Although I’m not an immigrant, I can relate to a childhood experience that mirrors a situation in “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. In the vignette “Hairs,” the main character, Esperanza, discusses her emotions and experiences regarding her hair. She talks about how her hair is distinct from her classmates’ and how it causes her to feel insecure. Esperanza mentions that her classmates ridicule her hair, and she wishes it were different.
As a child, I struggled to fit in and often felt different despite not being an immigrant. Kids can be cruel, and I was often teased about my appearance and hair. This made me wish for a change and yearn to blend in more easily. The story of Esperanza resonated with me because regardless of one’s background, self-doubt is a common experience among children. This vignette beautifully captures the familiar feeling of wanting to fit in and belong.
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2 thoughts on “Kevin Lam’s Discussion 6”
It’s so interesting, Kevin, that we can all sometimes feel like strangers, even in our familiar world. The other wonderful thing about this vignette, besides the vivid descriptions, is how the members of Esperanza’s family all have different kinds of hair but still all belong to the same family. People are all different, but we are all part of the human family though we often don’t think about this.
“Kids can be cruel.” Isn’t that the truth. Too often I think children learn these behaviors from their parents without associating the actual intent behind their words. I’m sorry that this was consistent with your experience Kevin. Hopefully, even though the experience was a negative one there was some positive learning outcome for you associated with the experience. I can empathize with you because I had a similar experience because I wore glasses and was often the victim of the stereotypical childhood cruelty associated with kids who wear glasses. It also probably didn’t help that I was an awkward and quiet kid who spent more time reading than playing sports either.