Journal #4

Comparative Critic

“My People Are the Color of the Earth” by Alma Luz Villanueva

S: Someone of Mexican descent
O: Revealing her family background
A: Anyone interested in culture
P: Conveying culture or customs of that culture
S: Culture or family
Tone: Revealing, Reminiscent

This poem is about a person of Mexican descent who is reminiscent about her culture and her family. She tells about her aunt who is from Sonora, a state in Mexico. She remembers her interactions with her aunt and reveals her aunt’s family background. The poem is written in three different parts. The first part is the present and has its own form. The second part shifts to the right as it goes down as the author describes the past and her relationship with her aunt. The last part just goes down and tells of her aunt’s background. The poem tells about the aunts culture and her racial identity; also her aunt’s interactions with people of other races. This poem reminds me about a political poem, but about Native Americans. The poem describes the descent and loss of the Native American culture due to their assimilation to the American culture. The poem critiques the stereotype of Native Americans who drink and sell their culture in order to drink and it is sold back to them through the white man. Both poems hold historical context and reveal something about a culture. Although one is more critical, they convey the message about not forgetting about one’s culture and to always hold on to it.