I can imagine the writers perspective of the cultural shock he faced. I can relate it with my experience of first encounter with America. Coincidentally, Los Angeles airport was my port of entry. For a person who has never been to an airport , to fly across countries , to come to the land of dreams. It was very overwhelming. Although in my case i could speak and understand the “English” taught in the school, The english in actual practice was very different. My internal thoughts were,” This is so big. What can I do?”. I remember looking above the plane over los angeles , it was beautiful super highways, thousands of cars , systematic housing , trees . When i landed it was a different story. I thought I would meet people like i saw on Tv, but it was not so. The american portrayed and the real america was very still very far from me.

2:”White was not a country,neither was black...Are people asians and hispanics because americans started labeling people black and white ?did america make all of this up ?.. where do you go if you are multiracial and multiethnic? (vargas,19) ”

It is interesting to see how the author came to this questioning. Did the racial differences originated from the identity of an individual race? Was it all made up to protect an identity? If not what is the basis of that identity? And what if you have multiple identity ? to me it was a very simple curiosity. Something closer to what is actually happening. 

3: But my family is from the other Mountain View….This is the other silicon valley, where american dreams rests on the outdated and byzantine immigration system that requires families to wait years if not decades to be reunited with their loved ones.(vargas,28)

I liked the analogy the writer used to show silicon valley. On one side it is the booming name of technology , entrepreneur, success , the american dream. But the other side has a different story. Immigrants living in a cramped space, minimum wages, labour works. The immigration system has an outdated operating system. 

4:”I will never forget the day of the O.J simpson verdict. .. most of my classmates had an opinion about what he did and why he did it...when simpson was acquitted,.. It was the first time i saw race physically divide people.black students cheered the outcome, white students jeered it, and latino and asians students looked at each other, wondering which side to join.” (vargas,19)

This was a very distinct moment, when the author was aware of the racial difference. Everyone had an opinion, which was obviously influenced by the family. Everyone had speculations of why he did. He was a criminal . He was innocent. The truth is nobody knows. To see that in a public school, a group cheers for the same results , the other group is sad about it, and others are puzzled. It is leading to an identity crisis. 

America has racial differences.

America 

5:”once i had a job, lola said i would find a woman who has a us citizenship to marry … I told mama on the phone ,’I am not doing it.’”(vargas,36)

To me it show reality. It show how to be “legal”. Marry a girl with us citizenship. It makes me wonder how immigration system can affect life choices of an individual. The choice for the author was to get a decent job so you can attract a woman with us citizenship to get married. This way a relationship can be used to say ,” Hi ! I am american now.” . Was i any different before ?

America has a harsh citizenship process. Earned a citizenship .

6:”What i couldn’t tell my family was i did not want to marry a woman to ’get legal’ and become a ‘citizen’ because i am gay.”(vargas,39)

This is a strong stand of the author when he accepted himself as a gay. The identity crisis he had to face. Asian or pacific islander, american not american and gay or straight. I noticed him getting layered with identity. One is he is asian, second he is an illegal immigrant and third he is a gay. Looking his journey of finding his identity , made me question is it his identity or did he had to take these identity to adapt ?

I am not black, I am not white, and I am not even American. So what bring me in this drama of clashes ? I have come from a different country. So this gives me an outer perspective towards what is happening in America.In baltimore, I found the majority of population to be people of color. I noticed division in lives. Blacks are not all American blacks, some are immigrants blacks, whites are not all American whites some are immigrant whites ,and  browns are not all american brown some are immigrants brown. But every group is treated differently. Blacks are not treated the same as brown and white and the vice versa. I noticed that among all the groups, black people are mistreated intellectually, socially, emotionally and economically. My curiosity rose when I was under the influence of this biases. I think the misrepresentation of media content played a role in designing this perspective and of the mass. After joining Eng 101 class, I found myself introduced to the source. *The truth that is hidden, the truth that is grim.*

Black people are mistreated intellectually. EDUCATION, SAFE SPACE, EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM

Black people are abused socially.COMMUNITY SPACE, ENVIRONMENTAL SPACE, WHITE L AND BLACK BUTTERFLY.

Black people are mauled emotionally.LGBTQ , LIVING CONDITIONS, #METOO, PRISON LIFE

Black people are roughed up economically.FINANCE, LIVING CONDITIONS, EQUITY ELSA,WHITE L AND BLACK BUTTERFLY.