Literature & Composition
Essay #1
June 26, 2011

Assimilation into American society: “Immigrants” written by Pat Mora In the poem, “Immigrants”, it talks about how immigrants want their children to be welcomed into American society. They will do whatever they need to, to get their children to be as American as possible; even if they lose some of their own culture in the process. The poem, “Immigrants” by Pat Mora, has many underlying themes. The main theme of how immigrants assimilate into American culture has a deep connection to freedom and responsibility. This poem is all about freedom and responsibility that the immigrants have to their children. They want to be able to give their children what they never had. In exchange,
In order to fit in among Americans they must be able to speak English which means leaving behind their native language. The immigrants feel as though they must hide their culture in order for their children to be accepted. By the immigrants doing this, they actually take away some of their children’s freedoms themselves. They make their own children feel as though they can’t be proud of their culture in a place where everyone is supposed to be welcomed. They feel as if they must make a small sacrifice so that they can have more freedoms. The children of the immigrants truly are not free if they cannot be themselves. The poem, “Immigrants” by Pat Mora, has three strong themes that shine throughout the poem. Each one of them has their own connection to freedom and responsibility. Immigrants feel responsible for their children’s well-being which includes being able to give them more freedom than they had growing up. They feel that their children deserve the best and they will do what they need to achieve it. They will even dissolve their own culture to be more like Americans. The immigrants essentially are taking away their children’s freedoms just like governments do. Will the immigrant’s children ever really be free?

Works Cited
Mora, Pat. "Immigrants." Literature and Ourselves. Ed. New York: Pearson Education , 2009.