The IVC Borderline Literary Journal

Slab City: The Last Free Place in America - Complete Essay - by Lemec Torres - English 110

 

Lemec Torres

Professor Lewenstein

English 110

22 November 2018

 

Slab City:  The Last Free Place in America

    At times I like to think of myself as an adventurer, a thrill seeker, and a person who is willing to live life in search of a new experience. Ever since I was a young child, I can recall being a nature enthusiast. Something about the great outdoors, such as the open air, gives me a sense of peace and tranquility. Beauty Through Simplicity is my motto in life. Such popular proverb has changed my perception of the way I view myself and many things that surround my life. In other words, what I am trying to say is that we live in a complex world where we as individuals have become blindsided by many things in life. Nowadays, we live in a common world that is filled with prejudice and hatred that does not allow us to focus on what is truly important and necessary. We tend to ignore and recognizing the small gestures that we can do for one another such as an act of kindness, that can result in a positive experience in someone's life. I came to this realization the day I went to Slab City for the first time. It was then, when I stood in front of a ton of dirt and soil, that I was able to appreciate the beauty of such place for what it was.

    It was like finding a gem in the middle of the desert. If you’re able to look past your judgment and ignore the growing population of modern-day hobos trashing the land, you can actually see the beauty of such place, known as “the Slabs.” The Slabs is a place that welcomes all kinds of people such as the homeless, the broken, the unfortunate people who are simply holding on to dear life. People who don’t have many prized possessions, besides the clothes on their back. It is the essence of this place that keeps giving these individuals a second opportunity, and a chance in life.

    It is truly amazing how a man’s faith can translate in a simple message by saying “God is love,” bringing people together from all over the world. It all started when Leonard Knight found himself in tears openly admitting he was a sinner. He recalls being in a state of penitence after asking for forgiveness by repeating “Jesus I am a sinner, please come into my heart.” It was then when Knight had a manifestation and new purpose in life. For about twenty-four years of his life, Knight devoted his days and nights to painting a mound with biblical scriptures. His message and idea were simple: that “God is love” and he loves all his children. Leonard Knight’s creation is popularly known as Salvation Mountain, and it can be admired right at the entrance of Slab City. Ironically, the location of the mountain itself has created such controversy. The problem seems to be that the mountain was built on California state-owned land, meaning at any given moment such a beautiful monument can be taken down. Leonard spent the majority of his life bringing people together and sharing his message to the world that God is universal. Now Salvation Mountain faces a much difficult challenge by figuring out how to preserve such unique creation.

    Some individuals come to Slab City in order to escape modern society. Others fall as victims of today’s economy. Whatever, the reason being many residents of the Slabs, live day by day without being able to meet the basic necessities of life. The Slabs has no running water, sewage system, or official source of electricity. It is said, that the lack of government assistance, poverty, and prejudice judgment from society is what drives these individuals to “the land of the free.” Slab City, is popularly known for its rent-free campsite; therefore, the Slabs, provides an alternative way of living. Although Slab City, offers such sweet freedom, living in such rural conditions is the price many of the Slabbers have to pay.  

    At the time Joe Angio and his wife Ann were living the American Dream back in their hometown - the infamous “windy city”most commonly known as the city of Chicago. Joe and Ann were viewed as a powerful couple by others, for reaching success in their lives at such a young age. They both pursued a college education, bought a house in the suburbs, and even had the fortune of owning expensive cars. However, little did they know their fate would soon change when the U.S. economy crashed down. In the blink of an eye their whole world, the American Dream, started crumbling down. Between working two jobs they could barely afford to pay their mortgage, and a used RV was all they could afford upon facing eviction. With debts and bills piling up, they were left with no choice but to drive down the southeast into Slab City, most popularly known as the “squatters camp” deep in the California desert. Slab City was the ideal place to lay low and experience the off-grid lifestyle. The idea was simple: they would be living off the land “getting more for our buck out of the environment,” Joe exclaimed. Tragically,  recession refugees just like the Angios, society dropouts, and even ex-convicts are becoming natives to the land. Over the years, Slab City continues to grow in population in a vast amount of numbers. The Slabs doesn’t require a background check, nor does it ask for a cash deposit in advance at the beginning the month. The Slabs are known to be a rent-free campground that welcomes people all over the world. That's the beauty of the Slabs, that it allows many individuals stay in the deserted land until they are able to rise above any difficult situation. Slab City does not discriminate or ask for a person's social standing. If we all are able to see past our judgment, we may observe that all these people share one thing in common: they are simply trying to find a place to call home.

    In the article “Slab City Showdown Artwork May Be Bulldozed as an Environmental Hazard,” Tony Perry further explains how artist Leonard Knight’s visionary masterpiece, known as Salvation Mountain, may pose a threat to the environment due to the high toxic levels of lead found in the soil. Knight worked countless days and nights painting a mound with Biblical scriptures, such as The Sinner’s Prayer, and his deliberate message to the world by saying “God is love.” Leonard believed that his powerful message would resonate among others and change the world. It was his faith in God that impulsed Leonard to put an emphasis on love and compassion in order to help one another. According to Perry, Salvation Mountain and Slab City itself began to gain popularity, experiencing a diverse multitude of tourists like religious pilgrims, or curiosity seekers. In fact, the mountains rising notability captured the attention of State Lands Commissioner staffer, Don Reese. As an elected official, Reese manages 5 millions acres of state land including the notorious “squatters paradise,” most popularly known as Slab City. Reese, the commissioner staff held a meeting in Sacramento and agreed to pass a budget of $225,000 to clean up Salvation Mountain, and the rest of Slab City. He insisted on proving his point by saying, “Expressing yourself is great, but not at the expense of the environment.” That's why a test was conducted for Salvation Mountain to check for lead toxins found in the paint. On the other hand, as much as the Imperial County government would like to turn Slab City into a respectable, and profitable attraction. The county does not have a fixed budget or proper funding to preserve the land. If the Imperial County was to be held liable for the cost; the Valley would suffer from many financial repercussions. Leonard described this stage of his life as a “toxic nightmare,” the negative toll effects it had on him, and his beloved mountain. To alleviate his tension and nerves, Knight composed a country- western style song at it goes as follows:

I contaminated California with a four-inch hand paintbrush

All I ever wanted to do was be an artist.

Lord Jesus, I gave them my best.

California is going to hang me tomorrow,

And put my body to rest

    Despite all the commotion, Leonard Knight stayed true to himself and his religious principles. Perry makes a concluding statement by saying the following, “He is not mad at anyone.” He loves even those who would remove Salvation Mountain, although he is mystified at the whole process.  In the cover story “Land of the Free,” by Bhattacharya  Sanjiv the author describes Slab City as a tragic indictment of the modern economy, an accumulation of human debris washed up by society. The writer suggests that Slab City begins to resemble the post-apocalyptic era by emphasizing that most people living in the Slabs are dirt poor individuals, who are either drug addicts or ex-convicts who are running away from their past. As a result, “Slabbers” don’t work, and they unlawfully occupy the land. Even though, the writer does prove her point by suggesting many Slabbers may be going through an economical crisis; consequently, many residents of Slab City are treated unfairly and continue to be judged based upon their financial status. According to Bhattacharya, Sanjiv the author of the article, she insinuates that Slabbers are not productive members of society; as a result, they run away from reality into the Slabs.

    In fear of becoming a burden to society, Slabbers opt on living in rural conditions such as inhabiting, or occupying an abandoned piece of land. Making the environment their primary resource, many Slabbers utilize broken RVs as their shelter making Slab City look as a waist-full piece of land. Poverty is one of the main causes that drives many individuals to live in Slab City. Many Slabbers continue to struggle to meet their basic necessities, regardless of living rent-free. Most of the Slabbers are retirees who are living off their pensions just trying to make ends meet. “On my pension, free camping is all I can afford, It suits me because I’ve got arthritis, and Mexico’s only an hour away, so I can get cheap medicines,” sighs Ian, a 78-year old Slab City Slabber. Clearly, there is a glitch in our system, for allowing senior citizens to solely rely on Social Security checks to make a living. We live in modern America, yet many American citizens do not have access to proper health care in the United States. Is this the America we like to stand for?

    Pursuing a career in law enforcement has always been Six’s goal in life. I had the privilege of interviewing, officer Moreno, from the Brawley Police Department. Officer Moreno and I met up at the local coffee shop in Brawley. Upon his initial arrival, I noticed officer Moreno seemed to be very aware of his surroundings, and alert at all times. From the corner of his eye, I could notice he was reading people's body language, and looking over his shoulder constantly. At that moment, I felt a little uncertain and intimidated about conducting my interview. When officer Moreno, chose to sit down with his back against the wall inside the coffee shop, I couldn't help but ask about his behavior. Later, officer Moreno explained to me about those kinds of habits are just precautionary measurements. He told me not to take any offense by it. As a law enforcement officer, he mentioned he needs to have an overview of his surroundings and be on the lookout, for potential threats, and always keep in mind that any moment he can get a call from dispatch to respond to an emergency. As I continue to conduct my interview with officer Moreno,  I couldn't help myself, but glance at his badge. I asked officer Moreno, the meaning behind the badge, and if his badge had any sentimental value to him. Officer Moreno, explained that his badge was part of his identity, and the meaning behind it is a big part of his everyday life. He explained he obtained his badge the moment he was sworn as a police officer, and took an oath to serve, and protect the citizens in the line of duty. His hard work and dedication throughout the academy was recognized, and he had earned his badge meant all that he had to sacrifice in order to do what he loves, which is to serve, and protect. Although officer Moreno, did state his badge gives him authority, and power, he made sure to make a statement by saying, “ the power of words are even more powerful than the badge on his chest.”

    In his years of experience working as a law enforcement officer, I asked Officer Moreno, if there is anything that he struggles as a police officer the most. His response, shocked me when he said it was to earn the respect of the people, he decided to serve. Furthermore, he explained that law enforcement has a lot of misconceptions, and are being misportrayed by the media, for example, police brutality being amongst many subjects. He said the media picks and chooses what they will show to the citizens they always show the after the fact part not what happens when they first encounter the subject; therefore, making police officers look like they are abusing their power. Making the public lose their trust in police officers and their primary goal which is to serve, and protect. The Slab City as they call it has its pros and cons, it can be a very dangerous place there are a lot of offenders out there or people that are running away from the law, it is a very treacherous place at night time, ultimately everyone out there is committing a crime by squatting, there have been shootouts and RVs set up in flames because there aren't enough resources out there to be patrolling by the county. In my perspective as a Law Enforcement officer, I believe that they shouldn't be out there if you remove them you remove the crime to a certain extent.

    At the same time, you remove them being out there they bring the crime to our cities. In this case, I believe the State of California should fund more money into the county and assign officers to control and regulate what happens out there. The most valuable part of his everyday routine is ”to never let your guard down because even you can come home at the end of your shift, or not.” In the end, the goal of officer Moreno is to go home to his family while still putting his life on the line, in order to protect the citizens of his community, while still maintaining in his integrity and compassion.

    I do agree that Slab City, has built up to its reputation, for being known as “squatters paradise.” The name was given to the growing community of squatters, artist, snowbirds, and survivalist who are unlawfully inhabiting government-owned state land. Many residents of the Slabs, live under the radar in the heart of the California desert. Without any supervision from law enforcement agencies, many Slabbers are free to do whatever they want. Such freedom has brought the attention of state officials by expressing their concern to preserve of the land; as a result, many of the Slab City residents could possibly face eviction.

    It is true, that many residents of the Slabs, are breaking the law by illegally setting up their camp in, Slab City; however, there has been a huge misconception about the people who inhabit, Slab City. Many people speculate that most residents of the Slabs, are criminals who are either facing homelessness or suffering from an existing addiction. Yet most of the public's opinion towards Slab City is based on pure judgment, and lack of understanding of the difficult situation, the Slabbers might be experiencing.    The dilemma many of the Slabbers, will continue to face in case of a possible eviction will remain the same. By forcefully removing residents from the Slabs, or evacuating them from the premises, it will only create tension, and worsen their living situation. This is what I think: by allowing the residents of the Slabs, to occupy the land of Slab City, in order to regain stability in their lives will only benefit them in the long run. Furthermore, Slabbers will continue to have a temporary place to set up their camp, and most importantly a place to call home. The displacement of residents of the Slabs will only have a negative counter effect here in the Imperial Valley. Such action will only contribute to high rates of homelessness, the Imperial County currently faces.   

    At the time Sandra Andrews was a sixty-year-old woman, who traveled the country from city to city in search of a fresh start. She was known to be a nomadic woman living without a retirement plan. Mrs. Andrews only source of income was her government social security checks that were paid to her as a benefit only once a month. Mrs. Andrews was going through many, financial hardships at the time; as a result, due to her inability to maintain a household, she started living inside her broken van. In pursuance of a fresh start, Mrs. Andrews drove her van to across the country to Slab City, for a second opportunity in life. Upon her arrival to the Slabs, her initial reaction was of astonishment. “When I first got here, I thought this is a whole new planet, there’s no place like it,” she exclaims ( par. 6). She seemed to be in disbelief that such place excited. A place where they lived rent-free. The Slabs seemed to fit Sandra’s lifestyle and free spirit personality. In the Slabs, she was able to make extra income by selling her art to tourist. Sandra was able to get back, up on her feet, and recuperate from her financial crisis. Although Slab City has a bad reputation, for welcoming nomads, the homeless, and people from all over the world, the Slabs gives people who are struggling a second opportunity.

    Slab City has always been one of my favorite places to visit. There is something about the “Slabs” that has always captivated my attention. Even though Slab City is secluded in the Sonoran desert, its popularity keeps growing each day. Slab City, is in the middle of nowhere, and it's seclusion,  peace, and tranquility that attracts its people. The Slabs is a place where people go to be left alone and unbothered. In fact, many of the people who live in the Slabs are categorized as society dropouts or criticized for not being a productive member of society. Inclusively, there is a negative stigma that surrounds Slab City, but that is not true. The purpose of writing about Slab City is to inform my readers of the true motives, why people decide to live in the Slabs in such rural conditions.

    Slab City will remain as the remote town located in the outskirts of the Imperial Valley, yet its popularity continues to grow each day. The Slabs is a place where the runaways go to be forgotten, and the optimistic’s find a new beginning. Slab City does not discriminate against any person who chooses to stay. The Slabs is known for its open freedom and acceptance of people regardless of their background. Over the years Slab City has maintained a bad reputation, for opening its doors for all those runaways who are in desperate need of a home. The knowledge that I have acquired while conducting my research in the Slabs value everything that we have in life. At many times we might take many things for granted, and while listening to personal testimonies nothing is guaranteed in life. In other words, what I am trying to say is that one day you can find yourself being at the top of a mountain, and just how made your way up to the top, your world can come crumbling down. This research paper on Slab City has taught me the difference between wanting and needing. I found it truly astonishing by learning from people who live in the Slabs that at times having less in life is what makes you happy. Many people in Slabs are discriminated and judged for not being part of society. However, I have now come to the realization that being a "slabber" is a lifestyle choice, but the real question here is why should they get punished for doing so? Slab City itself is also known to be the "last free place in America," so that leads to my next suggestion which is just let the people be free.   

Works Cited:

Bhattacharya, Sanjiv. "Land of the Free." The Observer.  23 Mar. 2003. Web. 7 Sep. 2018.

Boxer, Barbara. "Leonard Knight and Salvation Mountain."United States 107th Congress. Senate 15 May. 2002 Vol.148. No. 62. Web. 20 Sep. 2018.

Motlagh, Jason. "Living Off the Grid." Los Angeles: Times Online. Los Angeles Times. 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 06 Sep. 2018.  

Perry, Tony. "Way Off the Grid." Los Angeles: Times Online. Los Angeles Times. 8 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Sep. 2018.

Perry, Tony. "Slab City Showdown." Los Angeles: Times Online. Los Angeles Times. 11 Jul. 1994. Web. 09 Sep. 2018.

“Toxic Nightmare.” Salvation Mountain. Web. 20 Sep. 2018 <http://.salvationmountain.us/history2.html#crecord>

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the Future of Music: 50 Years of Sgt. Pepper's - Complete Group Essay - by Erma Lopez, Josephat Carillo, Neyda Lopez, Leslie Verdugo - English 110

Neyda H Jimenez 
Erma Lopez
Josaphat Carrillo 
Leslie Verdugo
English 110
Mr. Lewenstein 
11 Sept. 2018   

Back to the Future of Music: 50 Years of Sgt. Pepper's

              When you hear the name The Beatles it's hard not to feel their legacy. The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, The Beatles became the first and most popular band of all times. The Beatles started their career with mostly love songs and slow beats.  One of the first songs to be heard of the Beatles was “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” I was blown away with the European style and catchy rhythm. Even though they were before my time, I fell in love with the band and wanted to experience all their songs. I went through all their albums, and every time I heard a new song it was a totally different experience. I was specifically drawn to one of their albums. It was their eighth studio album: “Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

    The songs had more deep meaning, different instruments, darker tone, and a psychedelic touch. The cover album itself showed more than a regular album picture. It seemed if The Beatles when through different phases, and experiences to accomplish it. The cover showed a more mature, knowledgeable band, and leaving behind the old Beatles as we all known them. Also, it gave the impression of a secret message for the fans to decipher. Although the album was released more than fifty years ago, it still amazes us today.
                

    The Beatles were and are the most extraordinary, influential and mystical band in the world. For generations people have loves them. Very early, they made a big impact on people hearts. The Beatles love songs, Paul’s charm, Lennon’s poetic voice, Harrison’s guitar talent, and Ringo’s smile trapped the heart of million fans. Their influence was huge like nothing ever seen before. Millions of fans throughout Europe gathered just to see them performed. Streets would get crowded, tickets would be sold out, radios stations would blast their songs and media were all over them. The Beatles were the new musical phenomenon of all times.  Eager, euphoric, crazy teenage girls’ fans started to emerge through every city they visited.

    In 1963, A fan movement was created called “Beatlemania.” This movement was by dedicated fans with the purpose to show love and support for the band. This movement started to gained strength as The Beatles fame spread all over Europe. The Beatles were on top in the music charts and they were well received everywhere. In 1964, after Touring all Europe they were invited for the first time to the United States to performed in the popular “The Ed Sullivan Show.” At arrival to the New York airport they were well received by thousands of fans. George Harrison said, “Seeing thousands of kids there to meets us made us realize us just how popular we were there.” The next day, Sunday, February 9, 1964, in front of screaming girls, and millions of tv spectators The Beatles performed “I Want to Hold Your Hand” one of their most iconic songs. After their magnificence appearance, they performed one more time at the show. The concert was view by 73 million viewers, and it was the most watched concert on the United States. To many American the show was great, and they couldn’t believe how a British band was so good. More and more fans joined the “Beatlemania” phenomenon. In 1965, in the peak of the “Beatlemania” the band played at the Shea Stadium in front of 56,000 mostly teenage fans. The concert was sold out, but the screams were so loud that The Beatles couldn’t hear themselves performed. Fans would jump fences, run through the field, scream, cry of joy, or passed out. Also, the concert would had heavy smell of urine due to over excited girls. The impact The Beatles had over people lives was more than a phenomenon; it was love. 
               

    The summer of 1967 was a magical time for The Beatles. In the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco, thousands of dreamers travelled across America towards California searching for love, freedom, drugs, music and new ideas, their dream? A life free from codes and rules. Once there, they started a movement that changed the way the band would see the world. Approximately 75,000 hippies arrived without enough money, a place to sleep or food to eat. It was a great cultural revolution. Therefore, music and fashion exploded in a couple of months. First of all, the clothing of that time was something very distinctive, something that we still remember. It was all about bright colors and flowers, people looked like a walking rainbow with gaudy accessories. For example, women used loose flowy skirts (like gypsy style), dresses such as tonics, sundresses or mini skirts paired with above-the-knee boots. Men dressed loose colorful shirts and bell bottom pants. Both men and women used to wear accessories on their heads like bands and flowers. It was impossible not to turn around and get infected by pure visual joy. The Beatles saw this fashion trend escalate, and they used the the bright colors in their outfits for the album cover. As to show people they are the center of attention, and they believe in the hippie movement. The Summer of Love was a time when youthful rebellion was in the air, the hippie phenomenon was also characterized by the use of drugs.

     The two most popular drugs of the Summer of Love were cannabis and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). The LSD is a semisynthetic illicit organic compound derived from ergot that induces extreme sensory distortions, altered perceptions of reality, and intense emotional states that may also produce delusions or paranoia, and that may sometimes cause panic reactions in response to the effects experienced. It was precisely because of the effects caused by this drug that it was very popular at that time. It is said that most of the inspiration to create songs as “Help!” “She is a woman,” and “With a little help from my friends” came from these drugs. In one occasion John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney were arrested for drug possession. They claimed that it was Bob Dylan who initially and fully “turned them on” to marijuana.

With respect to the music; released on June 1, 1967, the Beatles album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” quickly became the soundtrack of the Summer of Love. The radio airwaves that season were filled with songs by other artists, “Windy,” by the Association, and “Light My Fire,” by the Doors, topped the singles charts, but the Beatles had delivered one of the first album-length collection of songs meant to be listened to from beginning to end without stopping. The record moved into the No. 1 album spot two weeks after it was released and stayed there for the next four months.

      By the autumn, everything turned in a dark side distorting the hippie’s hopeful aspirations. The movement had become in a mess. Phrases like “dropping out” and “free love” were used to excuse rape and irresponsibility. Thousands suffered from serious drug addiction and mental problems or became homeless. San Francisco was overrun with dealers and teenage runaways, and the Haight-Ashbury scene deteriorated through overcrowding, homelessness and crime. Many of the originators of the scene fled elsewhere and in October a mock funeral, the “Death of the Hippy” ceremony, was held by some of those that remained. Realizing that peace and love couldn't sustain them forever, most of the hippies eventually had to go back to university or get a job. For some people, the Summer of Love’s impact was decidedly short-lived, insignificant or non-existent, but for The Beatles, it set into motion a tsunami of change whose ripple effects are still palpable today.

    When we think and see the things that The Beatles did in the “Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band” we all see it as something one of a kind and unique. The Beatles were influenced by many varieties of experiences. Their musical influences included both British and American rock and roll. British influences included Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Cliff Richards music style it would consider pop, rock and roll music. Also, they were influenced by American music such as Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, and Elvis Presley. The Beatles grew up in post-war Liverpool.  Sailors were constantly coming and going with goods they had brought home from, amongst other places, the USA. These goods were frequently American recordings of blues, jazz and rock and roll artists that were not available in England at the time. That is how the they started to know about American rock and roll music that really had a great influential impact in them. Many of The Beatles said Elvis was all they watched and that was the person they all looked up to for their music. Some of the songs that the Beatles heard of Elvis were “I Forgot to Remember to Forget,” “Don't be Cruel,” and “Teddy Bear.” As songwriters The Beatles were influenced by some others too. During the sixties John Lennon was big time influenced by another artist named Bob Dylan. Even now people say that Lennon often borrowed Dylan's songwriting formula, in which the songwriter writes very poetic, indirect lyrics, which leave the listener to interpret the true meaning of the song. As they mature, The Beatles were influenced by a hole much of other artist and bands. Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran with his electric guitar, Roy Orbison, Everly Brothers, Frank Zappa, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Byrd’s, and The Beach Boys were just some of the others whom influence them. As their career got older and they did too their influences, and type of music changed. The Beatles did things no others had done before. They were the first band to mix in that magnificent way those instruments also their lyrics were one of a kind, so much that they were the first boy band to do arena concerts in other countries. Visiting other countries like the United States was also a big influence for them. Just by being able to live other type of culture with all the good and bad things in it, made them change and mature in some way.

    The album where they show their artistic maturation for me was "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.” In the cover of this album we can see all sorts of historical, and famous people whom they liked and that influenced The Beatles throughout their career. The idea of this cover came when someone asked, “the Fab Four,” “With whom would you like to have dinner with? “It doesn't matter if the person is dead or alive.” Lennon wanted to include Adolf Hitler, Jesus Christ, and Mahatma Gandhi, but he was not allowed to because it was something that would cause controversy among religious believers. John Lennon had said a little time before that they were bigger and more famous than God. He added placeing God on their cover would have been a terrible boom. The Beatles did not include Elvis in this cover but when McCartney was asked why they did not include him, he replied, "Elvis was too important and too far above the rest even to mention ... so we didn't put him on the list because he was more than merely a ... pop singer, he was Elvis the King." Some of the characters The Beatles were able to place in their cover were Marilyn Monroe, Karl Marx, Edgar Allan Poe, Albert Einstein, Lawrence of Arabia, Mae West, Sonny Liston, Edward Alexander Crowley and many others. For example, Crowley was an Occultist who influenced the band with his dark theoretical religious beliefs. People say that this album is dedicated to death and the dark world. All this people and everything made The Beatles who they were and for them to do there "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
                      

    For many fans “Sgt Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Bands” is considered a revolutionary masterpiece, and one of the best albums of The Beatles. It represented a new change in music style. It created a wave of new music sound never heard before. Artist were inspired, and people were amazed of the sound. The album opened doors for songwriters to expressed out of the ordinary. The album broke the traditional rules of composition and gave new touch to the music industry. Paul McCarthy said, “People played it a bit safe in popular music and we realize that you don’t have to.” Previous bands like Beach boys and Frank Zappa had experience with medieval, ecclesiastics sounds, and smooth harmonies contributing to a new view of music, but still following the stereotype. Hungry for a change and influenced by this new sounds. The Beatles experimented with Western music from India, Jazz, Rock and Pop. The sounds were combined creating a new psychedelic sound. For example, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” has a deep psychedelic sound that echoes through your head and pushes you to a state of relaxation. It gives you the feeling of being in another place like if your soul detaches from your body, and you can see the unknown and explore different emotions. It makes you feel if you under the influence of some hallucinogen drug. If drugs had a song it would be this one. The Beatles were ahead of their time, and through their lyrics they created the idea of altered ego. According to the Beatles the idea was that you could step outside everyday life and take on a different persona on stage or recording liberating your mind. This changed the way bands recorded their songs. Artist felt the need to contribute to the new wave and write about their emotions. For example, Pink Floyd was inspired to create the album “Dark side of the Moon.” Roger Water formed band member said, “I learned from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison that it was OK for us to write about our lives and express what we felt…More than any record it gave me and my generation permission to branch out and do whatever we wanted. “To contribute to the essence of the album, The Beatles created a cover album that represented more than a simple picture. With abstract art and a touch of surrealism they created the cover as we know it. The Beatles wanted the public to see behind the art involved in the cover. They challenged the imagination, and concepts of modern life issues. It reflected political issues, pop culture, media and historical figures that influenced The Beatles throughout their career. The used of fluorescent bright colors symbolized the psychedelic influence and brighter future for the band. The album cover was hard to ignored and it was well received by the public. It proved one more time that The Beatles where evolving. As part of promotional marketing, they created a hoax from a theory that followed them since the beginning of the band. People believed Paul McCartney died years back and was replaced by an individual identical to the original Paul. Fans believed the other members covered his death because Paul was charismatic, handsome, funny, lead singer, composer, and his death would affect the band. The theory started as a game when the band integrated phrases on their songs that Paul died. For instance, the song “Taxman” George Harrison gives his advice “for those who die,” referring to Paul. Rapidly, the theory became popular and the band had no other option than follow the hoax. In the album “Sgt. Pepper Lonely Heart Club Band” The Beatles integrated visual and auditory clues throughout the album that proved Paul’s death. On the cover album, for example, Paul McCartney is in the middle of the album and is the only one facing to the camera. The rest of The Beatles are holding him like if he needed help to stand still. Also, a bouquet of yellow flowers is arranged as a left-hand bass guitar as how Paul would play it. If you take a closer look at the same flower arrangement it spell the name Paul as if he is the one being buried. A small toy Rolls-Royce car lays on the ground next to a bloody rag doll symbolizing he died in a terrible car accident. Additional, songs like “A little Help from my Friends” introduces “Billy Shears” the supposed member who replaced Paul. This hoax graved the attention of fans making the theory bigger and easier to believe. In future albums The Beatles continued with the hoax not revealing the truth. As today, the mystery I still not solved, and people still believe in the hoax. We don’t know for sure if Paul is death or not, but so far, he is doing one hell of a job.
                  

     It’s difficult to underestimate the influence the album had on the course of popular music in the world. It was more than a record it was a cultural movement. The compositions and attitudes transformed the way music were experienced by large numbers of people. The album was pioneers in using new sounds; sounds never heard before. This is the reasons why many of the most popular bands that have emerged in the last decades have made countless covers of this specific album. Many times, we have heard endless songs from different artists without realizing that “Sgt. Pepper” is behind the inspiration of the lyrics and music. For example, Joe Cocker sang “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and it's considered one on of best interpretation of his career. Also, many songs of the band Pink Floyd specially the album “Dark Side of the Moon” have similar sound like “Sgt. Pepper.” Without a doubt this album transformed the music industry. Now, being from the new generations it's impossible not to value and put to play all the things that this album gave us. If it wasn't for “Sgt. Pepper” we wouldn't have todays music. Today, modern bands try to mimic what The Beatles did decades ago in this album. Rock bands like Foo Fighters, Oasis, Radiohead, and Coldplay use new sounds and try to break boundaries like the album did. Summing all up, “Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band” is the only album that had broken boundaries and change music history as we know it.

 

 

The Power of Choice: A New Man after Drugs and Gangs - Complete Essay - Franshezka Hurtado - English 110

Franshezka Hurtado                                                                                                      

English 110

Mr Lewenstein

8 Dec. 2018

    For my community profile I have chosen to write about gangs/drugs because my older brother used to be involved in both gang activity and drugs. I lived through this phase in his life and although I don’t remember everything that happened I do remember some things clearly. This situation happened when I was around ten or so; it might have been more or less, but I was young. My brother saw me as the little annoying brat of a sister. One day he was outside, dripping with sweat, in the burning heat cleaning the backyard. I looked out the window and saw him and I smiled at him. It was a regular nonchalant smile with no bad intentions, simply a smile, and he took it totally wrong. He walked up to the window and immediately pounded his big fist at the dirty window, right where my face was. I was so frightened; the look in his eyes was not normal. It was as if he had all the hate in the world towards me; I knew in that moment that he was on something. There was no doubt. I couldn’t believe he did that. I just stood there astonished at what he had done; then my mom walked to where I was and she asked what had happened and I told her. She was furious at my brother and called him in immediately asked him to explain why he did what he did. He thought I was making fun of him, smiling evilly at him so he got mad and pounded the window at me. I explained to him that it was not my intention to make him believe that; he didn’t say a word and left the room. That day he was not acting like himself and it was impossible to believe that he was on illegal drugs, but sadly he was it was obvious.

     My brother, Ayrton, has had a rough life and has lived through a lot. He has many memories from being in a gang and doing drugs, some more traumatic than others and he will never forget them. Not only was he affected but my whole family was affected greatly, especially my mom. He finally decided to not be involved with his gang and try living a normal life, but he really had no idea how to leave without causing problems, and that’s why he chose to stay in a gang for the amount of time that he did. When he finally stayed away from the gang he thought his problems were gone but he was wrong. He had developed an addiction to methamphetamine and he couldn’t stop; his body would ask for it. He was sent to rehab, and that didn’t help at all because this place was not a true rehabilitation center; there was still other people doing drugs while in rehab. So he decided to leave that place. My mom thought that he didn’t want to rehabilitate when she saw that he left, but he did want to. That place was doing more harm than good. He was motivated to find a good place to rehabilitate. He no longer wanted to be a slave to drugs. I don’t know how or why he decided to be in a gang-I will find out- but he did and sometime later he realized his mistake and wanted out. This was a moment of weakness in his life and gave into the erroneous life path of gangs and drugs, and he was stuck there until he decided he wanted to more with his life. He was set on leaving that life behind, he didn’t give up because he wanted a better life and he wanted a second chance at it.

Living in an area where anyone is exposed to drugs and gangs at any age, young or old, can lead to making some bad  decisions. This is especially true for young kids because they are curious and drawn to it.  When they do choose that no one knows what becomes of their life. Some can ruin their life and some can still fix it. A lot of people think that once you’re involved all those things there is no going back but that is not true. In the end you have the power of choice, just like a person chooses to do drugs or to be in a gang, they can also choose to stop doing drugs and move on from gangs.

    According to Current Issues: Gangs,  “The typical gang member is active for a year or less” and according to the group ‘This myth is perpetuated not only by the media but also by gang members who exaggerate the stakes of membership in order to underscore the importance and permanence of their collective bond.’”  The article by the National Drug Intelligence Center, explains some basic facts about drugs and gangs but mostly gangs. It also includes the different types of gangs, dangers of them, and the extent of gang activity. The author states that the larger gangs are the ones who are more dangerous. I like the fact that it gives us some basic facts about these two topics with good detail. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center there are a variety of factors to gang types such as size, location, level of organization, etc.. Larger gangs are said to be more dangerous because they smuggle, produce, transport , and distribute large quantities of illicit drugs. I didn’t know that there was so many factors that went into the contribution of each gang, and I learned that there are many different types of gangs each with their own unique name. This quote summarizes the whole article the best: “ Located throughout  the country street gangs vary in size, composition, and structure. Large nationally affiliated street gangs pose the greatest threat because they smuggle, produce, transport, and distribute large quantities of illicit drugs throughout the country and are extremely violent.” It gives a little summary of how gangs are made up, but it also explains how the bigger gangs are more dangerous.

    For this interview, I said I would speak about my brother but he wanted his privacy so I spoke to someone else who has been through the same thing that my brother experienced. For the purposes of protecting this person’s identity, I will call him Isaac. Same topic different person. We did the interview through the phone since we could not meet up in person. The interview was still very detailed, but just not in person. In fact, Isaac even said this was better because we were both focused on the call. At first, I thought his artifact would be the tattoo on his chest because it is big and I thought it was super important to him because most tattoos have meaning and this one does have some meaning, but I later realized that his artifact was the power of choice. Almost everything that we talked about ended up with it being your own choice. For example, he chose to be in a gang, he said, “I was attracted to it for whatever reason.” He explained, “I chose to follow the path of danger. I was surrounded by the ghetto and projects, I saw gangsters. I saw gangs at the age of 8 and they were all around.” 

    When Isaac was explaining this to me I had also asked him what the most common misconception was and I did not expect what he told me. He said, “People think they have a choice.” and stated,  “You get pulled into it and there’s no way out.” By this he means what you see is what you get. You grow up around drugs and gangs and sooner or later you get a little curious and you get pulled in and not by choice. He grew up around all of this, but he was attracted to all of that so it was easy for him to get pulled in. At 13 he would hang out with what, would later be his gang, and by 15 he had joined. Every gang is different but he said, “ The way is through pain, through pain you join.”

    At 13 he tried marijuana and by 15 he was addicted to meth. We did not talk much about why he chose to do it for his privacy. Isaac stated that by doing drugs he felt “enslaved and insane” so he chose to try and stop and he achieved it. He felt that God helps everybody who ask him for help, and when he was recovering from the drug addiction he asked God for help. The last time Isaac did drugs he was in his early 20s. God gave him the will to not do drugs anymore, and for him it is a simple matter of choice to not do drugs. He chooses not to do drugs because they don’t help, because sometimes he felt like he needed it when in reality it wasn’t necessary. It’s like if you do something and you’re expecting that it helps but it doesn’t. Now he lives the sober drug free life. This isn’t the same case for the gang. He would say, “once you’re in a gang you’re always in a gang” and things like, “You can take me out of the hood, but you can’t take the hood out of me.” It’s things you have heard before, like popular sayings and although he doesn’t hang out with his gang any longer, he still feels and believes he is a part of his gang.  All of this had been going on since the age of 15 and now by the age of 26 he life is completely different. The most important thing he said was: “I feel I have a normal life.” I believe that because after everything that he has been through he now does have a normal life and people can totally change for better or worse but in this case it was for the better.

    Perhaps you think that if a person is involved in gangs, does drugs, or both, then they are worthless or their life is a waste. I agree that for some people it is true but not for all. People who often stereotype gang members are making a sweeping generalization. Not all gang members are the same, just like not every person is the same. I found in my research that there are a wide variety of gangs all with different purposes. For example, there are street gangs and drug gangs obviously being a bigger threat. Street gangs are more based on a code of loyalty and member may sell drugs, but drug gangs are more focused on crime drug business and members do sell drugs. The person has a choice to join any type of gang. They can choose to be in a gang, they can choose to do drugs, it’s all choice. In fact, my brother is a real life example. He did both and in the past and now he lives a completely normal life free of drugs and no longer involved in gangs. Every single person has the power of choice, anyone can choose to do what they want. Now, if you grow up around something you see on the daily, then you are highly likely to do the same, especially at a young age. Kids are growing and learning and they often mimic what they see. This is true for most people but not for everyone. At some point they might be curious about what they see and sometimes they fall for it. On the other hand, other will not give into it simply because they don’t find it relevant. I am a perfect example for this because I grew up around all of this because of my brother and I see no relevance in neither drugs nor gangs. If they choose to stay on a path that leads to jail or even death that’s their choice. If you choose to stop and decide you don’t want that life anymore, it can be done, all with a little force of will.

    As you can probably tell by now anyone can change their life and make it better if they set their mind to it. My brother was a real life example and so was Isaac. I am pretty sure there is many other people who have gone through this too and survived and even made a better life for themselves. We all know that anything can influence you and it may cause in a negative future or even a positive future. In this case we know that being involved in drugs and gangs will most likely give you a negative future, and sure enough this happened to my brother. Just because he made this choice to be involved in these activities that doesnt mean he was doomed for life. He needed to realize what he was doing was wrong, for a little he couldn’t see what he was doing was wrong but then he finally made the choice and now he has a good and normal life. I learned that influence is everywhere and it is very easy for you to get caught up in the wrong situation and anyone can be the influence to you whether it be good or bad. You need to think before you do and think of the consequences that might result because if you don’t then you will end up making bad choices and you could either get stuck or push-through. The most important action in anything whether it be drugs, gangs, your life, and even the most simple things, it’s the power of choice, you lead your life and you make the choice. In the end it’s all on you others can influence you all you want but you make the choice, it’s up to YOU to let them make the choice for you.

 

Works Cited

Community Profile Interview. (2018).

HealthyChildren.org. (2014). Teenagers and Gangs. Web. 8 Oct. 2018.

Morris, Ashley. "What we Get Wrong about Gangs." TCA Regional News, 12 Apr. 2016. SIRS Issues

Researcher. Web. 7 Oct. 2018.

Parks, Peggy J. Current Issues: Gangs. Current Issues: Gangs, 2011. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 8 Oct,

2018.

Pressreader.com. (2016). PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News. Web. 8 Oct. 2018.

Wenger, Yvonne. "Nonprofit Aims to Start Changing City's most Dangerous Young Men." Baltimore

Sun, 04 Jul. 2018, pp. A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 7 Oct. 2018.

 

 

 

My Father’s Journey: Green Fields and Green Cards - Complete Essay - by Joanna Zarate - English 110

Joanna Zarate

Professor Lewenstein

English 110

November 9, 2018

 

My Father’s Journey: Green Fields, Green Cards

    In 1986, my father came illegally the United States. Since the first day he entered to the country he worked in the fields. He is one of the thousands field workers who were benefit by the Rodino law. He went through a tough path to be able to obtain his permanent residency in this country.  Since the Bracero movement started,  the government has continue with these laws.

What is the purpose of the government in creating these type laws? What do they offer to them? Are these laws as good as they seem? There is a lot to research on this subject since many things are not what they seem.                                                                  Figure 1: Raymundo Zarate cutting and packing lettuce.

       The government had  promised a lot of things and at the end they were not fulfilled. These people come with the mentality of facing anything just to offer a better quality of life to their families in Mexico. They are people in need and they have no choice, so they put up with it. It is well known that farm workers very often face injustices in the labor force.

     Many people criticize them and make them feel inferior when they see them with their pants and shoes full of mud after a day of work. The farmworkers had to endure many things in order to obtain their residence in this country. They never speak out because they were afraid of being send back to Mexico. The majority were exploited. My question is had things changed?  My dad has practically worked all his life in the fields. Since he was 20 years, he crossed the border illegally and he became a permanent resident of the United States by the law Simpson-Rodino. He told me this law required that you had worked 90 days to get the permanent resident in the United States. As we all know the work in the fields is a seasonal job since I remember my dad spent six months living with us at the Imperial Valley and the other six months he moved to Salinas or Fresno to continue working. He visited us every two weeks and on important dates. By the way, right now he is still in Salinas working. He has worked in the harvest of lettuce, tomato, onion, and strawberry. I remember that there were very cold nights in which he arrived late, tired, full of mud, his shoes wet and his eyes full of black circles for the sleepless. The work in the field is very exhausting, there are times that my father only sleeps 4-5 hours because the time of entry is very early. What I have very clear is my dad loves his job. He even feels proud when they asked him where he works because the harvest of lettuce is the hardest one. Many mans are afraid of that job. He is hard-working, I have known some of his friends and they had told me that he is fast, either to cut, pack, or accommodate the load. He enjoys working outdoors and without many rules. Although the pay is not very good, my dad had has provided us with everything - He is my superhero! 

   
     My father has always been a hard worker. He has dedicated himself to giving a good standard of living to his family. Always worried about providing everything to his family, and striving to give a good future to his children. My father came illegally to the United States when he was 16 years old, risking his life with the only purpose to have a better future. In 1986, he obtained his permanent residency by the Rodino law. However, there was suffering and abuses. He never imagined how difficult it would be to be in another country. The main requirement of this law to qualify was to have worked 90 days in the field. The fieldwork is very exhausting.  Some duties can be easy, but the weather and the schedules are the difficult part.

He worked in extremely hot or cold conditions, and he ended up aching from the back for being up to 12 hours cutting lettuce. Also, many of his bosses took advantage of him. Since he was in need, he only had to endure it. He had to tolerate many things from living on the street, living to hide from emigration and being humiliated for not speaking the language.  Although the life of field workers is hard, my father feels thankful because he change the future of his children. He makes efforts so that his children had an education and better opportunities in this country. He says that there is no better reward than seeing their children being professional with a good job that leaves good money and that is not exhausting as his.

       He clung to what he wanted and in spite of adversities, he managed to fulfill his goal. Even though he suffers, he never gave up. No matter all the bad stuff he had to go through, he already prevented his children will go through the same thing. It is very easy to get tired, complain of our lives, and give up. The education of his children was his best pay.  

    How were Rodinos and Braceros treated? These workers were brought with lies. Once, they were in American territory all the promises were not fulfilled. Farm workers are very important in our society, we must defend them, and respect them because they help to have fruits and vegetables on our table. The government contract people to be practically slaves. If they wanted to have their residency in this country, they had to work 90 days. The work was not easy, and it was easier to exploit them since they were in need. These persons did not have the courage to raise their voices for unfair denunciations. All these ex-braceros and Rodinos need to be compensated for all the unfair things they go through. If they had s permit to work legally in this country, I think they should get compensated for all the `abuses they faced. Although many people obtained their permanent residency in this country, they suffered a lot to obtain it. We can still see the different type of abuses, and most of the people still endure it. 

    The Journal of Policy History describes how the federal government issued more than four million short-term work contracts to Mexicans seeking for employment in the U. S agriculture. Hazelton Andrew, says that growers take advantage of this, they get disposable laborers who are paid the low wage, send back to his country if they protest. According to this article Americans are unwilling to do farm work. It is true, the government takes advantage of this people.  The government only does it because it’s convenience. The country gains a lot due to this work contracts. Mexicans who come to the United States are satisfied with what agriculture offers them because in their country the situation is very bad. Hazelton believes that although the Bracero program had helped many Mexican immigrants, on the same hand they struggled every day with health, labor, and human rights violations. Braceros had low wage and short work days, many employers did not pay them the amounts they deserved, and they ended up paying less or sometimes didn’t pay them. The braceros did not denounce for fear of being deported. Even now, in the year 2018 farm workers continue facing injustices from employers. Sometimes they don’t get paid, or they get paid less, or they do not get their breaks as the law orders.  The ones who benefit most from this program were the descendants of the braceros. Many who obtain permanent residence achieved that their descendants had better opportunities. “We used to own our slaves. Now we just rent them.”  Although this quote sounds hard, it is true. The government wanted cheap work, and since its citizens were unwilling to do it, they rent workers. They took advantage of the situation Mexican were facing and took advantage of their desire they had to overcome. They brought them to exploit them.  

  

Every year after the harvest season ends at the Imperial Valley, my father goes to Salinas to continue working. This year was something different because my mom and my younger brother decided to go with him. Since I have missed them a lot, I decided to visit them. After traveling for 9 hours, I arrived at the apartment my parents rent for the working season. I had not seen them for two months, so they were very happy to see me.  Their apartment was on the second floor, blue and with white. The place had many plants around, the atmosphere very quiet. It only had one bedroom, and the kitchen and living room were small.  My father told me that they were paying $1050 monthly for rent, I was impressed because with the same amount of money here at Imperial Valley you can afford the rent for a big house.  The next day, Saturday, after watching a movie in the living room I took the opportunity to sit down next to my dad on the sofa and started a good conversation. He was wearing old, faded pants he uses for work, a long-sleeved black t-shirt, brown belt huaraches, and his black cap without any design. I had never put attention that my dad always wears a cap. I realized since, on his job he is exposed to the sun, he must protect his skin. We caught up for an hour and then I begin with my questions. I asked my father, what was the hardest job he has done at the fields - He said “While field work is not hard, the hardest part is the positions which you work, the sleepless, the cold, the heat, and the hours." 

    He explained to me that lettuce is harvested with machines and the workers have to go at the same pace. The foreman always makes the machines go fast to get more work done. When my dad came to the United States when he was 16 years old. He didn’t like school, so he had no choice to find a way to have a better future. He crossed the border illegally, and with the help of his older brothers, he arrived until Fresno, California. Although he did pass the difficult part, he never imagined all that awaited him. He found work quickly but took two weeks to collect his first check and during that time he was sleeping on the street. After a day of work, he ended up exhausted and sore. Most of the foreman he had treated him badly, took advantage of him and did not pay him the fair amounts. He said, “I have been robbed, denied breaks, but what most affected me was when the foreman used offensive words, and shouted at me humiliating me.” It was more than he could stand, he just wanted to hit him and gain respect. However, I did not want to ruin what I was already achieving. I realized the nostalgia he felt while talking to me. He was embarrassed to tell me that he let himself be humiliated in his search for a better life. In addition, after leaving work he had to be hiding from emigration. 

        He said, “Most of the farmworkers never confront unfair treatment.” They don’t speak out because they are afraid of being sent back to Mexico.  His suffering was rewarded when the Rodino law came out. His dream came true, he becomes a legal resident of this country. My father assured me that he feels because nothing has changed for 25 years. Even though Cesar Chavez helps improving new laws for farmworkers, nowadays injustices are still made.  

    Admittedly not all people were fans of the Bracero’s program, for example, Cesar Chavez was against it because he was trying that farm workers got fair treatment and fair wages, but braceros thought that their pay rate was more than enough. It is true that Braceros came determined to face anything in order to have a better future, but it is wrong that they interfered with the plans of Cesar Chavez. None human being wants to be abused or exploited. They had no choice, they couldn’t refuse the opportunity that was being presented to them, nor could they defend themselves because they were in another country, without knowing the language, and with the fear of being returned to their country. I fully support Cesar Chavez’s plans, but the Braceros had no option. When you have a family that depends on you, whatever is better than nothing. Even if were against his moral scruples, his will for a better economic stability was greater. We cannot blame them for wanting to excel in life. They were aware that all their sacrifices were going to benefit their next generations. They had no voice to defend themselves as Cesar Chavez would have liked. If they complained, they lost everything. I think that Chavez should have been more understandable instead of blaming them. He should have fight for those who did not have a voice too.

    My father has practically worked all his life in the fields. Since he was 20 years, he crossed the border illegally and he became a permanent resident of the United States by the law Simpson-Rodino. He told me this law required that you had worked 90 days to get the permanent resident in the United States. He has worked in the harvest of lettuce, tomato, onion, and strawberry. I remember that there were very cold nights in which he arrived late, tired, full of mud, his shoes wet and his eyes full of black circles for the sleepless. The work in the field is very exhausting. Although a lot of farmworkers got their permanent residency by the Rodino and Bracero movement they did suffer a lot to get it. They went through a lot of abuses and injustices.  We must appreciate all the workers in the field. We must value the hard work they do to get the vegetables to our table; since we do not know the issues that farmworkers face every day. The agricultural labor force is of great importance in our society, most of them are immigrants who had no choice but to support their families with these jobs. Many of our parents or grandparents were able to be part of this country by the laws Rodino or Braceros. We must value all the effort they made to give us a better future. It was not easy for them to leave their families and endure abuses. Besides being exploit farmworkers are bad seen by other people. Many people believed that immigrants come to the United States to steal their jobs and opportunities. For those who claim that immigrants stole our jobs, I bet that you don’t want to work in the heat 12 hours a day, getting paid the minimum wage, no vacation, no holidays, no disability, and no insurance. I want you to consider that having a job like this is already difficult, why as a society we make them feel bad. Otherwise, we must defend and support them. Maybe farm workers did not have the opportunity to change their future, but what every farmworker has in common is that they do not want their children to go through what they did. Their efforts are for their children to have a professional career and better jobs. 

Works Cited

Hazelton, Andrew J. “Farmworker Advocacy through Guestworker Policy: Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell and the Bracero Program | Journal of Policy History.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 21 June 2017, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-policy-history/article/farmworker-advocacy-through-guestworker-policy-secretary-of-labor-james-p-mitchell-and-the-bracero-program/99180F6F8E1DC1D2D451F7612DBF6823. 

Heidenreich, Linda. “Grounds for Dreaming; Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the California Farmworker.” ProQuest, Agricultural History; Berkeley, June 2016, search-proquest-com.ezproxy.imperial.edu/docview/1814320239/A9832F99A89A4F49PQ/2?accountid=38876. 

Almazan, Victor. “Ex-Braceros Plan a Protest.” ProQuest,The Salinas Californian, 17 Aug. 2005, Heidenreich, Linda. “Grounds for Dreaming; Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the California Farmworker.” ProQuest, Agricultural History; Berkeley, 17 Aug. 2005, search-proquestcom.ezproxy.imperial.edu/docview/1814320239/A9832F99A89A4F49PQ/2?accountid=38876. 

 

Mize,Ronald L.,,Jr. "Mexican Contract Workers and the U.S. Capitalist Agricultural Labor Process: The Formative Era, 1942-1964*." Rural Sociology, vol. 71, no. 1, 2006, pp. 85-108. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.imperial.edu/docview/199340321?accountid=38876, doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.imperial.edu/10.1526/003601106777789765. 

Bickerton, Maria E. "Prospects for a Bilateral Immigration Agreement with Mexico: Lessons from the Bracero Program." Texas Law Review, vol. 79, no. 4, 2001, pp. 895-919. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.imperial.edu/docview/203706771?accountid=38876 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. 

McManus, H. "Defiant Braceros: How Migrant Workers Fought for Racial, Sexual, and Political Freedom." Choice, vol. 54, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1249. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.imperial.edu/docview/1882434864?accountid=38876 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. 

Zarate Ochoa, Raymundo. Personal Interview. 13 October 2018. 

 

 

 

Tattoo Analysis: I Want to Break Free - Complete Essay - by Pamela Valencia - English 110

Pamela Valencia

Visual Analysis Essay

Professor Lewenstein

English 110

22 September, 2018

 

Tattoo Analysis: I Want to Break Free

    The idea of getting a tattoo of flying sparrow birds comes from the movie  Divergent. The flight of sparrows represents  hope, freedom, and family.  In this tattoo, the birds are flying out from a cage, but there is one blue bird flying back.
For some cultures, a blue bird symbolizes immortal, love and fearlessness.

For a person to have a tattoo with birds flying it may represent that they had a hard life or maybe it may represent hope in their life. I haven’t got any tattoo yet but when I get one I would like something special and meaningful for me.  I think that every tattoo has a meaning and a story behind it,  and in this case, my tattoo would try to say that freedom isn't for everyone.

    Tattoos have been a way that people demonstrate who they are. They express what is going on throughout their life or express their feeling. Every tattoo has a story or a message behind it. For example, my choice has birds flying away for a cage and that is expressing freedom. The girl who chose this tattoo is trying to show a message about freedom by showing birds flying away. Some people use textual message, animals, and symbols tattoos to express what they are feeling or what they are going through life.  Tattoos are a way to express who they really are .

    The first thing you see in the tattoo is birds flying away from a bird cage. The tattoo is located on the back of the girl.  The tattoo starts from the bottom left hip where the cage is and it finishes on the right shoulder where the birds are flying away. The spinal cord of the girl is dividing the cage from the birds flying away. There are ten black sparrow birds flying away from a black birdcage, but there is one blue sparrow bird flying back to the cage. In this tattoo, they use a lot of dark colors and not a lot of light colors. Using a lot of dark colors in a tattoo means that they have strong emotions.  In case a lot of black and conveys fear, strength, and power. The symbol of this tattoo are birds, but they are not any type of birds. This tattoo features sparrow birds. The sparrow birds mean hope, loyalty, family, and freedom. But in this case, this tattoo also has a blue bird and a blue bird has another meaning. In some cultures, a blue bird symbol means immortal, love and fearlessness. All the birds in the tattoo are sparrow and this type of birds have a tending to come back to their home every year, and that why maybe the blue bird is flying back  to the cage. The tattoo is trying to inspire people to be free by showing the birds fly away. I think this tattoo is meant for anyone who wants to express freedom and to show how they are feeling. And I also think that this tattoo is intended to show people who haven't have the freedom that there is hope in having the power to be free.  

    I really like the tattoo I choose because it has a strong meaning behind it. Choosing a tattoo with a powerful meaning tell a lot about the personality of the person. The tattoo I choice has sparrow birds flying away from a birdcage and that represents freedom. I admire how the people chooses to get a tattoo to express themselves. Each person has a unique way to express themselves and a lot of people choices a tattoo that has a symbol, textual or an animal to show what they are feeling. In my opinion getting a tattoo to express themselves is a good way to show their personality, even though they go through a painful moment. I think that each tattoo has a story or message behind it that tells a person life.

 

 

Tortilla Soundtrack Selection: David Crosby's "Look into Their Eyes" - by Valerie Rusch, Juila Coronado, Xasiel Melendrez (The Survivors) - Complete Group Essay - English 110

 

Valerie Rusch, Julia Coronado,

and Xasiel Melendrez

English 110

Professor Jay Lewenstein

December 5 2018

 

Tortilla Soundtrack Selection: David Crosby's "Look into Their Eyes"

Delaney and Candido

     Delaney’s and Candido’s characters are complete opposites. Delaney is not a good person at all. He has so much hatred towards immigrants and especially towards Candido that this drives hime to become a cruel lunatic. Who in the right mind would go hunt down a man in the wood with a gun. Delaney was not thinking of his actions, so many people could have been harmed. I believe Delaney to be a hypocrite. At the beginning he seemed to be even a pleasant person,  but has time evolved his true character starts to show. Delaney is carrying so much hatred inside him that tends to take out towards immigrants. On the other hand, Candido has had a much tougher life. Candido has gone through so many hard things in his life in such a short time. Even though, he has had much difficulties his character does not change. He is a strong willed man, that will give everything, even if it is little, to his wife. Delaney has treated Candido terribly and even wanted to kill him. When the flash flood came and Candido saw that Delaney was going to drown, his true character was shown. Candido put apart all of their differences and lend out a helping hand to Delaney. Candido helped his enemy in his time of need. That big action proves that Candido has an extremely good heart. In this novel Candido has a harder life than Delaney. Delaney has it easy for the most part. His family is economically stable and is legally in the country. On the other hand, Candido has no economic stability to offer to his family nor is he legal in the country. Anyone would believe that Candido would be a better a person than Delaney since he has it simple, but it is the opposite, the person with the harder life, Candido, is a better person.

Reaching for a Hand

    T C. Boyle's novel, "The Tortilla Curtain", discusses the importance of having faith in oneself and stay true to one's beliefs. At the ending of the novel where Candido and his family, along with Delaney, are seen to be swept away by what seems to be a mudslide of some sort. In this thrashing river of mud Candido and his family are thrown around like rag-dolls and almost killed. They end up being saved by the dry roof of an old post office, where Candido and his wife America would find out that they have unfortunately lost their daughter to the boisterous current of the mud river. Even after experiencing the loss of his newborn child Candido, upon seeing Delaney's hand reaching for help, doesn't think twice and instantly grabs Delaney's hand to save him. He saved the man who was out to kill him and his family! In the last chapter of "The Tortilla Curtain" the author narrates, "He [Candido] was beyond cursing, beyond grieving, numbed right through to the core of him. All that, yes. But when he saw the white face surge up out of the black swirl of the current and the white hand grasping at the tiles, he reached down and took hold of it," (Boyle 366). Personally, this quote says more than what most may think. Take into consideration the fact that Delaney wanted to do all he could possibly do to get rid of Candido and his family. He wanted them out of the picture! Now put yourself in Candido's shoes, would you risk your safety in order to save the man who wanted to ruin your life and the life of your family? Personally, I would not. And that is what I believe to be the comparison the author wants readers to make. Would they take a selfless, heroic stance like Candido did or will they take the hypocritical, cowardly stance that Delaney took.

The Curse Is Endless

     Candido curses his bad luck because all he wanted to do is be stable and he ended up with a raped wife and a blind child and a man running behind him with a gun. America finally confessed to Candido that Jose Navidad actually raped her. They were drowned by a river and he then noticed that Socorro was gone! Later he sees that Delaney wants help and Candido does help him, that says a lot about Candido because even though Delaney had rejected him and tried to beat him up, he helped him when he was fighting for his life.

"Look in Their Eyes" by David Cosby

David Crosby might not be your first artist you consider to represent the story of the The Tortilla Curtain.  He was raised in an upper-class white community near Santa Barbara.  At a very early age, he reached his dreams of becoming a famous rock star with The Byrds, and then Crosby, Stills, and Nash.  But in later stages of his life, he has learned hard lessons about failure and disappointment.  His life-long drug abuse led him to severe health problems that nearly killed him. Recently, David has undergone both a liver transplant and heart surgery.  This is why his song “Look in Their Eyes” is a smart pick for our Tortilla Soundtrack.  Like Candido and America, David knows about falling down and getting back up again.  His strength seems to come from his belief in family. 

Lyrics	Text
He's wandering Knows no country, No god or king	Candido does not know anyone, he has no contacts at all
She's holding her child The way your mother held you Is turning her around What you really wanna do?	America holds Socorro as he biggest possession until she loses her
Freedom is her one desire Look in her eyes and see the fire	America wants to be economically stable and free of poverty
Mother, daughter, father, child Look in their eyes Families left behind What do you find? Everything is on the line	They left their families behind in Mexico, specially America, and now all three of them suffer from scarcity

This We Believe:

     The main idea of this novel is simply humanity. It shows how Delaney treated Candido so horribly but even though Candido still decided to help him. When Candido saw his hand come up he didn’t doubt and simply helped him.  This is seen in everyday life. Mostly everyone in this world has enemies, but each individual is responsible in then way that they act towards their enemies. We believe that the author’s thesis is to love our enemies and seeking revenge is bad. The author expresses this idea with the strong action of Candido reaching Delaney’s hand. This lesson that is learned here is we as people need to be humane and help others in their time of need. Even if people treat us badly, we shouldn’t be the same as them.