Central American Studies

I think it was a good ending because it makes people think. People can think about what happened and make up their own ending for the story. Rosa leaves it to his readers to interpret what he says.

​There are millions of ways people can perceive things. When someone reads a book, they may see the main idea differently from everyone else. In the novel, The Good Cripple, the author, Rodrigo Rey Rosa, leaves it up the reader to figure out what his main argument is. He leaves his readers with an open ending, so that the reader can use their imagination to figure out what he is trying to say in the novel. Rosa's novel expresses many ideas, but his main point was that Juan Luis Luna, the main character, was in fact “the good cripple”, as the title suggests. He was a good man and Rosa leaves clues about it throughout the novel. Juan Luis Luna is a good man because he did not seek revenge from his kidnappers, he does not follow in his father's footsteps, and he decides not to have children so that they do not have to endure the hardships he went through. ​First of all, Rosa's main argument is that Juan Luis Luna was a good man because he did not seek revenge from the people who kidnapped him. Of course he was angry and had thoughts of killing them but he never has the courage to do so. Rosa states “It wasn't worth dirtying his hands with the blood of a man like that” (93). Luna was smart enough to let all of his temptations go and realize that killing Bunny would not do any good. After Luna spoke to Bunny and left without doing anything, Bunny says “If I were him, I wouldn't have thought twice about shooting me or hitting me in the back of the neck...but he chickened out” (Rosa 3). Bunny believes that Luna is a coward, but after seeing that Bunny had a wife and a family to take care of, he decided to be the better person and walk away. This shows that Luna is indeed a good person, because any other person would have tried and seeked revenge. Instead, Luna just wanted the truth about what had happened to him and was not interested in stooping down to their level. Therefore, he is the good cripple, as the title suggests. He is crippled physically and still manages to maintain the goodness in him. ​Some people may argue that Luna is not a good man, that he is just a coward, but he is not. Luna went through a near death experience. He had his foot cut off by men who were his childhood friends. He could have easily had it in him to kill Bunny as soon as he saw him, but he says so himself that it is not worth it. He is smart enough to know that it will not solve anything. If he were a coward, he would not have gone to meet with Bunny, knowing he was one of the kidnappers. Cowards take the easy way out. Luna would have been a coward is he had killed Bunny because that would be the easier thing to do in his situation so that it would not bother him any more that the people who tortured him are still alive. Luna does not want to be an evil man, he does not want to be like his father who was cold. He made a good decision because he is, in fact, a good person on the inside. ​Second of all, Luna is a good man because he decides not to follow in his fathers footsteps. Throughout the novel, we get clues that the father, Don Carlos, is a part of some kind of illegal business. We get this idea from when the author states, “he took a checkbook for an account in a foreign bank. He read the balance: two and a half million dollars” (Rosa, 44). This reveals that Don Carlos had a lot of money in foreign banks. The reason he has foreign banks is because the way he gets his money is illegal. Don Carlos is angry at Luna because he does not want to be in the business with him. Luna chooses to be a better person. He does not want to follow in the footsteps of his father because he knows that he is better than that. One of the kidnappers tells Luna “You're going to write him a nice letter...You're going to tell him that you've repented of the way you live and that when you get out of here you're going to lick whatever he wants you to lick” (Rosa, 25). This proves that Luna did not live the life that his father wanted him to. He had to lie just to get his fathers attention. Even with all the corruption around hi, he never gave in to the demands of his father. He was such a good man that he even risked his relationship with his father to live his own life without joining the business of his father. This shows that he is not as corrupt as everyone else at that moment. He maintained his goodness even when pressured by his own father. ​Some may argue that he did give in to the pressures. He wrote a letter to the father saying that when he got out he would follow in his footsteps. In that case he did give in to the corruption. But, in his defense, he had his life in his father's hands. If he did not lie to his father and tell him that, he could have been killed. He had to do whatever he could to stay alive. He wanted his father’s attention and believed that was the only way to do so. Many people in that situation would do the same. Sure he can be called names for it, but that does not make him a bad person. He is a good man trying to get out of a bad situation that his father put him there in the first place. The one man that put him in is the only man that can take him out. He has to lie in order to save his life. Lying does not necessarily mean that someone is a bad person, it just means they are trying to get out of a bad situation. Although he does give in to the corruption at one point, there was not much else he could do to save his own life. ​In addition, Juan Luis Luna is also a good man because he decides not to have children. He decides this because he does not want his children to live in an evil world. He did not want them to go through what he did. He wants to end the evil in his blood as much as he can. He is not evil, but his father is and he knows that he has it inside of him. He chose a different route than his father but who knows if his children would. He does not want to take that chance. Rey Rosa states “On a shelf...a photograph...caught his eye...Bunny's son, undoubtedly...At that moment Juan Luis was strangely certain that he wanted no descendants” (112). Juan Luis decides that after meeting and talking to Bunny about the kidnapping. After seeing the picture of Bunny's son he left and decided not to kill him. He did not want the son to go through the pain of losing his father. It is obvious that Luna becomes an even better person at that point because it shows that he actually cares. The goodness comes out of him. We also know that he does not want to have children because Rey Rosa also states “he pulled out to spill his semen on her smooth belly with its fine tracing of hair; it was a risky day and he did not want to have children—he was sure of that” (116). He is a good person for not wanting to have children because he did not do it for selfish reasons. He did it so that his children would not have to endure the hardships he did. He wanted to end the corruption in his family. He thought that would be the best way to do it. ​Some people may argue that him deciding not to have children is a bad thing. He does not let the children decide the path they want to take. He does not even give them the chance to live and choose for themselves. They did not have to be corrupt like the father was. They could have chosen a better life. Nevertheless, it does not change the fact that they would be living in a corrupt society. The fact that they would have been related to Don Carlos could have affected their lives in a negative way. It definitely affects Juan Luis in a negative way. The father had millions of dollars and the kidnappers knew that and that's why they decided to kidnap him. He did not do anything wrong, it was only because he was the son of Don Carlos. If Juan Luis had decided to have children, they could have gone through the same thing just for being related to him. Juan Luis did not want to have children just so that they could be corrupted by society. He makes a wise decision in deciding not to have children. He is a good person who thought about the kinds of lives they would live if he did have children. He thought ahead and made a good decision. ​Furthermore, Juan Luis is a good person. The title of the novel has to do with him. He is the good cripple, literally. He is crippled because he has to walk with a cane and he is a good person throughout the novel. He never seeks revenge from his kidnappers. Instead, all he wanted t=was answers to him questions and then he left him alone. Juan Luis did not give in the the pressures of his father. He did not want to be like him. He did not want to live the life that his father did and because of that his father cut him off. Despite all that Juan Luis stayed true to himself and did not get into a business that he knew was illegal. He decides not to have children just so that they would not have to live the life that he did. Even though he was not in business with his father, the bad decisions of his father affected him the moment he was kidnapped. He was only kidnapped because his father had money. He did nothing wrong. He did not want his children to have to go through the same. He ended his family tree and the Luna's would no longer exist after he and his father died. It is his way of ending the corruption in his family. Juan Luis Luna was a good man and he stayed true to himself throughout the hardships he faced. It was extremely difficult for him, but he makes the right decisions.

​Throughout the United States, there are places that people can go where the majority of the people are from Central America. There are restaurants, super markets, and other types of businesses. Especially living in Los Angeles, there are many Hispanics from all parts of Central America and Mexico. The majority of the people are from there so I get exposed to all the different cultures throughout Central America. It is important to be exposed to all these different cultures. Visiting these places gives me a taste of their culture even if it isn’t a part of my own. Although, I can relate because im Mexican and the cultures are extremely similar. It very interesting to go to these places and feel like I can relate to these people because I have seen it on my trips to Mexico. Recently I've visited two places in which they were run by Central Americans. The first place is a super market called Vallarta ad the second place is downtown Los Angeles. ​The first place I visited was called Vallarta. It is a super market which is a lot like a Mercado in Mexico. Vallarta I filled with Hispanics and Hispanic food. It is place where a Hispanics can go and find the food that they would normally cook in their homes. It is colorful just like Mercado. It reminds me of when I went to Mexico and I would go shopping in the Mercado with my family. I felt in a place where I belonged because I am Mexican and there was many good thin there that they don’t sell in other American super markets. An example of that would be a bread called conchitas. They’re really good and only certain places have them so I was happy to see it there. I also had some horchata because as a Hispanic I really enjoying drinking it. Vallarta also had a section in which they sold different types of meats. It was kind of similar to other places I have been that sell meats like carne asada that I really enjoy eating. They had vegetables like other super markets as well. One huge difference is that the prices are much lower, which makes it easier for people with low income to buy their necessities. The majority of people that I saw there were Hispanics. I did talk to a worker and he spoke Spanish as I ordered something. I gave me a chance to speak Spanish because I usually don’t speak a lot of it so it was good practice. I felt comfortable there, though, because I'm used to going to those type of places. The good thing was that they didn’t only sell Hispanic foods, they also sold things that I could find in a regular supermarket which was really good. I find it good because they have lower prices so I don’t have to spend as much. I had never been there before but I would definitely go back because I believe it was a positive experiences. The works seemed nice, even though I only spoke to one. I am Hispanic so I didn’t feel out of place at all. I felt comfortable just being there. Another interesting thing about it was that I was extremely colorful. Every sign they had was really nice and decorated. I saw a lot of balloons as well. They had a he carneceria wre they had a lot of the meats that my mom likes to cook. It was arranged differently than an American supermarket in the fact that the brands were different. It was like similar to the food that they have in the American supermarkets except a cheaper knockoff brand. I'm sure it tasted just as good, it was just made so that it can be cheaper to the public. ​The second place I visited was downtown Los Angeles. I've been there many times. It's a place to go to get cheaper clothes, and to stop for a snack. They sell really nice clothes at a cheaper price than department stores. The way that things are set up is that tre are different streets that people can walk through where they have many stores. There are shoes stores, clothing stores, food places, and toy stores. They sell basically everything that a mall sells, except at cheaper prices. Well, all these stores are lined up and people just have to walk up and down streets and they can walk into any store they please. There are carts set up with people selling hot dogs and burgers. There are also people pushing these carts, selling ice cream and some sell shaved ice and corn on the cob. I always like to buy everything and it all tastes so good. They also have a lot of dress stores for people that want to go to all different occasions. Everything is reasonably price which is why so many Hispanics are attracted to the place. The majority of the people that I saw were a different kinds of people from Central America and Mexico. Most of the people there spoke Spanish. There were people yelling, trying to advertise the things they were selling. They yell in Spanish to get people to go to their store and buy something. It's just like in Mexico when they're selling something. One thing that I don’t like about going there is that I can be dangerous at night because it is an unsafe area to be around. The place is actually pretty dirty as well and I always make sure that the place where I eat from is clean. It'not a very pleasant looking place, but I don’t mind going there. I enjoy buying clothes from there at good prices. It is good for the Hispanics with low income. Most Hispanics live near there anyway so it's a good place to shop. They always have good deals and people can always bargain with the prices. You can offer a different amount and go back and forth until you both reach a reasonable amount. That's one big thing that I like about it. A lot of the workers there are nice just because they want people to buy things I have had experiences where they have been rude to me as well. But overall I get a good vibe from there. There are a lot of Hispanics there as well so I don’t feel out of place. It is definitely a place where people should be careful, though, because there are people who can try and steal things. ​Also, it's not in Central America, but ive also been to Mexico in which the places are a lot similar to those of Central America. For example, the Mercado they have in Mexico are like the Vallarta that is here. There are people selling different types of meats and all Hispanic food. The food is delicious. It's like having a taste of Mexico. Everything looks very poor, just like downtown Los Angeles. All of the Hispanic places here somehow resemble places in Mexico and Central America. Most of these countries are poor just like there are poor places in the United States. That just means that they have stores for people with low income to help them out. I feel like it's a really good thing to have so that everyone has the chance to buy the food that they need. Going to Mexico every year helps me realize the struggle that Central Americans and Mexicans have gone through in their daily lives. Also, taking the personal field trips and analyzing the spaces made me realize things that I hadn’t realized before about those places. It's definitely a learning experience for me. ​Furthermore, the spaces that I vited were very interesting. I really enjoyed going to those spaces. Vallarta had a positive vibe to it and it was colorful and welcoming. I felt as if were back in Mexico visiting the Mercado because they are so similar. I learned that it I a supermarket for mainly Hispanics to g and buy food for cheaper prices. I had never been there before so it was definitely a learning experience. It gave me a chance to practice my Spanish and experience a little bit of the food part of my culture. Everything was so nice. The food was really good. I love Hispanic foods from Central America. Going to downtown Los Angeles also made me realize that it is a place for low income Hispanics. Maybe not only low income, but just people who want to buy things because they do have many nice things. I've shopped there a lot just to save money. It's a good thing when I find a place with a majority of Hispanics and cheap prices.

​Beauty pageants are very interesting to watch. It is a big deal for a woman to win a beauty pageant. The winner of a beauty pageant represents beauty, poise, and intelligence. It is where woman can show their confidence and their talents. In an article titled “Queen of the Chinese Colony: Gender, Nation, and Belonging in Diaspora”, the author, Lok Siu, writes about two woman that stand out while participating in a beauty pageant. These two woman are Miss Honduras and Miss Costa Rica. They both portray dignified woman. But to me, there was one in particular that stands out from the other. Miss Honduras is the clear winner throughout the beauty pageant. It is much more than a beauty pageant, though. The winner gets to represent the Chinese diaspora in Central America. She gets to be the one who speaks her mind about the injustice in the fact that only men can decide the rules and woman just stand by. Lok Siu clearly describes the positive and negative views from both woman. After evaluating the information given, I strongly believe that Miss Honduras is the clear winner because she did a much better dance performance and her determination was great. ​First of all, Miss Honduras is the clear winner of the pageant because she did a great job on the dance performance. Lok Siu states that “the dance routines tended to be rather repertitive, but Miss Honduras displayed extraordinary originality and poise” (Siu, 16). She danced carrying a basket of roses and tossed them to the crowd as she performed. She showed no sign of exhaustion and she seemed extremely prepared for this portion of the pageant. She did her performance with ease. On the hand, Miss Costa Rica did poorly on her performance. Lok Siu writes “With her eyes fixed on her feet, she seemed overly concerned with the dance steps, reflecting a lack of skill and confidence” (Siu, 16). Miss Costa Rica clearly was not prepared for the dance portion of the pageant. It was an important part and she blew it and made herself seem unprepared. It seemed as if she hadn't had time to practice, which she should have for such a big event. Lok Siu could also see the exhaustion in her face, and she felt relief once it was over. ​Some people may say that the dance portion is not as important as the rest. They may say that dancing does the reflect the way that a person will represent a group of people. It really does not reflect what type of a person someone is, but it is important for the pageant. There are only four sections on the pageant and messing up in one portion can look like a big deal. It was not the fact that she could not dance that is the reason why she should not win, it is the fact that she did not seem prepared enough. If she really took the pageant seriously then she would practice until she got the steps down perfectly. I know some may say that maybe she just does not have the ability to dance, but a lot of people do not. Though you can tell when someone performs if they try or not. It seemed that Miss Costa Rica did not show enthusiasm while performing the dance. The representative of the Chinese diaspora should be prepared for anything, even if it is a simple dance. ​Second of all, Miss Honduras should be the winner because her introduction was better. She may not have the looks of a Chinese person, but she represents it really well. Lok Siu mentions “Miss Honduras eloquently welcomed each of the national communities in Spanish by referencing their specific histories and national character” (Siu, 18). She greeted everyone equally and did not single anyone out. That shows that she has manners and she wants to be heard by everyone. While she was introducing herself, she tried to speak in Mandarin but she struggled a lot and it did not come out clearly. The fact that she tried really shows how she wanted to be heard no matter what. It showed how determined she was for people to know what she was saying. ​Someone may argue that Miss Costa Rica looked more Chinese so she should be the one to represent the Chinese diaspora. Lok Siu points out that Miss Costa Rica was “slender, tall, with her hair tied in a bun and a few loose strands playing around her cheeks, she displayed an elegant, classic, and reserved femininity...” (Siu, 17). She also spoke fluent Cantonese and Mandarin because she was born in China. But Miss Honduras did not have the chance to live in China because she was born in Honduras. She cannot change the way she looks, so the winner should not solely be based on looks. Miss Costa Rica only has the physical characteristics of a Chinese woman while Miss Honduras has all the other good qualities. Also, although Miss Costa Rica Spoke other languages, she only said her name and her hobbies. She did not address everyone like Miss Honduras did. The only good thing about her was that she spoke the languages of the people in China. That is unfair because Miss Honduras at least tried to speak another language even if she did not know how. It is the thought that counts. It is plain to see that Miss Cost Rica only portrays the physical characteristics of a Chinese person. She may look more Chinese, but that is the only thing she has going for her at the moment. Miss Honduras has tried her hardest throughout the pageant and I could plainly see it. The languages a person speaks and the way they look does not define who they are. It is the way they act and show themselves as people that determines their value. ​Third of all, Miss Honduras is the clear winner because she did great while answering her question in the final portion of the pageant. Siu states that “While Miss Costa Rica once again replayed her ability to speak Cantonese and Spanish, Miss Honduras surprised the audience with English” (Siu, 19). As clearly stated by this quote, Miss Honduras answered in Spanish and then in English. She wanted to show the judges that she could speak another language other than Spanish. She felt as if it were important that those who did not speak Spanish to understand what she was saying. She felt like her answer was that important. It also shocked people since she added a new language to the list of languages that people were speaking. Miss Honduras also “exuded a certain sensuality, confidence, and maturity that the other contestants had not yet developed” (Siu, 21). The person that represents the Chinese Diaspora should be completely mature and confident with themselves and that's exactly what Miss Honduras is. She would represent the diaspora in a positive way and she'd actually know how to. She performed great in every single portion of the pageant. She tried her hardest as well and she did not give up even when she tried to speak another language and failed. It shows her perseverance and readiness for the pageant. ​Some people may say that Miss Costa Rica did better on that portion because she can speak three languages. They may also say that a lot of people there spoke those same languages so they can understand more of what she said and relate more to her. She also did answer her question in a good way. Except she did not bring something new to the table like Miss Honduras did. Miss Honduras did a great job at surprising people with her English because she had not done it earlier. She had a strategy that Miss Costa Rica did not have. Also, Miss Costa Rica was not as confident as Miss Honduras was throughout the pageant. Upon reading Lok Siu's article I realized that Miss Costa Rica's only good trait was the fact that she spoke three languages and that she looked more Chinese. Other than that, she did not stand out in any other way except for bad things. Miss Honduras proved throughout the pageant that she should definitely be the winner. She stayed strong and never gave up. She's mature and confident in herself. ​Furthermore, I strongly believe that Miss Honduras should be the one to win the pageant. She clearly demonstrated what a winner looks like. She spoke two different languages, she was completely prepared for her performance and she was mature. Those are all of the characteristics of a winner. Her dance performance was original she performed it with ease. It seemed natural for her to do it. She tried speaking Mandarin, and struggled, but trying is what really counts. She showed poise, confidence, and maturity, all of which none of the other contestants possessed. Although Miss Costa Rica did possess one or two good traits, Miss Honduras had even more. She did better than the other contestants as well. I will always stand by on my opinion that she is the obvious winner of the pageant.

​Have you ever wanted to win a beauty pageant? I know for a fact that I always thought about it when I was younger. The winner of a beauty pageant represents beauty, poise, and intelligence. It is where woman can show their confidence and their talents. In an article titled “Queen of the Chinese Colony: Gender, Nation, and Belonging in Diaspora”, the author, Lok Siu, writes about two woman that stand out while participating in a beauty pageant. These two woman are Miss Honduras and Miss Costa Rica. They both portray dignified woman. But to me, there was one in particular that stands out from the other. I believe that Miss Honduras should be the winner. Lok Siu clearly describes the positive and negative views from both woman. After evaluating the information given, I strongly believe that Miss Honduras is the clear winner because she did a much better performance and she definitely stood out. ​Throughout the beauty pageant, Miss Honduras stood out the most. The first portion of the pageant was just walking in. The second part was that they each had to do a dance performance. Miss Honduras danced gracefully and threw roses while dancing. She did every dance move with ease and it looked like she was enjoying it. Lok Siu mentioned how she displayed originality and poise, while Miss Costa Rica showed struggle. She did not show any signs of confidence and Siu mentions how it looked like she needed practice. The third part was the introductions in which Miss Honduras did very well. She tried speaking in Mandarin, because most judges spoke it, but she failed. The courage to do so still made her stand out. She spoke Spanish and welcomed each of the national communities. Miss Costa Rica simply stated her name and her hobbies. The final part of the pageant was when they wore their evening gowns and answered a question given to them. Miss Honduras answered in both Spanish and English, to show that she was bilingual. She knew some of the judges did not speak Spanish, and she really wanted them to hear her answer to the question so she repeated it in English to make sure her answer was heard. Lok Siu states how she was more confident and mature than the other contestants. Miss Honduras looked like the winner in the end because she did so well. ​People might say that Miss Costa Rica deserves to win because she knew Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish. I disagree because Miss Honduras did not have the chance to live in China and learn those languages. She was born in Honduras where they spoke Spanish all the time. She even managed to learn fluent English. The winner should not be chosen because of one simple flaw. Some people might also say that she had the looks of a Chinese person so she should be the winner. Although the winner represents the Chinese diaspora, they do not have to look Chinese. Representing something has so many more factors. Miss Honduras seemed ready and mature enough to hold such title. She was confident and showed it every time she took the stage. The winner should not solely be based on looks and the languages spoken by the person. If Miss Costa Rica won, those would be the only reasons why and that is unfair. Miss Honduras clearly stood out and had many more people that supported her. Miss Costa Rica lacked the confidence, poise and originality that Miss Honduras possessed. ​Furthermore, I believe that Miss Honduras clearly deserves to win the beauty pageant. She approached the stage as if it were natural. She showed confidence in her performances and showed poise throughout the pageant. She was clearly more mature and ready to take on the task of representing the Chinese diaspora. Although Miss Costa Rica showed a few characteristics of a winner, she did not meet the standards that Miss Honduras did. Miss Honduras arrived at that pageant aware of what she was doing and ready to do what she was there to do. Everything came out as natural and not forced, like when Miss Costa Rica was dancing. Miss Honduras was the clear winner, from what I read in Lok Siu's article.

In the article “Queen of the Chinese Colony: Gender, Nation, and Belonging in Diaspora” the author, Lok Siu, writes about the chinese diaspora in Central America. A lot of Chinese left their home to live in Central America because of the difficult times they were facing with their government. There is a huge population of Chinese in places like Coats Rice, Honduras, and Panama. Loki Sui writes about the organization that meets every year. The Chinese officials and central American Chinese meet once a year to discuss certain issues. All the men have a meeting in which they discuss important political issues and make the major decisions. While the men are doing that, the women and children had set up tours for all the other women. Every year, during this convention, they have a beauty pageant in which one girl wins to represent the Chinese diaspora in Central America. Loki Sui witnessed this pageant and she attended it for the first time. The two main girls in which the real competition was between was Miss Coats Rice and Miss Honduras. Miss Coats Rice looked more Chinese and spoke fluent Spanish, Cantonese, and mandarin. Miss Honduras was only half Chinese because only one ofter parents were born in China. She attempted to speak in their language but failed miserably. She made up for it by speaking fluent English and Spanish. She did great throughout the pageant. During the pageant, the girls also get asked a question in which they should answer and Miss Coats Rice looked better because she said it in different languages. As they were announcing the winners, they announced that Miss Honduras had won, but before she could even move, a man came on stage and said that there had been a mistake and that it was Miss Coats Rice that had won. Everyone was surprised and angry. They knew that the only reason she on was because she looked more Chinese and looked more like she should represent the diaspora. Everyone knew that Miss Honduras was a better candidate. The pageant did not only choose a girl to represent the Chinese diaspora, but it also gave the wen a chance to show the injustice of that meeting yearly. Out of all the people voting on issues, five are women and three of those women are translators. Another injustice would be the fact that the official meetings are only held in Mandarin and Cantonese. A lot of the people there only speak Spanish because they have lived in Central America for so long. They sit there, not being able to vote on certain issues because they do not know what they are saying. They do not understander that not everyone is going to speak those languages. It's like the Chinese officials are trying to make sure that the people living in Central America still have their Chinese roots but its hard to keep them when they are surrounded by a whole different culture. This also causes a problem with the new Chinese and the old Chinese. The new Chinese that go to Central America are used to their own traditions in which they had in China. They try to continue them by opening up eateries and other places that are Chinese related. The Chinese that have been there for longer become angry at that because they got used to living their life as Central Americans and having a mixed culture. It causes tension because these two groups of Chinese. They can't decide whether they should fully accept a new culture or just follow the Chinese culture. Most of the Chinese born in Central America find it unfair that they are expected to know Mandarin or Cantonese and that a women that looks and speaks Chinese should be the one to represent them in the yearly meetings. These are all the issues that come up while this organization is meeting in Coats Rice. At the end of the articles, Loki Sui states that they decided to void the pageant. They acted as if it never happened and the winner of the previous year was the one representing them for the next year.

​Central Americans have been mistreated for so long. They left Central America through times of difficulty with their government, only to be stuck in another place where they were not appreciated. They moved to the United States when times grew difficult in their country. They expected to be welcomed and to live a better life with the things they desired. They did not get what they expected. They were ignored and threatened with deportation and seen as invisible through the eyes of the government and the American people. They still seemed content, though, because it was at least a bit better from when they lived in their own country. They had gotten used to the invisibility they felt in their own country so they were fine with living in silence. As the time went by, they started to lose their identity from their country because being from Central America was not something that they were proud of. They felt unimportant in the United States because they were constantly threatened with deportation, people always looked down upon them, they faced almost the same treatment as they did when they were still living in Central America and nobody cared enough to follow their culture. ​First of all, Central Americans felt unimportant because they were threatened with deportation. “Some Central American refugees, notably those who fled from the Sandinista government, were welcomed with open arms into the United States...” (Arias 187). This quote proves that only the people wishing to escape a communist government were openly allowed into the United States. Central Americans from Guatemala or other countries were threatened with deportation because they did not come from that form of government. The United States did not want to show the world that they were allowing illegal immigrants from governments that they supported. Some Central Americans “who crossed the border to 'El Norte' without official consent were viewed suspiciously...and left to languish for years, under threat of deportation, in the Kafkaesque confines of the immigration system” (Arias 187). All those Central Americans who were only trying to escape poverty and other horrible conditions had to do so quietly so that they did not face deportation. They lived their life in fear of getting caught. They did nothing wrong, only try to escape a fate that they did not choose. They had no other choice than to leave their country but only faced even more hardships. ​In addition, they felt unimportant because people looked down upon them. They were looked at in a negative way if they came from anywhere in Central America. Some were even ashamed of calling themselves “Salvadorians” or “Guatemalans”. An article states “her Mexican American peers looked down on her, she said, recalling a Spanish-language vulgarity she would hear directed toward Salvadorans” (Moore 1). Even people from Mexico criticize those who come from Central America. There are so many stereotypes that cause others to feel bad about themselves. Just because someone is from a certain place, they are looked down upon and made fun of. She was being judged just because she was from another place. Another article states “Given the imprint of oppression and discrimination, this population has developed an instinct to preserve itself by pretending to be what it is not” (Arias 189). Central Americans are constantly being discriminated against so they start to become something they’re not. They let go of the culture that they are used to in order to fit in. They feel unimportant and invisible in the eyes of the Americans simply because they were not born in the United States. They are not represented enough so they do not feel important. They are used to pretending to be something they are not because it is what they had to do even when they lived in Central America and were mistreated there. ​Also, Central Americans are mistreated because they were mistreated in their own country so they do not feel the need to fight back. They are already used to being treated the way they are so they do not fight it. It is what they already know. It makes them feel downgraded because everywhere they go they are being treated as if they are nonexistent. Arturo Arias states “their invisible status, their non-recognition, generates a sense of non-belonging, of non-being, a cruel invisibility that was first imposed on them in their own countries of origin and has carried over to these latitudes” (186). They are so used to being seen as unimportant that they do not mind feeling that way coming into a new country. Their own country treated them badly, so they go to a new one hoping that things will get better but they end up being just as bad. It may be even worse for them coming into a new country where they do not know anyone and then feeling invisible to everyone else. Arturo Arias also states “Central American subjects were already invisible in the eyes of their own Western-looking elites, simply because they were, for the most part, peasants, indigenous peoples, or women” (Arias 188). The fact that they were poor or women affects them even more because they were treated even more badly for being in one of those categories. Their whole life they had to be treated unfairly when it was not even their choice to be born where they were born. They faced many hardships in their life because of people that did not care about them simply because they were not born in the same place as they were. ​Central Americans also felt unimportant because nobody else cared enough to stick tho their culture. In an article titles “Central American Identities”, the author defined culture as “everything that is part of people’s daily life” (Cortez & Mena 1). When the Central Americans arrived in the United States they let go of the daily practices because they did not want to stand out to other Americans. They were already scared of deportation and looked down upon, they did not want to add on to their already difficult lives. Culture “includes culinary practices, dress codes, social relationships and ways or organizing, as well as expressions more formally associated with cultural production such as music, art literature, film, architecture, and sculpture, among others” (Cortez & Mena, 1). People express their culture in different ways. The Central Americans, like any other culture, had their own identity according to their culture. Coming into a new country sort of makes them lose touch of their culture that they were born and raised with. It makes them feel as if their culture is not important enough that they should take time in appreciating it. They start learning a new culture since theirs seems to be unimportant to the eyes of others. ​Furthermore, Central Americans are always being treated as unimportant in the eyes of their own country and Americans. They are seen as a bother and someone that we should get rid of. They are used to be treated that way so they sit quietly in the corner trying not to be seen or heard from because they know it can get even worse from them... Every day they face the fear of deportation because they live in the United States illegally. All they are trying to do it live somewhere where they do not have to worry about their life being taken away at any moment. Over the years, it gets better because of the new laws that come into place that help the illegal immigrants. There will still always be those people who think they are better and will try to put them down. There will always be those people who wile discriminate against them for no reason other than because of the stereotypes that people hear daily. It is is only up to the people to change that. It is an important issue that should be addressed and fixed. Every single person that makes up the United States is important no matter where they are from. The hardships that Central Americans face can get better.

Dear Erika, ​Hey girl, how are you? I just saw you the other day but I feel like I haven't seen you in such a long time. Anyways, I'm writing you this letter to tell you about these really great articles I read in my Central American Studies class. I'm sure you'll be interested to know all the cool things I learned while reading these articles. The first one I read is called “Central American Identities” by Beatriz Cortez and Douglas Carranza Mena. It is about how Central America has different cultures and a mixture of identities. They have been invaded and taken over by various places which makes their cultures even more mixed up. The indigenous people of Central America saw Spain come into their space and believed they would do great things for them. It turns out that they were wrong and Spain only did horrible things to them and took their land. Spain was also invaded by the Moors. They offered titles of nobility to whoever could recapture all their land. This affected their culture in a big way. Since the were a part of all these different cultures, it created a new identity for the Central Americans. Panama was also once captured but the United States help them gain their independence by helping them fight a war. There was a catch though. Panama had to let the United States build a canal and once they won the war the U.S. followed through with their deal. They built a canal which then became a main source of international trade. Many people passed by the canal. Panama was visited by the people traded and that become a part of their identity. Belize was also being used by the United States and Britain. They weren't independent because so many other places used Belize for their resources. All the different people coming in to Belize changed the people and then it became part of their identity. Later they got lucky and became independent. The second article I wish to tell you about is called “Central American-Americans? Latino and Latin American Subjectivities” by Arturo Arias. I found this one the most interesting of the two because Arias wrote about how Central Americans came to the United States when they were undergoing horrible conditions in their own homeland. People in Guatemala and other states were treated badly by their government so they seeked a way out by coming to the Unites States. Little did they know they would be treated just as badly. Once they came to the U.S. they were threatened with deportation. They were insignificant in the eyes of the Americans and they were seen as a burden. Cubans were allowed to come to America because they were escaping communism. Central Americans didn’t have communism as a form of government so the U.S. believed they had no reason to come. Central Americans were looked at as unimportant so they began to try and fit in. During their stay, they lost their Central American identity. They stopped following their traditions as much. They tried living an American style because they refused to stand up for their own identities. They were so used to being seen as nonexistent that they did not care whether or not they were seen as people in American society. Arias wrote about how Central Americans weren't called Central Americans in the U.S. They saw everyone as Mexican. They didn't have their own identity because they were seen as every other Latino. Both of these articles have similarities. They're both about Central American identities. I know, that’s an obvious statement since that's the title of one of the articles, but I’ll explain why. The first article is about how these different identities came to be. Central American has a mixture of cultures and identities that they felt were important. The second article is about how those Central Americans came to the United States and started to lose the identities that they took so long to build. The United States has a lot to do with Central America. They are very involved with them. They even hold a “feria” in which they celebrate or three days. Since there are so many Guatemalans in Los Angeles they decided to hold it there. That is one way that they maintain their identity and celebrate something that they are proud to have in their culture. The first article is basically how they made an identity for themselves and the second one is about one they they maintain their identity even when they are not in their homeland, although it can be hard for them to pursue their culture. It gets hard for them to do things tat they would normally do in their hometown because of all the inequality they face on a daily basis. Central Americans have it harder than you or me have ever thought. You should really take the time to read these articles and learn this information on your own. I'm sure it'll be worth your time. We should really do something to help because I know your father is from El Salvador and that is just one of the many groups of people that are seen in a negative way in our society. I think your dad would also be interested in reading these articles. Anyways, I hope I taught you something new. I also hope that you understand the similarities in these two articles. Call me later and tel me what you think of it. Have a great day! Sincerely, Jackie Figueroa