Spanglish explores the complexities of Mexican immigrates in American society
Spanglish is an easy viewing film with many hidden messages. It is a cross blend of several different themes. Meanwhile, the underlying aspects are cultural and language clash.
Flor(Paz Vega) a single mother who crosses the Mexican border in favor to search for a better life especially for her beloved daughter(Cristina). In reality, there are more than 12% of Hispanic inhabitants in America thus, the movie is very informative on the culture of immigration into USA from the south without any ability to speak English.
Flor settles herself by working as a housekeeper in white American family, because the language barrier she has difficulties to express her emotion particularly appears on the scene that she was very angry and frustrated when John(Adam Sandler) overpaid her daughter for collecting colored pieces of glass from the beach. Throughout the scene the language obstacle strikes. Flor has to depend on Cristina to translate when she says. It points out how important it is to be able to speak the language due to it will let free from dependency.
Besides the language, Flor is determined to maintain her own Mexican cultural background and expects her daughter to be pround of their own identity. Even though her daughter seems to integrate well to the new cultural environment. At the end, the relationship between them are still tight.
Apart from the interesting cultural differences and the enlightening life of immigration, this movie is full of entertainment and intertwines in many aspects of real life.
Som(Phitchaya Phugpadoong)
5 comments:
Everyone has a dark side. Deborah Clasky almost looses her husband, because she has too much self-esteem. She portrayed the American mother who had never cared about anybody, even her own daughter. She bought a shirt without remembering her daughter size. When Debby realized, she didn’t seem to care about it which really hurt her little daughter. Adam Sandler portrayed the masculine-centered by being a selfish man who has never learned to speak Spanish.
Narrative displayed in this movie involves the reference from the real world. It is also the movie with great tracking shot following Christina’s essay for a scholarship. Christina is facing the identity crisis which is a nightmare for her mother. She is spoiled by Adam Sandler, but her mother wants her daughter to face the truth in this world. The truth is powerlessness as a minority woman in the American societies who has to face with racism and gender gap. In the end of the movie, the acceptance of Christina identity was occur out of the last argument; she finally knew why her mother did not want her to study in public school.
Spanglish talks about the problem of communication in different situations, like, the immigrants and local people, the upper-class and lower-class, even mother and duaghter. The latter we are not quite interested in because it stays close to us till we couldn't see. The movie raises the question that 'what is the differentiate which still tighten up the individuality?' and 'Will it be better if we can be melted with other people?'. Flor used to say that the reason she doesn't want her daughter to go to the school as the advise from Deborah is not because Cristina will not be able to get along with her friends, but because she is afraid of Cristina will be melted by the environment and may become the stranger to her.
I haven't seen this movie before but from reading the brief story I have some idea to discuss.From studying American literature,we will see many literature from immigrants and coloured people,talking about making adaptation to social of U.S. Many people find it difficult to adjust themselves properly becuase the feeling of unequal.However,I think it is good to making adaptation while preserving heritage for example,trying to practice English and never forget to use ethnic laguage at home or still participate in ethic activities sometimes in order to not forget own identity.
I think this film is interesting in the aspect of multi-cultural issue in America, as Mexican is one of the most problematic immigrants in The Us. I haven't watched this film before, however, according to the film critism I agree that langauge barrier is always a problem for immigrants who try to get along and make sense of the new mainstream culture they are living in. It reminds me of the immigrants in Thailand who came from neighbor countries such as Cambodian or Burmese, who we often heard negative news about them, such as robbing their own masters. However, it is only the pne side that the media portrayed them. In reality, who knows how they have been through hardship, or probably, abused by thier own master because they just couldn't communicate with Their Thai masters.
I think this film is interesting in the aspect of multi-cultural issue in America, as Mexican is one of the most problematic immigrants in The Us. I haven't watched this film before, however, according to the film critism I agree that langauge barrier is always a problem for immigrants who try to get along and make sense of the new mainstream culture they are living in. It reminds me of the immigrants in Thailand who came from neighbor countries such as Cambodian or Burmese, who we often heard negative news about them, such as robbing their own masters. However, it is only the pne side that the media portrayed them. In reality, who knows how they have been through hardship, or probably, abused by thier own master because they just couldn't communicate with Their Thai masters.
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