda structures the recounting of her father’s past in a way that seems to draw a map using memories instead of physical places. From the happiness he felt before colonization to the tragic times of the Native Americans’ oppression, the poem depicts her father’s stories of his people, his land, and of the places where significant events took place. The significant places were, as she describes, “Places he was happy, / or where tragedy / greeted him / like an old unpleasant relative.” This poem speaks of the arrival of foreign entities in California, and how this changed the Native Americans’ way of life as they knew it. This arrival not only sparked the beginning of a destructive cycle that exploited the environment that the Native Americans depended on, but also provoked the eradication of these people. Like as said in the poem, her father’s memories of the past made him feel as if he was greeting “an old unpleasant relative.” Like greeting these relatives, remembering the past of destruction for his people is sometimes a burden and something that leaves a sour taste in his mouth, but remembering is what keeps his heritage alive so he continues to do it. As the author’s father remembers these occurrences, he believes that the happy days appear as a dream to him. For Miranda writes, “In my father's dreams / after the solace of a six-pack, / he follows a longing, a deepness.” Miranda shows us that her father finds comfort in drinking for it helps him get away from the painful memories of the past. From this, Miranda portrays her father as a salmon in a blocked river. She portrays this through the lines, ”swollen bellies of salmon coming back / to a river that wasn't there." This is symbolic, for he may feel like that salmon. Her father was wanting to go back to a home that he loved before the settlers intruded on the Native American lands, but like the fish experiencing the dam, he finds he is unable to go back for he cannot turn back time to those pleasant days. Therefore he just swims in the “dark waters” for, like the salmon, he cannot fulfill that life. In essence, time may be his dam, one that will never be taken down. 

Itch Like Crazy: Resistance by Wendy Rose describes the ache experienced by a descendant of a native Californian for their ancestors’ oppression. Rose describes her anger through the recollection of the past, stating that this oppression should be blamed on Christopher Columbus. In her poem, she gives an introduction into her thoughts with the lines, “This is one of those days / when I see Columbus / in the eyes of nearly everyone.” In this, Rose speaks of the injustices the Native Americans faced as a result of Columbus sailing to the New World. Columbus is used as a symbol of fear and debacle. Thus, Rose gives the understanding that she can see defeat in the eyes of those around her. Rose reveals that she sees Christopher Columbus in every aspect of contemporary society. This is because the shaping of today's society is on account of Christopher Columbus coming to the New World, in which caused the anguish of her people and the start of a bloody part of California history. For this, she detests Columbus. Along with this, she wants the reader to know the extent that many suffered because of this infiltration of nationals

into Native American lands. For example, "every red thing in the world / is the reflection of blood, / our death and our rising." In Rose's frustration, she believes that this contemporary world is the way it is due to this devastating encounter with newcomers and that every sight of the color red should remind people of the death that consumed her people. To portray her meaning, Rose utilizes such brilliant imagery through selective word choice that brings her meaning to life. For example, "Now I dance the mission revolts again, / let the ambush blossom in my heart, / claim my victory with their own language." Rose wants to use this culture that conquered her people against themselves, as if becoming your enemy will allow an edge that will aid in their own destruction. Rose’s outlook of anger and vengeance for the past has led to the title’s connotation of “resistance.” Like her ancestors who completed many acts of revolts, she wants to “resist” succumbing to a culture that she cannot identify with. For this, she “itches like crazy” to find her real identity as the ancestor of a native Californian.

Both poems may tell similar stories of the past, however, the poems exhibit contrasting features that emphasize their separate points. One such feature is the tone that both authors express in each poem and how it affects the reader. At the beginning of each poem, they both start with a sad, melancholy tone, but soon diverge into tones that employ different understandings. In Indian Cartography, Miranda’s imagery contributes to a continued mournful and defeated tone. For example, Miranda writes, “Maybe he sees shadows / of a people who are fluid, / fluent in dark water; bodies / long and glinting with sharp-edged jewelry, / mouths still opening, closing / on the stories of our home.” Miranda makes it seem as if the past has given up on the future, letting customs die out in hope of a future that is not as harsh as the past. And yet, through the lines “mouths still opening, closing / on the stories of our home,” she believes that this heritage will not be forgotten because of the few mouths who can continue to tell the history as a means to let it live on. Miranda writes to give honor to those who were downtrodden, to grieve the loss of a culture and of their integrity. For this past, her father knows he cannot change it so he feels defeated and thus mourns the loss of what once was. On the other hand, in Itch Like Crazy: Resistance, Rose’s vivid metaphors assist in creating a new tone of angered vengeance. For example, “Now I dance the mission revolts again, / let the ambush blossom in my heart, / claim my victory with their own language.” Rose gives off a very different vibe than Miranda. Instead of continuing to mourn the past, Rose speaks of these atrocities that happened to the Native Americans as a call to action. She wants the reader to understand her frustration and need of redemption. With her poem, she strives to make a difference in the present, to make a connection to the past and figure out how it plays a role in the future. Although each author evokes different emotions, the somber, defeated tone of Miranda is just as powerful as Rose’s angry and vindictive tone. The authors lament not only for the loss of identity that they feel because of the demise of their people, customs, and their culture in the past, but also for the pure reluctance of many to recognize that the extinction of a civilization has occurred due to the dreams of another. For Miranda, the recognition comes from acceptance of defeat but also from the continuation of remembrance. However, for Rose, the recognition comes from the resistance of those who threaten the heritage that she considers her identity.

Both poems may exhibit different understandings and meanings, but their similarities stem from one source — their overall message. In Itch Like Crazy: Resistance and Indian Cartography, both poems illustrate the devastating tragedies that befell the Native Americans. Although in different ways, the description of the calamity of the Native Americans gives a new perspective of the history of the colonization of California through the words of people related to actual participants in such actions, not just the glossed over versions that many read from history books. As Corine Fairbanks quotes from Alvin M. Josephy in his book 500 Nations, “the history of the California tribes ‘was as close to genocide as any tribal people had faced, or would face, on the North American continent.’” These ancestors of both authors experienced calamity and suffered along with their families, friends, and community for the greed of people that the Native Americans did not even understand. For this, not only were a group of people exploited but the land they considered so sacred suffered along with them. Accordingly, both authors also share the commonality of describing the environment as a “family member.” For example, Rose writes,  “my mother, the stones, channels of water, / blood of / her veins, every place / a place where history walked” and with Miranda writing, “traces mountain ranges, rivers, county borders  / like family bloodlines.” The Native Americans regarded the land as divine. They obtained food from it, created homes on it, and worshipped it for supplying all of the essentials in life for them. For this, the bleeding of the land was considered something as destructive as killing the people on it, as expressed in the poems. Similarly, Miranda and Rose both entertain this idea of the California dream. It is not exactly the California dream that caused such devastation to these people, but something so similar in the eyes of the colonials that it can be considered the same. However, for the Native Americans, their dream may have been nothing more than to live peacefully in the lands that was theirs. Be that as it may, since the Native Americans’ ideology was different than the newcomers’, they were persecuted for their dreams. Because of this, Miranda and Rose both believe that rather than dream, the natives had an aversion to the fantasy that brought such ruin to their way of life. For both authors, the California dream brought no riches or happiness, but brought a California massacre instead. Thus, Miranda’s and Rose’s overall message is to not follow the dream of destruction, but to build a better future for those who thought that peace would never come again.

For a people who’s history is predominantly repressed, their history and demise is probably one of the most important aspects to understanding California’s true past, not what the California dream wishes to obscure from the public knowledge. Literature and history tend to coincide in a way that helps reveal a deeper understanding of a past that is so obscure. In Deborah Miranda’s Indian Cartography and Wendy Rose’s Itch Like Crazy: Resistance, both authors tell the similar story of the Native American victimization and oppression that began during the Spanish colonization because of this dream through the similarity and dissimilarity of their messages. Nevertheless, the absolute sense of greed can lead to the destruction of anything in one’s way, which was, tragically, the Native Americans during the colonization of California. Overall, no matter what people strive for in this land of fantasy, the California dream for some can become the California nightmare for others.

Reflection: Images of CA Dream in Music

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been such a popular band for so many years. "Californication" is one of their most well-known songs that most can recognize in a heartbeat. Yet, many not might even realize what the lyrics actually mean. On a first glimpse, many may have not gotten the theme of the detonation of society. With music, this is a beautiful thing. There are so many songs that can be interpreted in so many ways. Different songs have completely different meanings or meanings that are the same based on the listeners interpretation of them. When regarding California and its dream, the amount of songs dedicated to this is hard to keep count of. To really get an understanding of the actual meaning, it is important to look deeper into the lyrics. Whether a song is in support of the dream or rejects the idea of it depends on the lyrics, the views of the composer, and the views of the listener too. 

Music is a huge component in my life. So, when having to analysis lyrics, I thought it would be a piece of cake. Little did I know that I would be eating my own words. When listening to a song, I can understand the lyrics and the simple meaning of the overall message, but to get the deeper context of it is a struggle. Trying to find and analyze all the literary devices can be tough and it is a element I am not too fond of, but it does help deepen the understanding of the lyrics and what they serve to do to for the listener. As an essay writer, it sometimes can be hard to put what I want to say in words. Thus, this is something that I need to work on. Overall, learning about how artists perceive the California dream was very informative and fun.

The Fabricated California Dream Causes "Californication"

Music has been an outlet for many to express their feelings or their beliefs in a way that can either be open

or inconspicuous to those who hear the songs they create. Considered one of their most popular songs, “Californication” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a perfect example of this musical suggestion. Seemingly harmless when initially heard, this song is believed to be celebrating the California image that is prevalent in so many songs devoted to it. However, on a closer inspection, this song tries to disenchant the captivating perception of California. “Californication” tells the story of how California is the origin of the deterioration of society on account of it hiding behind a fabricated mask and seeking others to follow suit, to believe in a fantasy in which they paint.

California — what society describes as a place of dreams. Nevertheless, not all believe that California is a paradise surrounded by palm trees and cameras. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are people who believe the latter of California. The Peppers describe California as “… the edge of the world and all of western civilization / The sun may rise in the East, / at least it’s settled in its final location.” They believe that this is the way, a way in which was employed by De Montalvo as “Paradise (31)…,” that people believe California to be — that California is a place where opportunities arise and greatness follows. This belief may stem from another in which California being on the edge of the world has caused its ideology to be different from the rest of the world. This is why others strive to copy California’s concepts because it is different — different is desirable. In accordance with this idea, the Chili Peppers say that “The sun may rise in the East, at least it's settled in a final location.” The sun rises in the East and it can settle in “a” location. When regarding the meaning of this phrase, one may believe that it speaks of how the sun could choose anywhere to set, but it designates California. However, when taken in a different light, the Chili Peppers may be using these phrases as a metaphor to portray California as uncivilized. Linking the term “civilization” to where the sun rises and sets, it can be assumed that where the sun set is the decline of civilization — which is California. Nonetheless, to measure civility of a place, one must look at the people that inhabit it.

Many people may fantasize that most Californians are all celebrities or embrace the surf culture. However, the Red Hot Chili Peppers disagree with this popular impression. The Peppers utilize the allusion of “Pay your surgeon very well to break the spell of aging/ Celebrity skin, is this your chin, or is that war you're waging” to describe the population that inhabits California. Fake, stereotypical, this is what the Red Hot Chili Peppers regard Californians. They conclude that so many people in California devote their time, money, and confidence to fighting this war on aging. This war is not only based upon not wanting to look older, it is war upon the escape of death. This symbolism exhibits the dissatisfaction that creates a longing for more than possible — which is the nature of dreams. These improbable dreams— the desire to avoid the predestined end of life, the strong yearning for more than we deserve— breed “Californication.” These ideas and ambitions arise from the need to better ourselves. The Peppers state, “A teenage bride with the baby inside / Getting high on information / And buy me a star on the boulevard, it's Californication.” It is known that most people come to California because they aspire to create a better life for themselves, such as a pregnant teen going to school and “getting high on information” because she wants to get her life together. While there may be honest intentions in this, the Peppers suggest that Californians will do anything to better themselves. Californian culture is known to be one of the most tolerant of what others who believe to be seemingly distasteful things — teen pregnancy, plastic surgery, celebrities who serve as poor role models. However, as years come and go, other places are inheriting this Californian perception. When others choose not to approve of something, some may refer to California because people in California are doing it. This is how this “Californication” spreads. This desire to have the same freedom and options as California has led many to homogenize Californian values. But, the Peppers question whether this assimilation of Californian values makes things better or worse. For the California dream influences many and if the dream includes things that are inadmissible, then the disintegration of society is inevitable.

“California has become a center of desire and thus a place whose lifestyle is envied and emulated around the country (Maasik and Solomon 315).” This notion of California is known by many and the suspect of the cause is the illustrious California dream. The Red Hot Chili Peppers feel that the connection between this illusion and the continuation of the dream is the infamous Hollywood. Hollywood is known for making fictitious things seem as though they are reality. Thus, many blame Hollywood for the preservation of the California dream. The Chili Peppers agree with this aspect and do so in a paradox, 

“Space may be the final frontier, But it's made in a Hollywood basement.” Hollywood paints this image of a California dream which allows people to devour this misleading appearance of California to support their own wistful thinking. While believing this, the Peppers emphasize that “It's understood that Hollywood sells Californication.” Hollywood sells these spurious dreams for others to accept. For what reason could either be for self-promotion or to prey on the desires and wants of others. Nevertheless, the Peppers understand that due to this feigned illusion of California told by Hollywood, the California dream is still prevalent and more people end up disappointed and disillusioned by what awaits them in this fabricated Garden of Eden.

California’s culture is both accepted and rejected for justifications that stem from the landscape to the people. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are some who seem to reject it because they believe that the culture of California will be its own demise. What it seems that the Peppers fear is the assimilation of the California culture to the world. For in their song they say that, “And Alderon’s not far away, It’s Californication.” Alderon can be used as symbolism in this phrase. Alderon, although not spelled the same, can be viewed as Princess Leia’s home planet that is destroyed in Star Wars. The Peppers believe the same fate may befall the world if this “Californication” continues. This claim is aided with the paradox “Destruction leads to a very rough road / But it also breeds creation… / And tidal waves couldn't save the world from Californication.” When something bad happens, one can look for some good out of it. However, the Peppers seem to believe that the world can’t be saved from this spreading of California culture. Once one is in, it is hard to get out — it leaves one captive. This sense of captivity will increase as Californian culture spreads — the more in captivity, the more following this culture. Thus, the more following this culture, the more likely that society won’t be able to be saved from the fornication of California.

California is a place that is what many consider to be the epitome of grandeur due to a dream that lies to them. In “Californication,” The Red Hot Chili Peppers wish to unveil California’s image to prevent it from deteriorating society further than it has. However, try as they may, they seem to believe that society will eventually succumb to “Californication” because this California dream is a dream that people don’t want to wake up from.

Reflection: Defining the CA Dream

The California dream is a very interesting topic. Many define it in vastly different ways. I knew that this belief has existed since long before, but I was unsure if it was still as relevant today. Turns out, this idea is. The California Dream may still be a illusion that some have today, but what I have learned from this unit is that the dream is just that — a dream. How the dream affects one to migrate to California is based on what people were looking for in this new place. Nevertheless, the perspective of each person could either make California a place of opportunity or could really disappoint those who set the bar too high. California might wear a mask to gain what it thinks it deserves, but it up to the person on whether or not they look past this mask to understand what is the complexity underneath.

In writing about this topic, I learned it is easy for me to sound redundant when talking about a topic. When I have an image in my mind of how I want to talk about something, the whole thing sounds like a continuous cycle of the same thing. Especially writing about the California Dream, it was hard for me to put forth exactly what I was thinking because most of it sounded the same. As a writer, I think this is an important aspect for me to work on. 

Defining the CA Dream

Since childhood, most people have heard of the illustrious “California Dream.” Those living in California may find it hard to understand this “dream” because the natural state they have become accustomed to. However, for those who are not from California, this place can be anything from devastatingly difficult to comfortably live to the essence of what they envisioned. In Nathaniel West’s novel, he sought to show that California may not be the fabled “promise land” that most want to believe. Thus, using West’s notion of a California that is not as dream-like as it seems, many find that this land of hope is more complex than originally thought to be.

Many associate California to be a place where success comes easy with little effort. An example from the excerpt states that Tod’s friends told him not to go to California because they “…were certain that he was selling out and would never paint again (pg. 333).” One of the main facets of California is this fabled effortless success. True, there are many opportunities in California, but they do not come as easily as many would like to think. In an excerpt from Denise S. Spooner, she reiterates this idea by the research she has done with many Midwest immigrants to California. She states, “… the dream was more complex than most of us realize (Spooner, “A New Perspective on the Dream,” pg. 32).” Upon arriving in Hollywood, Tod’s expectations where exceedingly different from what he conceptualized. Because of this difference, his motivation for a new painting of an apocalyptic California in “Burning of Los Angeles” was spurred on by the disappointment of those who put everything on the line for a dream that would not come true.

When coming to California, people look for this wondrous place of opportunity and adventure. However, their expectations of California are dashed upon when they learn that it is not what they believed it to be. In the excerpt, Tod sees this in the contrast between the two types of people — the ones masquerading around because they are already successful and those disillusioned immigrants who have now realized the true difficulties. West describes the immigrants in this excerpt as, “… they had come to California to die (pg. 333).” That is the thing about California, many have such high expectations and images of how it will be, but the hope gets crushed when they arrive there. Instead of coming to California to live how they thought they would, the hope of the immigrants that come will die due it not being how they envisioned it. Instead of that elevated life they believed they were following, they become embittered at the falsity of California. 

California has been the dream-like escape that many people have imagined it to be since its creation. Calfornia is purported easy success, opportunities, and everything else one could imagine. Yet, when most get to California, they become disenchanted by what is really there. In “Day of the Locust,” West shows Hollywood hiding behind the face of grandeur . The  uncovering of the facade that keeps the California image alive reveals that the complexity of this land is more than just the misconception of the “California Dream.” For this, those who come to California could be walking into a wondrous dream or a deceptive nightmare. 

Author's Bio

Hello, everyone!

My named is Allison Ziegler and I am currently finishing my freshman year of college. I am a Liberal Studies major switching into Business and Administration. Funny story about this, I declared Liberal Studies as a mistake and I have spent all these months trying to fix that mistake. As I almost reach the top of my major changing struggles, I look forward to working toward a bright future.

I come from the small town in California, where everybody knows everybody. It is located in the middle the Central Valley and the middle of California. This place is known for its extreme heat, its past of being an important railway, and for its quantity of cows surpassing its quantity of people. This town is not the most exciting place in the world, but it is the place I call home.

I truthfully don't have many interesting hobbies. However, one of my favorite things to do/ thing that has
consumed my life for years is dancing. I have been dancing for fifteen years at a little dance studio owned by my mother in another city in California that is about thirty minutes away from my hometown. During those fifteen years, I participated in competitive dancing for six years. Competitive dancing is no easy feat. It take much strength, skill, and determination. Let's just say that I was very fit during those six years. Despite dancing being such a passion of mine, I had to make a decision as I entered college between a good school or continuing my dancing career. Sadly, I had to let go of something I cared so deeply about, but I look forward to where my decision will take me. Another hobby of mine is reading. I love reading paranormal and fantasy novels the most because I love the idea of creating something so new and different for my own escape from reality. 

I thank you for taking the time to read this. Hopefully, I can entertain you in some way!