Puerto Rican Obituary By Pedro Pietri - 1185 Words

In â€Å"Puerto Rican Obituary† by Pedro Pietri, the author takes his readers on a journey of the oppressive life of a Puerto Rican immigrant. He describes a vicious cycle of stagnancy in which immigrants work endlessly without reward. Hopeful every day that the American dream they once imagined would come to fruition, but instead they are continually faced with trials and turmoil on every hand. Instead of uniting as a body to work towards greatness, the immigrants grow envious of each other, focusing on what they lack instead of the blessings that they currently attain. Contrary to the ideals of early immigrants, Pietri portrays Puerto Rico to be the homeland. The ideals of early immigrants have drastically changed throughout the development of America. Petri paints a completely different picture of America throughout his poem. Early immigrants describe an America that is welcoming, with endless opportunities, and a safe haven. Despite earlier depictions of the immigrant expe rience, these ideals are challenged because they weren’t integrated into society, were inadequately rewarded for hard work, and were disadvantaged due to their socioeconomic status. Immigrants came to America with hopes to be accepted and make an honest contribution to the country’s advancement. Instead they were ostracized and segregated. Pietri states, â€Å"thirty-thousand dollar home, the first spics on the block proud to belong to a community of gringos who want them lynched† (106-108). Although someShow MoreRelatedComparison Of Puerto Rican Obituary And Pedro Pietri967 Words   |  4 Pageswere not the only problem. Pedro Pietri’s Puerto Rican Obituary and Wanda Coleman’s South Central Los Angeles Death Trip, 1982 shed light on what minorities face, with some stylistic differences. Pietri’s Puerto Rican Obituary focuses on the problems that the Latino community faces. Although the poem focuses on Puerto Ricans living in New York City, the lifestyle and events can be generalized to Latinos across the United States. There are two major themes Pietri highlights in his poem. TheRead MorePuerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri Essay598 Words   |  3 PagesIn Puerto Rican Obituary, the Puerto Rican people from New York City struggle to attain the â€Å"American Dream† a dream that is unreal. The American dream was intended for people of European descent, and sadly a cycle of Puerto Rican people overworked treated unfairly, were influenced by media symbols, and lived unfair housing system along with racial discrimination. Hence, the Puerto Rican community kept dreaming or died not accomplishing the American dream. Pietri points out, Puerto Rican’s were hardRead MoreLatino Assimilation to American Culture1291 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature that we can analyze how and why Latin Americans work to blend into American culture. One such scholar is Pedro Pietri, a Puerto Rican who came to New York with his family. Pietri’s family was one of thousands to move to New York in the nineteen-forties seeking wealth and a slice of the ‘American dream’. Pietri’s first and most significant piece, â€Å"Puerto Rican Obituary† gave a profound insight into what life was like for the so called Nuyoricans. Nuyoricans were considered second classRead MoreSocial Injustice: Invisibility and Suppression Among Minorities1254 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature takes a similar approach to grappling the injustices forced upon them by society. Author Pedro Pietri, examines the treatment of his race in his poem Puerto Rican Obituary. In this poem, Pietri, critically analyzes the mistreatment and underrepresentation of Hispanics in the American work force. Pietri claims, â€Å"[Hispanics are] Proud to belong to a community / of gringos who want them lynched† (Pietri lines 107-108).The poem trans lates the ironic shared dream among Hispanics: assimilation into