Puerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri Essay - 598 Words

In 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 hard workers, even though they did not get compensated for it, â€Å"They worked They were always on time They were never late They never spoke back when they were insulted They worked They never took days off that were not on the calendar They never†¦show more content†¦As Pietri has put it, â€Å"Juan Miguel Milagros Olga Manuel All died yesterday today and will die again tomorrow Dreaming Dreaming about queens Clean-cut lily-white neighborhood Puerto Ricanless scene Thirty-thousand-dollar home The first spics on the block Proud to belong to a community of gringos who want them lynched Proud to be a long distance away from the sacred phrase: Que Pasa.† Without question, they (Puerto Ricans) are not supposed to be economically secure especially not to live in a suburban area like Queens. Only whites fit into that lifestyle. Also, the Puerto Ricans’ are discriminated because they cannot speak the English language. To blend into the American culture they learn it for example, â€Å"Secondhand shit for sale learn how to say Como Esta Usted and you will make a fortune They are dead They are dead and will return from the dead until they stop neglecting the art of their dialogue for broken English lessons to impress the mister goldsteins who keep them employed as lavaplatos porters messenger boys factory workers maids stock clerks shipping clerks assistant mailroom assistant†¦because is against the company policy to promote SPICS SPICS SPICS.† They are transforming into an AmericanShow MoreRelatedPuerto Rican Obituary By Pedro Pietri1185 Words   |  5 PagesIn 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, focusingRead MoreComparison Of Puerto Rican Obituary And Pedro Pietri967 Words   |  4 Pageswere not t he 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 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