American Me The film; American Me is an epic depiction of 30 years of Chicano gang life in Los Angeles, California. The movie focuses on the life of a 1950s teen named Montoya Santana, who forms a gang with his close friends. The gang is arrested for a break-in, and sentenced to time in juvenile hall. Santana finds trouble on his first night in juvenile hall and goes from juvenile hall to prison for 18 years. There he created and led a powerful gang that operated both inside and outside the prison. When released from Folsom Prison, he tries to make sense of the violence in his life, in a world that has changed greatly. Inspired by a true story, the film provides a fictionalized account of the founding and rise to . His associates saw this internal struggle as weakness. Santana’s challenges in society were appropriate socialization and healthy behavior in romantic relationships. After a short time on the outside, Santana is arrested, and returned to prison. It is here that Santana’s life ends. He is brutally murdered by his gang associates for not going along with a decision. The Santana family lived in the same home in the barrios (ghetto) of East Los Angeles for some 30 years, their economic status described as poor working class. Santana’s’ parents were Mexican American. Santana’s ethnicity is partially unknown, as he was born as a product of his mothers’ rape. Some of Santana’s strengths were his strong family and neighborhood ties, his abilities to organize and lead people, his loyalty, and pride. He also had a very sensitive side to him, which was deep, poetic, and soulful. The primary presenting issues of the character Santana are: He comes from a background of poverty, lacking education and job skills. His neighborhood role models and leaders were gangbangers or Zoot Suitors. He spent most of his life institutionalized in prison and lacks socialization skills, such as knowing how to buy a pair of shoes or how to go about build relationship with a woman. He has never had a healthy sexual relationship and his sexual
His so-called “holiday” should be abolished and a new one called First Americans Day. I feel that if America wants to represent themself as a free country that Christopher Columbus should not be recognized as a hero. I think that Christopher Columbus was not the man we learned about in elementary school and that we are taught to praise him when he was a fraud. I feel that we learn in a Euro-centric style and not from an American perspective (Document 2 ¶1). We hide the true history of Christopher…
This experience has impacted me the most because I live in a brand new country which is not at all like my home, American culture has changed me and that coming to America has taught me to appreciate what I have. One of the biggest changes of living in America is the fact that I live in a whole new country that is completely different. If I hadn’t come to America I never would've met my current friends that I have been friends with since I first came. This has impacted me because I feel like my friends define me. America has a lot of things that India doesn’t…
the current political environment, the question “What does it mean to be an American” is one that really caused me to think and reflect deeply. And while some are vowing to “Make America Great Again”, I think there are already a number of things that already make America great and make me proud to be an American. Early on, our founding fathers suggested through the Constitution that at its core, what it meant to be American was simply “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” That’s a fairly…
112 The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that began shortly after World War I, during a time where many African Americans were seeking racial justice and equality. As at this time there was a new concept of the "Negro” that began to arise against common stereotypes that whites perceived to be a part of African American culture. Although this perception shift of the new "Negro" concept wasn’t just concentrated in one part of the country, Harlem, New York served as…
What is the typical American Dream? The typical American Dream to me is being on the hunt for money. Being able to have the ability to purchase a big house, and to have fancy cars with a perfect family to share it with without having any worries. I asked my parents what their dream for me was and it was a lot similar to the American Dream that I had. They planned for me to be successful and be the best at whatever career I pursue and be the best at it. My American Dream is somewhat similar to…
Cassandra H. Ivey American Literature July 8, 2012 My Life will Speak For Me When I had to choose a topic to write a response for this time, it was difficult to find something positive to write a respond on. Being an African American Woman and looking back through history I found myself sadden by the details of what happened in our history. The Harlem Renaissance, for instance grieved me to read some of the poems, short stories stating what happened during that era, and how many lives were…
in Las Vegas is a travelogue of sorts, due to the blurred lines between fiction and non-fiction, which deeply explores the status of the American Dream during the early 70’s, specifically 1971. Thompson states this purpose within the first three chapters of the book in the line, “Because I want you to know that we’re on our way to Las Vegas to find the American Dream.” (F&L pg 6) Although Thompson states in the beginning of the book that, “Our trip was different. It was a classic affirmation…
My American Dream The American Dream is a complex idea that has changed over time. Many Americans and immigrants have tried to achieve the American Dream and failed to do so. The American Dream is the idea that if you work hard and get educated you will attain wealth, materials, and a higher status. However, I think there’s more to an American Dream than just wealth and materials mainly. My American Dream consists of financial stability as all others but aside from that I would like to live a simple…
To be American Essay To me too be American is too always Improve life for for one’s self and one’s family. My mom has helped me and my siblings through life by working job at her job, making sure we go to school, keeping food in the fridge and keeping us out of trouble. From her guidance, I plan on going to college and getting a job to make life even better for me and my family in the future. To be American means to work hard for things you want and need. To me this means nothing is guaranteed…
I can be the first Korean-American Female president of the United States of America, I can find the cure the cancer, I can find world peace and I can be what I set out to be without letting any structural factors make an impact on what I do. I believe that whatever I do, I will do it with passion or not at all. When I say that I’ll change the world, even if they are small changes, to others it could mean a lot; changing one life at a time. I can confidently say, that everyone to his or her own struggles…