Zamora 1

Rigoberto Zamora

Professor Batty

English 128

25 April 2018

Bilingualism strikes self identity.

For some reasons, people learn different languages apart from their mother main voice.

Multiple studies show that bilingualism has an impact on people’s sense of identity. Language

and context are some factors that give people a sense of identity. Speaking a language of the

majority in a context gives one a sense of belonging and he/she can identify with people of that

culture (Gang, and Epstein 54). English speakers have a different sense of identity from French

speakers. If an American learns French and stays in France, he will learn an understanding and

appreciation for their culture that will impact his sense of identity. In some cases, it causes

identity confusion. However, bilingualism affects one’s sense of identity.

Languages is one of the important ways through which people express culture. The use of

a language gives attraction and connection to a certain culture. When people learn other different

languages, they embrace and get connected to the culture of person who speaks that language.
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The Gracia sisters moved to New York after a political situation. They learned a new language,

English, which is different from their native language in the Dominican Republic. While in the

US, the sisters learned and embrace the American culture. Yolanda encounters an identity

situation when she goes to the Dominican Republic. The separation of the sisters from their

home country made them forget how to acted in that environment. When the teens get used to the

American teen life, they find it difficult to stay with their overprotective parents on the Island

during summer holidays. It is obvious that the American culture gives them the freedom to be

themselves while their parents are always protecting them from non-existent things that they

aren’t used to while in America.

Bilingualism causes a conflict to balance divided identity (Gang, and Epstein 61). The

home identity always remains even if people move to a different place, especially when they

move at a time when children have already identified with the native culture. Luis refers to

Yolanda’s idea of a whole unified self as “onomastic displacement.” (Alvarez 50-55). This idea

motivates Yolanda’s desire to question her double identity, to combine and clarify, and also to

make good connections to her condition. She completed her goals by writing and even when she

was young, she showed her English skills during the Teachers’ day were she sounds like herself

in we speaking English in her class. Yolanda goes through her struggle of identity problem
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through writing. According to Barak, the writing process aims to unite the fragments of

Yolanda’s identity. This section explains that bilingualism can cause identity confusion and

maintain both identities requires efforts.

Bilingualism has both negative and positive effects. When people start learning a new

language, they find it difficult to learn the new culture. The new culture might affect their

development before they learn and appreciate it. Culture impact is also a negative effect of

bilingualism since the person learning a new language has not identified with the culture that the

new language represents (Niño-Murcia and Rothman 25). Alvarez shows this idea when the

bullies in school attack Carla, and a pedophile stalks her. These events take place since she is

new in the place the bullies are aware she is not familiar with the area around yet. Yoyo freaks

out when she sees snow for the first time. Asandi finds it weird when a woman makes a move on

her dad. These are things that are happening in a new culture, different from what the girls were

used to back in the Dominican Republic. These events do not help their movement to a new

language and culture. However, the girls later get used to life in New York and start performing

well in other parts of life their lives.

Bilingualism has a positive effect on self-esteem (Niño-Murcia and Rothman 21). Self-

esteem relates to understanding and appreciation of who a person is. Studies have shown that
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people who can use the identity crisis that comes from bilingualism develop self-esteem. They

manage to deal with questions where the two cultures conflict and deal with conditions that are

similar. Their arguments are based on a strong understanding and considerations of both cultures,

and they make possible decisions. Sandi has artistic talent. However, when she finds the husband

of her teacher doing naughty things with his sculptures but this does not affect her talent. Carla

realizes how her mechanical bank will be significant to one of the maids and she gives it to her.

She feels bad when her parents fire a maid with for stealing something. From these actions, it is

clear that the girls have understood both cultures well and they can make big steps forward and

good judgments.

Bilingualism helps a person to grow beyond cultural traditions. It helps the person to use

the culture of the new language to look for opportunities that were missing in the other culture. It

helps self-understanding of personal characteristic and potential that was denied in the other

culture. Alvarez shows how the move to New York enhanced the empowerment of women in the

Story.

The womens in the book get empowering chances when they move to New York. Mami

explores a small job with not much interest and ends up getting the title of creative genius to her

daughter Yoyo. Alvarez only mentions Sandi’s artistic talent when she is in New York. She is
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the best in her de la Torre children art under the training of the art teacher, Dona Charito. Later

she catches the husband of her teacher doing naughty things to the sculptures, her passion for art

does not stop there because of that.

While in the Dominican Republic, the book only mentions Trujillo’s secret police almost

arrest Carlos for political issues. This means that only men were involved in politics. The author

does not cite any details of women empowerment when the family stayed in their home country.

However, when they move to New York, they start doing other activities apart from staying

home. Aside from the challenges the women go through in the new culture, they manage to get

what they want. This shows that culture can influence the women development and

Empowerment.

Alvarez uses a story of a family that moves from the Dominican Republican to New York

to bring out various themes. First, the book illustrates how bilingualism influences a person’s

sense of identity. When people learn a new language, they also embrace a new culture that gives

them a new sense of identity, which might conflict with the early sense of identity. Alvarez

illustrates that bilingualism can have positive and negative effects. At first, before people learn a

culture associated with a language, they go through difficult times. When they master the culture,

life becomes easy. Bilingualism enhances self-esteem and can present opportunities to explore
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and enhance abilities and potential that was unexploited in the other culture. The women in the

story undergo a transformation that makes them successful after they understand the New York

culture.