City of Immigrants
America was only 17 years old when she first left Mexico with Candido. He promised a better life for her and their little family if she went with him to the U.S. She agreed, hoping to live a happy life with a home and a healthy family. Considering how young she was, it had to be hard on her to leave her family altogether. She did it so that her child could have a better life. Although she endured so much she never gave up and that is what makes her stand out the most in this story. She represents those who come to America in hopes of a better future and keep pushing despite everything they have been through.
In the Imperial Valley, we see a lot of families struggling to make ends meet and go through things like in The Tortilla Curtain. I believe it's important to read this story so that you get a glimpse into the lives of so many people. Readers will learn how to lend a helping hand and learn to appreciate how fortunate they truly are. This will open peoples eyes to the harsh reality that goes on behind closed doors.
I had heard "City of Immigrants" by Steve Earle a couple years ago but I hadn't really payed attention to it. What initially drew me in, was the artist's name, his name sounded very familiar so I checked out a few of his songs. I had discovered this one but it didn't really catch my attention. I think the reason for this was because I had focused more on the beat than the actual lyrics. After reading the Tortilla Curtain and having to look for a song to represent it, this song immediately came to mind. After actually acknowledging the lyrics and analyzing them, I listen to it from a different perspective. He wrote on a few of the hardships immigrants go through when first moving to this country.
I believe the name of the song has a deeper meaning than people realize. The name symbolizes the immigrants in America and how they are more often than not, one of the things that keep this country running efficiently. They take the jobs nobody else wants. The jobs that require mentally strong people that are hard working. Although so many people have their own opinions about this subject, nobody can deny the fact that the majority of these immigrants are some of the most hard working individuals out there. They come to a country where they have to start from scratch, many not even knowing the language, and work non stop for a better future. This song contains the use of anaphoras. The majority of the song speaks on the "city" and names something new to compare it to. They all begin with the phrase "The city is...". This really brings it all together and makes it easier for people to understand the meaning behind this song.
| Steve Earle: "City of Immigrants" | T.C. Boyle: Nation of Immigrants |
|
City of sweat |
Crouching there behind the corrugated iron fence, her mouth dry and racing, she waited through the long night till the coyote gave the word... two thirds of their savings had gone to this man (59). |
|
Livin' in a city where the dreams of men |
Even at their lowest, even in Tijuana in the dump they'd be able to scrape together a few centavos to buy steamed corn and caldo from the street vendors... "I'm not touching that, that shit" (238). |
|
City of bone |
"You want to burn?" he shouted, and the grip on her arm was punishing. "You want to die?"... "Yes," she hissed. "Yes, I do."(277). |