OVALDEZ100

Oliver Valdez

Prof. Blackman Richards

Eng.120

4/04/09

                     "The Incredible bond found between a mother and her son"

      The film " Under The Same Moon" exemplifies many of the conflicts that an illegal immigrant goes through while trying to cross the border into the United States and while living in the United States. Also, this film teaches us of the great bond that exist between a mother and her son. In the film, nine year old Carlitos has grown very desperate to see his mom, Rosario, who came into the United States illegally four years ago. Carlitos believes that his beloved mother has forgotten and wants to cross the border illegally to come to Los Angeles and find his mother . Carlitos goes on an extraordinary journey to find his mother, and through out he learns more about the life of an illegal immigrant and the special bond that he shares with his mom.

        After his grandmother passed way , he felt it wasn't necessary to stay In Mexico and wanted a way to cross the border to go find his mother. After he crossed the border with help of the Chicanos he had met earlier in the film, he had made his way to Phoenix, Arizona. Now that he was on the other side of the border and no one was around to help him, he tried to take matter into his own hands. While at a bus station in Phoenix, he found out he had lost his money ,and had to find a way to reach Los Angeles before Sunday morning. After nearly getting sold to a local pimp and almost being captured by the Immigration and Customs Enforcements, Carlitos took the first step in to resolving his problems. He followed Enrique , an illegal immigrant Carlitos met at the tomato picking job before the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid began at work.

        Carlitos and Enrique traveled together to Tucson, Arizona, where they started to work and where Carlitos met Oscar, the father whom he never met. His father then ditched him for the second time and starts thinking if his mother was doing the same but Carlitos relied on the moon, which was the only essential symbol he felt that connected them. I personally think that was very symbolic in this film because that was the only essential connection that Carlitos shared with his mother since she left four years ago as well. During their ride on the bus to Los Angeles, Enrique told Carlitos clearly why Rosario had crossed the border, which I think gave Carlitos more knowledge about his mother's great love for him, which he doubted back in Mexico. At the beginning Enrique was very nasty to Carlitos, but at the end sacrifices his stay in the other side of the border to help Carlitos reunite with his mother.

      This film was not like no other that I've seen before. This film not only shows what an ordinary illegal immigrant goes through, but more important that all, the special bond that exist between a mother and her son. I think Carlitos' decision to follow Enrique was a smart idea because he probably figured out that he couldn't make it alone into Los Angeles after what happened in Phoenix. Through out his journey with Enrique, Carlitos learned more about life and the love his mother has for him. Thanks to Enrique, who I think was the reason why he solved his internal and essential problems, he got to find his mother, which I think was the best part of the film. I found it impossible at first for a nine year old to cross the border and in top of that find his mother in highly populated Los Angeles, but it goes to show you where the love for your mother takes you.

Coming from long ranges,

They cross to la Isla del encanto,

Hoping to marry some strangers,

In order to obtain el sueno Americano.

While Americans dream on winning the lotto,

These individuals dream of crossing the deadly puddle,

Innocent people risk their lives,

But they do it because they want to come to this land.

Groups of Yoleros come looking for a change,

To find a way to get to America or to stay,

Many think is a piece of cake,

But is not once you get caught in the bay.

How about when life is swimming away,

When they become hungry and have to survive these giant waves,

Sharks roaming around your tiny little boat,

looking up to the Caribbean sun.

Many think that by la "frontera" it's harder ,

But its not easy to be in a sea stranded ,

In direction to Puerto rico they go,

And getting caught by the coast guards are not their phobia,

But to be  dying trying to escape  "sus  vidas de escoria".

Oliver  valdez

Prof. Blackman

Eng.120

03/04/09

                                                                  Violent Media

                        " It  is too frightening to face  the  fact  that  the  male  violence  against  women  is  irrational  and  common place"pg424. Media  has  become  a  main   factor  of  how  man  abuse  women  mentally  and  physically  today.  Media   has  expressed  a negative  view  of  how  a  man  should  treat  a women  and  has  created more  violence  in today's  society. Many  might  think  that  it's  ok  because  thewn  you  knowwhat's  happening  in today's  world  and  their  wrong  in some cases. Many  of  the  cases  have  to do   with  unhealthy  media  which  affects  the  way  of life  of  many, especially the  youth who is  always   observing  and  hearing  the media.

   Today,  many  young  people  get  attracted to  the  scandals  that go  around  the  world, whether  it's    a guy  getting  killed, a  teacher  harrasing  their  students , a  young  girl  getting  pregnant  and  much  more.  These  scandals  in  my  opinion  shouldn't   be  allowed  to be  aired  for the  simple  fact t hat  they  are  young  people  seeing or hearing  these  stories, but  in  the  other  hand  they  should.  The  United  States  ranks  no. 1   in  the  world  in  sexual, mental and  physical abuses.  Every body  should  be  aware  that  they  are  people  out  there  who can  hurt  you, especially  women. 

Young  women  have  beeen  known  to be  the  perfect  target  for these individuals  and  many  don't  see  these  individuals, but  what  they  don't  know  is  that  it  can  be  who you  least  expect. Let's  take  the  Brown/Rihanna  scandal.  Brown  brutally  did  battery  to  Rihanna  and  photos  of  Rihanna's  beaten  face  suddenly  came  up from the  media. This might  open  some  people's  eyes  and  say  that  was  irrational  of  Brown  and  that  he  should  stay  in jail,  but  when  they got  back  together, it gave  many  people, including  young  girls   a  different  view,  creating  little  by little  a  litany of  physical  damage  in   certain  relationships.  Girls  might  be  oppresed  by  other  grils, telling  her  stuff like, " girl!!!!!, that  happened to me  and  we still  together  happy  and  loving  each other", well  that  guy  that  she  has  might not be  the same  as  the  guy  who beat her up good. This  also might had  given  guys  another  reason  why  they  should  act more   violently  and  still being  calm about it, because  no matter  what  happens, the girl will always  be get back  with him.  Examples  like  the  Brown/Rihanna  scandal   opresses  people  into thinking  in an  immature  way  and  that  is  wrong.  I  can't  disagree  with  today's  media  because  we  all have  to  watch  the  news, but  I  can  conclude  that  media  has  two  faces  when it  comes  to  being  interpreteded  by different  people  and  that's  how  violence  has  tackled  the  United States  in  a  large  number.