I read, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” by Jose Antonio Vargas. Vargas uses both examples and instances of showing his real life struggles throughout his story. He gives examples of his experiences because it further strengthens his points and makes the reading more interesting, more personal, and more real. Vargas shares his real life experience in between his explanations and the transition flows smoothly. For example he shares how he realized he was an illegal immigrant the day when he went to the DMV to get his license, and the excitement in his face to the sudden realization when the clerk tells him to leave and to never come back here again. It’s with these stories that Vargas is able to convey multiple angles in his life to connect with the reader.
Vargas begins his story in chronological order from how he got to the United States when he was little to where he stands today. He uses examples backed up with explanations of his concerns throughout his entire life and the fear that he lives with every day to examples of how fear has crept up on him. The one that stood out most to me was the one in which he wanted to go on the choir trip but couldn’t, because he had to fly out of the country for the trip. He hesitated to tell his choir teacher on why he couldn’t go and at first told her that he couldn’t afford it. But when the teacher told him that she would find a way to get him to go on the trip he ended up telling her the truth. Vargas says, “I don’t have the right passport,” and then corrects himself to, “I can’t get the right passport.” With this short exchange of dialogue used in a short example brings forth many implications. We see just how tough it is for Vargas to explain to people how he is an illegal immigrant and the struggles on who he can tell.
But being an illegal immigrant is just one of the issues Vargas deals with telling other people. The other fact is that Vargas was openly gay with an explanation telling us that he was the only open gay student at school and that it causes his grandparents much grief. Then he goes back into a short story/dialogue discussion through how his grandparents kicked him out of the house and called him an “ang apo no bakla.” It’s the use of both examples of his real life events with explanations that get his message across accurately and personal.
Vargas begins his story in chronological order from how he got to the United States when he was little to where he stands today. He uses examples backed up with explanations of his concerns throughout his entire life and the fear that he lives with every day to examples of how fear has crept up on him. The one that stood out most to me was the one in which he wanted to go on the choir trip but couldn’t, because he had to fly out of the country for the trip. He hesitated to tell his choir teacher on why he couldn’t go and at first told her that he couldn’t afford it. But when the teacher told him that she would find a way to get him to go on the trip he ended up telling her the truth. Vargas says, “I don’t have the right passport,” and then corrects himself to, “I can’t get the right passport.” With this short exchange of dialogue used in a short example brings forth many implications. We see just how tough it is for Vargas to explain to people how he is an illegal immigrant and the struggles on who he can tell.
But being an illegal immigrant is just one of the issues Vargas deals with telling other people. The other fact is that Vargas was openly gay with an explanation telling us that he was the only open gay student at school and that it causes his grandparents much grief. Then he goes back into a short story/dialogue discussion through how his grandparents kicked him out of the house and called him an “ang apo no bakla.” It’s the use of both examples of his real life events with explanations that get his message across accurately and personal.