Sunday, January 23, 2011

Work for Tuesday, January 25, 2011

After reading through page 224, think about the story of Danticat's uncle. In a post of about 200 words, respond to some or all of the following questions: What do you think Danticat most wants us to understand about this story? What factors do you think led to his mistreatment? What do you notice about the way she tells the story? What do you make of the title of the chapter "Alien 27041999" and the way Danticat chooses to end that chapter?

12 comments:

  1. Satish Itwaru

    This chapter show how the uncle escape with his son form Haiti because he was going to be killed. Than when he got to the United States he was detain and was question because he was seeking to apply for asylum and was caught for being an illegal alien from a past vist. He had to go through CBP interview and was question a lot by the officer. This show how the U.S take it so serious for illegal alien. And in the end the uncle was going to jail because the officer who interview put him as a treat. So this show how the officer lie about the uncle and did not listen to the uncle swear statement.
    Danticat maybe choose this title because it show how the uncle was an illegal alien without knowing he was sent to jail with his son. It show how the Haitian was exile and sent to jail. So Danticat choose this title because how easily it is to be name for something bad that you was not aware of.

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  3. Dandicat’s uncle has showed a great amount of courage trough out the whole experience. He has lost friends, family members and loved ones, yet never gave up on his country. Even when he felt alone, isolated, and was attacked by people he knew since they were kids. He still had the idea of coming back one day and making it better. Dandicat went back and forward in time in her book just as her uncle’s life went from high to low. As it was confusing to me at times, imagine how an unstable fearful life might have felt like for her uncle. She tried to make us acknowledge the difficulty of being a Haitian in the period she writes about. How much of a struggle her people went through on a daily basis.
    “Alien27041999" in this chapter as i was reading, i felt so much anger. After all he went through in his country, he was labeled as treated like a criminal. I couldn’t read anymore after the officer has answered no to the age and health factor. He was an alien to the world.

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  4. Navindra Hoolas
    Eng 099
    January 25 2011
    Pages 206- 224 Summary.

    I think that Danticat wanted us to understand the struggle That her Uncle was running from and while running how he became more and more tired due to too much hastling.she also wanted us to get a visual look at the hardship that he had to be faced with and the violents that was going on in Haiti due to the gang War and People Fighting.Uncle Joseph Should Us that he had the strength and courage to get to the United states and help people back in Haiti.
    Some Factor that Lead To Uncle Joseph Mistreatment Was the Way he was answering the question while the Immigration Officer was asking him.I think that Due to the fact that he was 81 years old and he couldn't function and think properly and that he was going through a lot and couldn't concentrate on One problem.I also think that Uncle Joseph came to the Us before and went back to Haiti can lead to the mistreatment.
    The way Danticat tells the story is that she started the story off with everyone worrying about the Uncle and where he was then her hearing the news that her unlce was going to kronk.she tells the story in a question and answer format where her Uncle was ask a question and then he would reply to it.She tells the story as if she was in her Uncle shoes.What do you make of the title of the chapter "Alien 27041999" and the way Danticat chooses to end that chapter?
    The chapter Is title Alien 27041999 because it was the officers way of Identifying the person.they didn't use their name they just use number because they were Immigrant.Alien Don't really have a Identity so she chooses This name referring to her Uncle.

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  5. As the author explain through these chapters, the difficulty for immigrants to enter the United States increases every time. Not only the conditions and requirements have become stricter, but there is discrimination among the countries that qualify for asylum. For Edwidge, it has been a struggle from the beginning of her life to have her family disaggregated, to see his uncle unfairly condemned to jail. Once Joseph the uncle was in jail, they assigned him a number, which become his only, new way of identification inside the establishment and for the people around the place. It is obvious that the attitude that the author has to the situation is very hurtful and resented about the unfair treat that her uncle had on his way to jail.

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  6. The obstacles Danticat's uncle had to face, surviving from Haiti was in a word to describe; a miracle. It may have been discouraging that it was escaping death was only part of the battle,thinking that it couldn't be any worst. A greater wall shifted in his path when he was requesting for asylum. despite him visiting America in the past since the 1980's and owning valid visa, he was then treated as a criminal. the people looking into his past, and ignoring his condition today being a man of eighty-one with health issues really had me thinking. I'm sure they were aware of his confused expression, it may have been as clear as day that he was not aware of his alienated status from the past. what discomfort me was their inhumanity, not even thinking to themselves that a man his age should not be handcuffed. they had to be told to by someone else. arresting a confused person who had not committed crime of any sort. it could have at least been uncomfortable arresting an eighty-one year old, there had to be something running through their mind.
    Basically by the end of the chapter, Alien2704199 was what the man had been identified as. and all that he was labled. they didn't see a man of struggle and strive to survive, all that they saw was a status and number.

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  7. In Alien 27041999 Edwige's uncle Dantica, is faced with one hardship after another. After fleeing for his life Dantica leaves Haiti, only to be placed in a detention center in Miami. With an emphasis on detail Danticat reiterates her point on the unfair and biases treatment of not only her uncle, but Haitian’s alike. After reading this chapter became a little frustrated, feeling somehow connected to her uncle’s every day struggle. Using my imagination to bring the story to life, I tried to fill her uncle’s shoes thinking to myself how, I would respond to the same obstacles faced by her uncle. The way the story is told gives me the impression that, Danticat felt as if certain events could have been avoided particularly on the uncle’s part had he went about things differently.

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  8. I think that Danticat wants to tell us about the injustices against Uncle Joseph. He escaped from Haiti because gangs would try to kill him. He decided to come to the United States; first he has family living long time ago be here and he had has more than 30 years to enter in the United States with tourist visa. What mistake uncle made for that he sent to the jail; he request to apply for temporary asylum because his life was dangerous. I think that any person who is threatening any situation such as politico, guerrilla or other situation; they quality for asylum. But I don’t understand why the immigration officer laid about the statement that Uncle Joseph said. The Uncle Joseph situation is sad because at the age 81 years old; he was running his country to find peace in the United States but he faced his bad dream. This situation only is not happening to Uncle Joseph also others immigrant too. Alien 27041999 is meant that any person who has a permanent resident or person who is custody of immigration service is identify with this number.

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  9. The uncle and his son left haiti because some gangs tried to kill him. His decision was to come to the United State. However it was not easier because Hatian people was not allowed to come to America at this time. He took a chance because he have many people who live there but it was not his day because he was sent to jail.
    In this chapter Danticat want to tell people how immigrants were treated. As we read the chapter we see how the officer was lied just to sent the uncle to jail even the country was in a bad situation. The uncle was not the onty one in that situation but they many more immigrants including people under 18 years old.Danticat want to tell us what immigrantas have faced.

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  10. Satish - Good overview. Look at the endings of your verbs - both subject verb agreement and tenses. For example, you'd want to say "he was detained and questioned" - see if you can find other examples.

    Hind - Great overview - not only of the chapters but your own responses. Do look out for fragments - there are two in your post. Can you find them and see how you'd correct them?

    Navindra - Good details. Get in the habit of using standard capitalization. Use your own language to organize the ideas rather than repeating the language from the questions.

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  11. Johanna - Great summary and analysis. One vocabulary point: in your last sentence we would refer to "unfair treatment."

    Elaine - Good overview of the chapter and your reaction. Practice using regular capitalization and watch out for fragments.

    Gabriel - Interesting response. Can you explain and specify the kind of bias you're describing and how we see it in the chapter?

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  12. Pilar - Good overview. Read your last sentence again: how would you rework it for clarity?

    Jennie - Good clear writing - nice improvement in this area. Keep it up!

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