My reponse to La Misma Luna Questions:
Rosario left her son in Mexico to be with his Granny, to find a better life in America for him. Opportunities are available in America and it is very difficult for an illegal immigrant to get a VISA for one person, let alone a mother and son. Rosario had the intention of obtaining her VISA and then bringing her son into America, so he can live the life of opportunity. It was difficult for Rosario to find work as an illegal immigrant, which took the process of saving money and paying for a lawyer longer.
I think this was a very hard decision for Rosario to make. She wants to provide the best life for Carlito, but is limited on time due to her mother being sick. As a mother, she is faced with the decision to be there for him as a child or leave him to get into America, to make his future a better life. For Carlito, this is very hard to understand, because he doesn't think about the future; he misses and wants his mother now.
Carlito was lonely without his mother, and he had never met his father, so the only person he had was his Granny. Carlito's Granny was very sick and he took care of her on a daily basis. Carlito's neighbors (who turn out to be his Aunt Joseana and Uncle Manuel), place pressure on Carlito to come live with them. Carlito works with Carmen to save money for his future. His highlight of the week is waiting for Rosario's phone call from a phone booth.
Rosario decision was one of the toughest decisions she has had to make in her life. She missed Carlito, and he was her life. She would do anything she could to make his life better for him, even if that meant sneaking into America and working illegally. Rosario was taken advantage of, and did not have the same rights as Americans because she was an immigrant. Rosario might have been thousands of miles away from Carlito's but she worked every second for him. She pushed aside the chance of meeting a man and falling in love to concentrate on saving her money. Carlito was her world and she was determined to be a good mother by providing him with better opportunities.
I don't think a mother in the United States would have to make the same choice, unless in extreme circumstances, such as placing the child in danger if she didn't leave the country. Some Americans do not realize that in other countries food, water, shelter, education, medicine, and not to mention out luxury items such as cars, well-paid jobs, colleges, shopping stores are not available to everyone. At this time, American's have the opportunity to go anywhere in the fifty states to find a better life. I do believe that anywhere in the world, mothers do what is best for their children. It is a mothers natural instinct to protect her offspring in any and every way possible. I don't think American mothers would be faced with this decision in particular, but are faced with other difficult decisions to make.
Great posting and picture. Thank you for dividing your posting by paragraphs makes it so easy to understand your answers.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about your sentence "She pushed aside the chance of meeting a man and falling in love to concentrate on saving her money"
Do you think after meeting Carlitos in LA she would change her mind about falling in love?
Tara, Research Interest and Scholarly Agenda, is actually your professor in case you were wondering.
ReplyDeleteTARA'S QUOTE:
ReplyDelete1) "As a mother, she is faced with the decision to be there for him as a child or leave him to get into America, to make his future a better life. For Carlito, this is very hard to understand, because he doesn't think about the future; he misses and wants his mother now."
COMMENT: I think that both Rosario and Carlitos were fully engaged with thoughts of the FUTURE and how making MONEY would help them to be together sooner rather than later. I beleive that Carlitos was working with Carmen to save $$$ to allow him to cross into US and be with his mother. Remember the promise Carmen made to both Carlitos's grandmother and Rosario that she would not help him to immigrate to US illegally. Also Carlitos was working with Carmen without permission or his grandmothers knowledge. I think the only reason the plan to cross came earlier was d/t the death of his grandmother and the fear of being taken away by the young couple at his birthday party. These 2 factors initiated Carlitos to put his plan into action "NOW" with very limited funds which posed more dangers to him.
TARA'S QUOTE:
2) "She pushed aside the chance of meeting a man and falling in love to concentrate on saving her money."
COMMENT: I don't know if I would interpret that Rosario pushed the chance of meetting a man and falling in love. I think that she was in a relationship with Paco, and that it she wasn't yet to the point in the relationship to call it "love". I believe that Rosario did have real feelings for Paco and that if the story would have gone on Paco and Rosario would eventually married and raised Carlitos together. I am a romantic, what can I say? I also think that Rosario was not able to use Paco's feelings for her allow her to use Paco even with the open invitation by him to do so.
Nice job Tara! Im truelly impressed with your blog page!! It's obvious to me that you are not only younger than me but far superior in your computer skills.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with most of your posting. But you commented on how Rosario sacrificed a love for a man to save money for Carlitos safe arrival to the States is of some interest to me.
Are you referring to her friendship with Pacos? It is my observation that, that relationship would be one of convience. By marrying him, he being legal, would give her the opportunity for a green card and/or legal status to be in the States. Then Carlitos would be permitted to cross the border safely. Although she was pressured by her friend to enter into this arrangement,she ultimately declined his offer and opted for a later love. I personally applaude this decision for it took great strength to bow out of an easy in for Carlito.
I believe in happy endings and it's my hope with Rosario and Carlitos finally together; she would be in a place to persue true completness for herself.
I look forward to meeting you in class on Tuesday!
Tara I really enjoyed your posting with the pictures and information. I believe that Rosario mad a very hard decison to leave her son with her mother in Mexico. Many things happened to prevent her from getting Carlitos over to America. I believe that Carlitos and his mother were working together to save money to get him there. You mentioned how Rosario would not give into finding love for herself, she had so much love for her son that she could not fall in love herself, even when Paco offered her life as an American since he was legal and marrying him would give them the stablity that they needed.I believe that you touched on alot of emotions that Rosario was going through, when she and Carlitos finally meet in L.A. they should have a happy ending and maybe she could let Paco into her life.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Tara! I've already left my official response on Neringa's blog, but wanted you to know that I really liked your post.
ReplyDelete