September 21, 2018

Evan Belk

17950 Lassen Street

Northridge CA, 91325

Dear James,

In my Central American Studies class this year we have been reading a variety of texts about

Central American history and culture, talking of their relevance in our world today. Themes present in

these readings have included transnationalism, identity, community, ethnicity, sexism/racism,

immigration and multiculturalism. Each have touched upon or gone in depth to these things in a variety of

ways with titles such as “Central American Identities”, “Latino studies/Latinidades - Under construction”,

“Undocumented Latinas - The new employable mother” and “Alla en Guatemala”. We also watched a

film called “Maid in America”. Being exposed to all of this material, I started to notice some especially

strong connections between some of the ideas being discussed. However, the works, while not necessarily

contradicting one another, definitely did have their own individual focuses which may have said

something about what the authors or directors thought important for people to become informed about.

The most obvious link in my opinion was between the article “Undocumented Latinas - The new

employable mother” by Grace Chang and the film “Maid in America” by Anayansi Prado. The article

“Undocumented Latinas” focused on the way that the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) had

many unfair practices that prevented Undocumented Latina workers from attaining citizenship, forcing

them into low paying jobs where they would work in bad conditions for more financially stable families,

barely able to support their own children. The film “Maid in America” told the stories of various

immigrant women and how they had to balance their work for middle to upper class families with their

career aspirations, emotions, and care for their own. The two were similar in the sense that they both
focused on the large work force of immigrants, particularly women, that we have in the U.S. and the

impact that the work they do has on their families and own emotional state. In “Undocumented Latinas”,

it is asserted that “While middle- and upper- class women entrust their children and homes to

undocumented immigrant women [...] Some leave their children with family in their home countries,

hoping to earn enough to return, or send money back to them” (Chang, 58). “Maid in America” includes

some women facing this problem, working in homes in the U.S. with children that are not theirs while not

having seen their own perhaps for years at a time. It is clear that both the film and the article take into

account the difficulties of working in a foreign country as an undocumented Latina in regards seeing one's

family or being unable to settle into a stable working situation. One place where the two differ is in

regards to their tone. “Undocumented Latinas” takes a very negative stance, and only this, on the working

life of an undocumented Latina in the U.S. One account told of a woman who “worked on call

twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week as a maid, baby-sitter, cook, and gardener for $50 a month”

(Chang, 56) while another was a case where a woman’s employer “repeatedly raped her, telling her that

he had paid her way here and would have her jailed if she did not submit to him” (Chang, 56). “Maid in

America” on the other hand, has positive aspects including interviews with families saying that you

should pay your domestic workers as much as you are able and the success a woman who was able to

attain a part time job as an insurance agent because of what she had studied in her home country. When

looking at both works side by side, Chang seems to be wanting us to only see the negative aspects as

maybe a call to action for anyone reading, but Prado shows us a bit of both perhaps to give the viewer a

little hope that things can start to turn out alright while also not hiding the reality of the situation’s

underlying difficulties.

Another connection I observed of the works we have covered was that between “Alla en

Guatemala” by Lucila D. Ek and “Latino Studies/Latinidades - Under construction” by Lourdes Torres.

“Alla en Guatemala” consists of a series of interviews done with a Guatemalan female while growing up.
It tells of how she was able to stay in touch with her Guatemalan roots by visiting her home country most

years of her life while still pursuing her dreams in the U.S. and documents her changes in identity as she

grows older. “Latino Studies/Latinidades” talks about how although Central Americans are a rapidly

increasing demographic in the U.S., they still remain relatively invisible, perhaps strategically so, due to

the way that they are lumped in with the majority Latinx or Hispanic population who frequently are

labeled as undocumented. Where the two cross paths is when it comes to the topic of being thought of by

the general public as whatever race the majority or most common Latinx or Hispanic population is. In

“Latinos Studies/Latinidades”, it is said that “In mainstream media and the minds of too many, ‘Latino’ is

synonymous with ‘Mexican’ and all the stereotypical connotations that go along with that category.”

(Torres, 129). Similarly, in “Alla en Guatemala”, it is stated that “‘Latino’ and ‘Hispanic’ have long been

identified with Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. Thus, as Central Americans arrived, the larger

Mexican population subsumed them.” (D. Ek, 69). Both works here are talking about the problem of how

the general public will not take the time to distinguish between the different backgrounds of Latinx or

Hispanic immigrants, instead just putting them under the umbrella category of Mexican based on the way

they look. Where the two differ is when they talk of combating this confining category society has given

immigrants. “Latino Studies/Latinidades” talks of how many Central Americans will exercise “‘Strategic

non-identity’ in the context of Central America’s subordinate position to Mexico and that population’s

all-too-frequent undocumented status.” (Torres, 129). In contrast to this, in “Alla en Guatemala”, it is said

that “For youth like Amalia and her brother, Guatemalan identity construction is important because it

helps them assert who they are and where they come from” (D. Ek, 69). I do not believe this to be a

disagreement per se among the authors and view it more as different ways of informing the reader of how

Central Americans choose to, or choose not to, express their individual identities. Torres is talking of how

they may try to hide it completely to avoid becoming too noticed and never explicitly stated that they

should not be trying to express it. D. Ek, on the other hand, is talking of those who embrace it.
 As you can see, we have had the opportunity to read or watch a variety of works so far this year

in the Central American Studies course. They cover a wide variety of themes and issues still prevalent in

our world today and include many different perspectives based on what individual authors see as

important for the public to read. I would like to continue be exposed to things such as this so I can learn

more about a group of people of who I knew little of before starting this class.

Hope all is well,

Evan Belk