The Book of Unknown Americans
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez is about Latino immigration, but also it is about hopes, sorrows, simple human desire for a better life and a difficult path to this better life. The problem of immigrants in America has always been topical. People leave their familiar life, their homes, and their loved ones in search of new and better life in a foreign country. Every day they face many challenges, such as lack of understanding, language barrier, a heavy black work, and various conflicts. Cristina Henriquez shows the world of these people up close.
American Dream and Forced Decision
Alma and Arturo came to America not just for the sake of improving of the financial situation and richer life. Rivera family came to America because of their 15-year-old daughter. Maribel has a difficult brain injury, and in America there is a program for such children, although the hope that their daughter would be the same is very weak. The first unclear moment is why they decide to go to the USA for such education. In Mexico also should be something like that, especially if we take into account the fact that there was not much hope for former way of life for Maribel.
Arturo gets a low-paid job, which is to him, accustomed to a very different life is not like that. “he had arranged a job at a mushroom farm.” (Henriquez) This job is not near their apartment and is hard enough, but Arturo claims that he is a provider and takes all the difficulties for the sake of his family. Arturo even does not want to hear about the possibility of work for his wife Alma.
The story is being told on behalf of Alma and Mayor. But even their points of view, sometimes are diluted with life stories of other characters. It would be very interested to read the story from the position of Maribel and her point of view towards the events, but for obvious reasons this is not possible. Although there is a second situation, which poses the question - did the author miss this moment? From the very beginning of the book Maribel barely speak or understand everything. She is treated like a child; often her mother and father do not pay attention to her presence, talking about her in the third person. “Maribel is unresponsive and unengaged even when she is directly addressed in Spanish.” (Henriquez) But at the end of the book she manages to speak full sentences and such changes occur only in seven months. Such changes could occur as a result of the fact that Maribel is happy and in a supportive environment, but taking into account the end of the book, the forecast will not be very positive.
The main line in the book is a love story between two teenagers – Mirabel and Mayor. They met at the dollar store and it was the love from the first sight, at least from the Mayor’s side. Maribel finds understanding, support and equal communication, because Mayor does not treat her like a child or like defective person. They are truly happy together.
Difficulties of immigrants
All immigrants somehow encounter problems, when they are in a foreign country. Many indigenous people feel hostility towards them, are rude and spiteful; immigrants need to start a career from the bottom, and very often people remain in such dirty and hard jobs for all their lives, without being able to change it by virtue of certain circumstances. Many people live in a foreign country, not for the first dozen years, and have not learned the language yet. Another barrier to normal life is a lack of qualifications. Very often people in their homeland are specialists in certain areas, and when they came to America - they need to get re-qualification, to be tested, and many do not know the language.
Rude Behavior and Intolerance. "Fito" Angelino wanted to be a boxer, that’s why he moved to the USA. Very often people are rude to him, but he does not take offense "If people want to tell me to go home, I just turn to them and smile politely and say, “I'm already there.” (Henriquez) Fito’s reaction in this case is friendly, but in real life it is not always so. Unfortunately cases of aggressive behavior towards immigrants are not rare. Very often it ends with conflict and violence.
Social Oppression. On the example of Quisqueya Solis could be seen almost every possible social oppressions. She tells her story, from which the reader finds out about her uneasy life. Just in one case there are race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, physical ability, and age mistreatment.
All this was done by her step-brother Scott. The most horrible thing in this story – mother of Quisqueya did not believe her. “He did unspeakable things, all against my will.” (Henriquez) She was sixteen, he was older, he was man, with higher social status, stronger and he had more rights in that situation. The only thing she could do then – to escape. Her mother did not believe her and stayed there.
Unknown Americans. When one reads the title of the book, it is possible to imagine clearly millions of illegal immigrants, their problems and fates. But the author calls the “unknown Americans” people with the documents, especially the family Toro is almost a typical American family. (Barrios) It becomes a little bit unclear why the author chose to describe this story under such a title.
Perhaps the tragic end of the book influenced this title; it made an emphasis on obscure and incomprehensible death of Arturo. The very author says nothing specific about how Maribel's father dies, it seems that this was done deliberately, in order to emphasize a common problem for all immigrants - no matter the reason and method, it is important that such tragic ends are very often, and not many such stories are known.
Conclusion
The book characters face the problems of immigrants, which are not always known to the common people. Immigrants leave their countries in search of a better life. Rivera family did not just want to find a more comfortable and rich living conditions - they wanted to give their daughter a chance to live a full life, but exchanged for this well-being and happiness of the family.
This case, inter alia, teaches that no matter how bad it is, it could be always worse. So do not chase illusions, sometimes one need to protect and appreciate what he/she has at the moment. The author reveals the problems of immigrants, how they live every day. Henriquez opens the curtain of the daily struggle of ordinary people, how they are trying to survive in the world. The book is full of interesting, funny, sad, and even tragic moments, as well as a real life.
Works Cited
Barrios, Gregg. "'The Book of Unknown Americans' Tells Immigrant Tale." TCA News Service. Jul 16 2014 Web. 18 Jan. 2017.
Henriquez, Cristina. The Book of Unknown Americans: A Novel. , 2014. Internet resource.
