ter 6

lesson ter 6
Monday the 22nd of November

aim: notion consequence/ cause
vocabulary : mexican immigration

WORD OF THE DAY? What a pitiful sight ! (quelle vision désolante)

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN BORDER?
we can :
make out a shanty town (slum) on the Mexican side
notice a fence dividing both countries
perceive the border patrol

we can't catch a glimpse of any aliens sneaking (crawling) to the other side

WHY DO CAGED BIRDS SING ?

a) global understanding
This text looks like a regular article from Newsweek, the American magazine.
It is fairly recent and tackles quite a topical subject as we might see in a moment.
But its most striking feature in my view is its title. Indeed why on earth should a bird trapped into a cage, sing and thus be happy?
After perusing the text we find out that the bird is indeed a woman and more precisely an illegal immigrant from Mexico who decided to cross the Rio Grande to come and live in the States.
So first of all we might try to explain why she decided on that move.
The we might go on by listing the different consequences this decision had both on her family and on herself.
Finally we will devote a third part to answering our previous question: why does a caged bird sing?
So let’s proceed with this plan.

DETAILED UNDERSTANDING
1)Why did she leave Mexico?

After getting a divorce from her husband , she needed space , away from her husband. She had some debts as well that she needed to pay so she came to NY to earn some money.
But her ultimate goal was to flee from oppression and destitution / poverty

2) What did she have to do to get there so what is her personality?
She is hard working as she managed to climb the work ladderfrom laundry maid to broker in illegal cleaning women .
She is brave/ determined and head strong as she had to face the worst ordeal just to get to the other side.

3)What were the consequences for her ?
Thus she had to work very hard 12 hours a day and 6 days a week.Then she could not see her children anymore.Consequently she lives in a country of freedom.therefore she earns a lot of money to help her family in Mexico.
Material comfort is definitly a good thing for her but to which personal cost as she can't see her children anymore.

4)What were the consequences fr her family?
Since she migrated to the US, she can't see her family especially her children it feels as if she had abandoned them.
For them she is just the things that she sends.
she has turned her family into the royals.
she didn't see her children grow up
she has got money but she's unhappy
she has no child with her.
but she built a new home for her family.
A drawback to this unexpected prosperity is the jealousy of her family's neighbours who can't afford the luxury porducts that they purchase thanks to ana's money.

5) why is she staying in America?
she is staying there because she wants to give her children a better life and that is possible only if she stays in America as she is paid there and gets a better salary than anywhere in Mexico.
On the other hand she confesses that she is getting used to the American way of life and that she would find it hard now to go back to Mexico and to her old life.

6)What is the purpose of the journalist?
The journalist wishes to expose the ordeal/ fate of Mexican migrants who want to make the american dream come true.
He also wants to show that even the illegals can succeed and that it is quite difficult for foreigners to become a real american citizen and adjust.
he might want to highlight the bravery of those aliens and praise their courage.
On the other hand he plans on stressing the personal toll(cout personnel) it bears on them.

Homework :