Chang1

Jasper Chang Professor Wingate English 11B 19 April, 2013 It Is Too Good To Be True Hector Tobar, the author of The Tattooed Soldier, narrated two Guatemalans, Guillermo Longoria and Antonio Bernal. Their fates were based on true events. Coincidently, both of the characters has some fantasy about America. The United States has always been a top choice for foreign immigrants. This is a land where you and your children can have a better life. Therefore, the idea of the American Dream has occurred: the United States is a place where you can live safely and happily. There are always numerous job opportunities around you. And as long as you work hard, your dreams are tangible. But, has this promising idea not changed at all based on the reality? In many outsiders minds, the United States gives them an impression of this place can guarantee you a wonderful life In Tobars book, Guillermo Longoria was a soldier in the Guatemalan Army. When he was young, Longoria had seen movies about America. There was one time when he snuck into heater because he was so desperate to see the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, He looked up at E.T. and marveled at the movies wide, clean streets and the impossibly large houses (Tobar 34). The Hollywood had done a great job on promoting the United State is the ideal place to live in. Although the film was not being truly honest, it was fairly reasonable because no one wants to present bad parts of the town. Then, the movie continued:

Chang2

But he had never seen a movie with a house like this, room after room filed with televisions and toys, closets packed with more clothes than anyone could wear in a lifetime, a cornucopia of gadgets and appliances. It made sense that the Extra-Terrestrial would go to the United States. (Tobar 34) Longoria was amazed by the materials that were present in front of face. He was jealous of American children. Their extravagant lifestyle had shocked me. Those children never needed worry about necessities because they had got them all. At this moment, the United States had become a wonderland to Longoria. Longoria was one of the recruits that was invited to a U.S. Amy base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for some special training. He was impressed by everything when he stepped on the American soil, now they were in the United States, and Longoria was already impressed by the size and breadth of the place, its insistent orderliness. Not a single piece of trash on the ground, not a single pothole in the road, the highway a black strip perfection. The highway had traffic lights (Tobar 215). Everything was new and fresh to him. He was glad and felt fortunate because he had a chance to escape from the box (Guatemala) for awhile and explore the world. He admired this superb country and asked: How could anyone even think of opposing this country and what it stood for? The guerrilla snipers he had fought would lay down their arms in an instant if they came here and saw what were up against. Longoria laughed at the thought of these Communists in the hills who had no idea of this limitless arsenal of tanks and armored personnel carriers and God knew what else. Idiots! If they came here they would see the futility of fighting the will of a country with so much strength and wealth. (Tobar 216)

Chang3

It did not make much sense to Longoria about why would the Communists try to fight off this powerful country. The United States, at least in North Carolina, was full of greatness and surprises. Based on the U.S. military strength, Longoria thought no one could touch this invincible country. The United States was a spectacular country in Longorias mind until he came to Los Angeles. He found Los Angeles obnoxious and stated, when life in Los Angeles seemed complicated and messy, when nothing made sense, he tried to remember that army base in a place called North Carolina, the promise and perfection of a city run by professional soldiers (Tobar 214). He now missed the old days in North Carolina, where he thought it was the ideal place for his American dream. To him, Los Angeles is a filthy and lawless city. The area that he lived in was horrible, and streets were full of drug addicts and homeless people, when they first arrived in the alley the tecatos slept in the open air, with a piece of cardboard or a blanket thrown over them. After a few weeks they brought boxes and plastic milk crates to build snug little shelters, then some sheets of plywood to fashion a crude lean-to against the wall (Tobar 23). Those beautiful images that he saw form the movie E.T. were all just utopian dreams. Los Angeles was a giant slum in his eyes. Later, Longoria went to visit his old army friend. His friend mourned and told Longoria, The gangs. They shot at the security guard. The school was for little kids, but it had a security guard. Lopez put an index finger just under his eyelid and pulled down the skin, creating a pink crescent. Aqui, he said. Thats where the bullet hit my son (Tobar 196). Los Angeles was full of criminals, and the law enforcement was corrupt as well. Longoria felt that his life was endangered. He friend, a true warrior, has got taken by his sons death in this dreadful city.

Chang4

On the other hand, Antonio Bernal, a college student in Guatemala, had a different thought of Los Angeles: Years ago, when Antonio lived in Guatemala, he had an electric idea of Los Angeles. It was a place of vibrant promises, with sun-tanned women in bikinis and men carrying ice chests brimming with beer. I was a city of handsome, fit young people, all with a bounce in their step. Long before he set foot in the country, Antonio felt that he knew California because hed seen it come to life over and over again on his television set. In Antonios homeland, the words Los Angeles sparkled, like sunlight glimmering off a mountain lake. (Tobar 41) Antonio had pictured Los Angeles as a perfect place for vacations. Although he had never been to Los Angeles in person, he absorbed that fabulous information via media. Media is a strong way to convey information, whether it is true or false. A person would just accept it as the way it is because he or she probably did not have reference to confirm with. During that time, Antonio and his wife, Elena, had fled to the rural area because a civil was occurring. According to "A Chance at Justice in Guatemala," it was, a war that systematically kills civilians, silences generations of ideas, displaces millions and pits neighbors against one another quite exceeds the boundaries of the juridicial imagination (Weld 1). The true motivation of moving to the United States for them was not the money, but a guarantee of safety. They were both revolutionists. In other words, they were exactly what the government was hunting for. Presumably, the first shelter came across Elenas mind was the United States. She one asked, I have an idea. I was something she had been nurturing for weeks, waiting for the appropriate moment to share it with him. Maybe we could go to Los Angeles. I have a

Chang5

cousin who lives there. We could stay with her until we got settled. We could go to California (Tobar 124). Since she had family in California could support them for awhile, this place could not be any more perfect. However, Antonio rejected the idea reluctantly, I wont cross like an illegal and then go to work washing dishes, he said sourly. And I wont have my wife clean houses. Thats what our people do when they go over there. Even educated people. They wash dishes. They take care of other peoples babies. Its not dignified (Tobar 124). When you are educated, you tend to have higher self-esteem. Generally, college education is a promise of getting high-paying jobs. Antonio did not think it was a good idea to squander his skills on basic labor work. But moving to an unfamiliar country is a whole different story, especially with the language barrier. Antonio had realized the difficulty when he entered the United States, In Spanish, I sound like the intelligent person I really am. In English, I am a bus boy (Tobar 4). Because of that, Antonio could only get hired as a low-pay labor. However, Los Angeles was full of competitions, as result, you always get the job. Therefore, the homeless immigrant phenomena has become more and more common. Antonio was surprised, refugees. That was the term for people who lived like this, in makeshift tents, on barren ground. This was something new. He did not know that gringos could be refugees (Tobar 41). Now, no matter what kind of job there is, as long as he gets paid, he is thankful and graceful for it. Antonio confided, to have lifted dirty dishes, poured coffee, and worn a servants brown uniform was nothing to be ashamed of (Tobar 4). Many immigrants have become hopeless based on the cruel reality. Bob Confer, the author of "Illegal Immigrants Take American Jobs," has suggest that, many supporters of amnesty and unchecked immigration will

Chang6

say that such an assumption is unrealistic because the illegals are supposedly doing jobs that Americans wont do (Confer 2). Most of the immigrants are willing to to anything that can keep them out of the street and not have to worry about food and daily necessity. Nevertheless, some immigrants have become successful in the United States as well. Jose Juan was Antonios companion. There was once when Jose ran into his old friend, Lopez form hometown. His old friend had some nice dress with clean face and hair cut. Lopez told Jose with much excitement: Ive been working in a machine shop, he said with false humility. Im making so much money, mano, its embarrassing. I shouldnt tell you, but I know youll get it out of me eventually. Fifteen dollars and hour! Can you believe it? I still cant. Im in the union, though, so they take out a little chunk for that. Plus, the payment on the Chevy and the rent for my condominio arent cheap either,. You know how it is. You come to this country and you make lots of money, but somehow you end spending it all (Tobar 70). Despite Lopezs good life, I would assume he was the minority of overall immigrant population. Many people are still seeking are their ideal life. This is a competitive world, and it is not hard to believe not everyone will be successful. The American Dream is more like an old-fashion way of thinking to me. It is an illusion. It does not guarantee a successful life. Yet, the American Dream is still tangible. You just need to find the right key that would unlock the door in front of you, and work your way through it until you reach that point.

Chang7

Work Cited Confer, Bob. "Illegal Immigrants Take American Jobs." Illegal Immigration. Ed. Nol Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Unemployment and Illegal Immigration." New American (19 July 2010). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. Tobar, Hector. The Tattooed Soldier. New York: Penguin, 2000. Print. Weld, Kirsten. "A Chance at Justice in Guatemala." New York Times 4 Feb. 2013: A19(L). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.