10. Ethan Week 10- I Do Not Want to Say This Country Is Not My Home
The poem “I Do Not Want to Say This Country Is Not My Home", by Javier Zamora is a poem about the author, Javier, who discusses his life as a refugee from Mexico discovering his new “home”, the United States, with his family and learning about the new culture. He discusses his mother’s difficulty with learning the English language. His mother mixes up words like “cologne” and “perfume” and an arrogant white man says to her, “learn English you damn foreigner”. I have serious doubts that this particular scene actually happened and think the author was trying to make a point that the family struggled with new race relations as well when moving here to the U.S.
I thought the lesson the author learned from his grandmother about how “history is a stray dog [and] it survives no matter how little we feed it” was slightly strange and I do not fully understand what the connection is to the poem. I did think it was interesting that the author explained why he became an American refugee poet: to become “a connector of worlds”, which he describes as both the role of a writer and refugee. I liked how Javier’s main purpose for taking up writing for a living was to help his grandmother better integrate into their new society’s culture and become more familiar with the English language. Throughout the poem, Javier discusses his close relationship with his grandmother and even mentions that if she were to die he would die with her. This relationship reminded me of mine with my grandmother from Israel, Who visits me a lot and I love spending time with her. We always have so much fun together, whether it is playing Rummikub, going bowling, playing piano, or eating ice cream, we always have a blast!
Finally, I think that it is very difficult sometimes for new immigrant families to adapt to the different cultures of the countries they flee to. How difficult do you think it would be for you to move to another country, learn a new language, meet new people, and adjust to cultural changes? Did Javier’s close relationship with his grandmother remind you of your close relationship with either a family member or friend? Why do you think Javier used the title “I Do Not Want to Say This Country Is Not My Home"?
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/javier-zamora
Hi Ethan! I can't imagine how difficult it must be to move to another country with a completely different culture and language. I think it would definitely take years to adjust and learn a new language and lifestyle. Javier's close relationship with his grandmother reminded me of my close relationships with my family also! In general, I can't imagine living without my family and grandparents. They all do so much for me and I feel so lucky to have them in my life. There are probably many different interpretations of the title of the poem, but I think it means wanting so badly to fit into a new country but having to overcome the struggles that make it frustrating/hard to do so.
ReplyDeleteHey Ethan! I can kind of relate to Javier, as I know what it's like to move to a brand new country with a new language, society, and overall culture. I know how it can affect your relationships with family and friends, and how it can affect your ability to socialize and expand in your new country. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for Javier to leave behind his family, childhood friends, and the overall way of life that he has had since he can remember.
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