Yesika Salgado - Brown Girl
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the life of a Latina girl named Jessica, the daughter of immigrants, who faces stereotypes and hardships. Despite societal labels and the expectation to prioritize household chores over education, she finds her voice through reading and writing. As a translator for her Spanish-speaking parents, she struggles with language barriers but remains a dreamer, inspired by Latina authors, and aspires to turn her dreams into actions, embracing her skin color as a symbol of beauty.
Takeaways
- 🏠 'I am brown girl' - The speaker identifies herself as a brown girl, setting the stage for her personal narrative.
- 👨👩👧👦 'Daughter of border hoppers' - She comes from a family of immigrants, suggesting a background of struggle and resilience.
- 🏢 'Mami cleans houses too fancy for us to live in' - Her mother's work is contrasted with their own living conditions, highlighting class and economic disparities.
- 🚗 'Papi parks cars too nice to ever dream of' - Her father's job also contrasts with their reality, emphasizing the gap between their work and aspirations.
- 👭 'I am one of three sisters' - She is part of a larger family unit, indicating a sense of community and shared experiences.
- 🗣️ 'Men yell Welfare, At Mami' - The family faces derogatory comments, indicating the stigma and prejudice they encounter.
- 📚 'I like reading, I like writing' - Despite societal expectations, she has a passion for literacy and intellectual pursuits.
- 🌐 'I think in English, But my tongue is dressed in Spanish' - She experiences a cultural and linguistic duality, common among bilingual individuals.
- 🌐 'I am a dreamer' - She aspires to more than her current circumstances, embodying the spirit of hope and ambition.
- 📖 'I learned to do This all on my own' - She is self-taught, showing determination and independence in her pursuit of knowledge.
- 🌟 'And my skin color, well, my skin color, Only makes it That much more beautiful' - She embraces her identity and finds beauty in her heritage.
Q & A
What is the narrator's ethnic background?
-The narrator is a Latina, the daughter of immigrants who moved to a new country for a better life.
What kind of work does the narrator's mother do?
-The narrator's mother cleans houses that are too fancy for their family to live in.
What is the father's occupation?
-The narrator's father parks cars that are too nice for them to dream of owning.
How many siblings does the narrator have?
-The narrator has two sisters, making them one of three sisters.
What stereotypes does the narrator face?
-The narrator is labeled with derogatory terms such as 'Welfare' and is seen as someone who should be doing more practical tasks like cooking or cleaning.
What is the significance of the name 'Jessica' to the narrator?
-The name 'Jessica' was originally associated with a wealthy girl whose family the narrator's mother used to work for, symbolizing a borrowed identity.
What are the narrator's skills and interests?
-The narrator enjoys reading and writing, and is skilled at translating various documents and instructions for their parents.
In what language does the narrator think?
-The narrator thinks in English but speaks Spanish.
What challenges does the narrator face with language?
-The narrator sometimes struggles to find the right word in either English or Spanish.
What derogatory terms has the narrator been called?
-The narrator has been called 'Wetback,' 'Spic,' 'Beaner,' and sometimes 'Illegal.'
What significant event happened in the narrator's life?
-The narrator became a statistic by dropping out of high school.
Who are some of the authors that inspired the narrator?
-The narrator is inspired by authors such as Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, and Julia Alvarez, all of whom are Latina women who write about their experiences.
How does the narrator view their own identity?
-The narrator sees themselves as a dreamer who is slowly becoming a doer, and they embrace their skin color as a source of beauty.
Outlines
🌟 Identity and Struggle
The speaker, Jessica, introduces herself as a Latina girl from a working-class family. Her parents are immigrants who work hard to provide for their family, with her mother cleaning houses and her father parking cars. Jessica is one of three sisters and faces derogatory terms due to her ethnicity. She expresses her love for reading and writing, which is seen as unusual in her community where time is often spent on more practical tasks. Despite the challenges, she sees herself as a dreamer and a writer, inspired by authors like Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, and Julia Alvarez. Jessica also translates various documents for her parents, highlighting her bilingual identity. She acknowledges the prejudice she faces, including being called illegal, and shares her experience of dropping out of high school. However, she remains determined to grow and achieve her dreams, embracing her skin color as a source of beauty.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Latina
💡Dreamer
💡Translator
💡Wetback
💡Spic
💡Beaner
💡Illegal
💡Daughter
💡Language
💡Writer
💡Brown
Highlights
The narrator identifies as a brown girl, daughter of immigrant parents.
Her mother cleans houses that are too fancy for their family to live in.
Her father parks cars that are too nice for them to dream of owning.
The narrator is one of three sisters and experiences derogatory remarks.
She is identified as Latina and enjoys reading and writing.
Other Latinos find it amusing that she likes reading and writing.
The narrator's mother works hard to support the family.
Her name, Jessica, was borrowed from a rich girl her mother used to work for.
The narrator is a dreamer and good at translating for her parents.
She translates various documents and instructions for her Spanish-speaking parents.
The narrator thinks in English but speaks in Spanish.
She often finds herself missing words in both English and Spanish.
The narrator has been called derogatory names such as 'Wetback', 'Spic', and 'Beaner'.
She became a statistic after dropping out of high school.
Despite dropping out, the narrator continues to be a writer.
The narrator learned to write on her own, inspired by authors like Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, and Julia Alvarez.
These authors are all brown girls born into Spanish-speaking backgrounds and later translated into English.
The narrator's parents knew what they needed and immigrated to achieve it.
The narrator is still a dreamer and is slowly becoming a doer.
She embraces her skin color as it adds to her beauty.
Transcripts
I am brown girl Daughter of border hoppers
Mami cleans houses too fancy for us to live in
Papi parks cars too nice to ever dream of I am one of three sisters
Men yell Welfare
At Mami When they see us
I am Latina I like reading
I like writing This is funny to other Latinos
Because time is meant For more important things
Like, cooking Or cleaning
Or helping Mami Cause she works too hard for us
I am Jessica This name borrowed
Used to belong to a rich girl Mami once worked for
I am a dreamer Not so good at doing.
What I am good at is: Translating things for my parents
Letters School notes
Landlord phone calls Work instructions
Traffic Directions Prescriptions
I think in English But my tongue is dressed in Spanish
I am always missing A word for something
In either language I’ve been called many things
Wetback, Spic
Beaner Sometimes even
Illegal I became a statistic
When I dropped out of high school But I am still a writer
I learned to do This all on my own
Nose pressed Into
Sandra Cisneros Isabel Allende
Julia Alvarez All brown girls
All born into Spanish And then translated
Just like me Daughter
Of two people Who knew what they needed
And transplanted themselves Just to get it
I am still a dreamer And
Am slowly growing Into a doer
And my skin color, well, my skin color
Only makes it That much more beautiful
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