Hernandez1

FernandoHernandez Mrs.RivasGomez English1A 28February2014

WritingProject2 Tosomepeoplewritingcanbewordsonapieceofpaperandhavenomeaningorimpacton theirlife.However,forotherswritingcanbeawaytoconnect,motivate,andspreadawareness.Reyna Grandesmemoir,TheDistanceBetweenUs,fitsMaryPiphersdefinitionofchangewritinginher novel,WritingtoChangetheWorld,andYossosdefinitionofacounterstoryfromherbook, Criticalracecounterstoriesalongthechicana/chicanoeducationalpipeline.ThroughGrandes memoir,youcanseehowshechallengesthemajoritarianstorybyprovingthatjustbecauseyouare fromapoorimmigrantfamily,itdoesnotmeanyouaredestinedforfailure.Sheisabletoinfluence, challenge,andconnecttomanyreadersandstoriesinvariousways,whichcanmotivatereadersina positivemanner. Firstofall,ReynaGrandesmemoir,TheDistanceBetweenUs,fitsMaryPiphersdefinition ofchangewritingbecausethroughhermemoirshewasabletoconnect,motivate,spreadawareness, inspire,andcreateempathy.Pipherssays,Goodwritingfacilitatesthemakingofconnectionsinaway thatinspiresopenheartedness,thinking,talking,andaction.(Pipherpage7)Grandesmemoirallows herreaderstoconnectthroughherlifechangingexperiencesandtransformherreadersthrough connections.Sheinspiredpeoplewhoweregoingthroughsimilarexperiencesandsimilarobstacles.She enduredabusefromherfearedalcoholicfatheranddealtwithneighborhoodbulliescallingherandher

Hernandez2

siblingsorphansbecausesheandhersisterswereabandonedbyherparents.Inanarticleitsays,At school,Reynadedicatesherselftomakingherfatherproud.ButNatalio,shesoondiscovers,isa tormentedmanofquicklyshiftingmoods.Eventually,hewoundsallofhischildrenandthewomenwho lovehimwithhishurtfulwordsandhisfists.(Tobar)Whenshelivedwithherfather,Grandeandher siblingsencounteredanabundanceofabusefromherfather.Shebythatalonewasdealingwithanuphill battletosucceedinherfuture.Itisnotpleasanttohearbut,sheisnottheonlyone,readerswhomight havegoneoraregoingthroughsimilarobstaclescanlookatGrandesmemoirandlookatitas motivation,sayingtothemselves,IfshecandoitwhycantI? Furthermore,LosAngelesTimesstates,Hermemoirisinmanywaysagroundbreaking additiontotheliteratureoftheLatinoimmigrantexperience.TheDistanceBetweenUs,isabookthat deservestobecelebratedforitscandorandforthecourageofthewomanwhoovercamesomany obstaclestowriteit.(Tobar)ThearticledoesstateLatinoimmigrantexperiencebut,whenyouread Grandesmemoir,itcanconnectdifferentethnicities,andthatisoneofMaryPiphersdefinitionof changewriting,spreadingawareness.Herreaderswereabletoconnectandrelatetoherthroughher experiences,manypeoplesuchasimmigrantsmayhavebeenthroughoraregoingthroughthesame experienceshedid.Grandesaid,Likemostimmigrants,myfatherlefthisnativecountrywithhigh expectationsofwhatlifeinElOtroLadowouldbelike.(Grandepage7)Itiscommonforimmigrant familiestolosetheirfatherforsometimebecauseheleavesthemtosearchforabetterlifeforthem.Her pastexperiencesgiveherreadersopportunitiestoconnecttoheronadifferentlevel. Piphersays,Goodwritingconnectspeopletooneanother,tootherlivingcreatures,tostories andideas,andtoaction.Itallowsreaderstoseetheworldfromanewperspective...Writingtoconnect ischangewriting,which,likegoodtherapy,createstheconditionsthatallowpeopletobe

Hernandez3

transformed.(Pipherpage8)Grandealsocreatesempathythroughhermemoir,quotessuchas,What iftheyhadbeentoobusytendingtotheirnewbabytothinkaboutus?(Grandepage42)Shecreates thisfeelingofsorrow,puttingyouinherperspectivewhenshewasjustalittlegirlandherparentshad abandonedherandhersiblings.Youfeelbadbecauseatthatagesheisthinkingherparentsarenever goingbackforthemandtheystartedanewfamilyinElOtroLadoandjustforgotaboutthem. Piphersays,Awritersjobistotellstoriesthatconnectreaderstoallthepeopleontheearth, toshowthesepeopleasthecomplicatedhumanbeingstheyreallyare,withhistories,families,emotions, andlegitimateneeds.ShedescribeswhatiscalledIthourelationshipswhichisnotseeingoneas unequal,itisviewingeveryhumanbeingasanequalandnottodehumanizesomeonebywherethey comefromorthecoloroftheirskin.ReynaGrandedoesmeetPipherscriteriaofchangewriting,sheis abletoconnecttoimmigrantswhosharesimilarexperiences,shecreatesempathythroughhermemoir, andshespreadsawarenesscausingpeopletofeelinspiredormotivatedtotakeactionintheirlifeto helpbettertheirfuture. Ontheotherhand,Yossosdefinitionofacounterstorywas,Criticalracecounterstorytelling isamethodofrecountingtheexperiencesandperspectivesofraciallyandsociallymarginalized people.CounterstoriesreflectonthelivedexperiencesofPeopleofcolortoraisecriticalconsciousness aboutsocialandracialinjustice.(Yossopage10)ReynaGrandecomesfromanimmigrantpoor Mexicanfamily,sheisaminoritythatfacedsocialandracialinjustice.Comingfromlowincome immigrantfamilyshefacedsegregationatschool.Inamajoritarianstory,thembeingwhite,mostwould thinkofsegregatedschoolsandseeingthelowincomefamiliesstruggleanorm.InanarticleHunnsays, Majoritarianstoriesarenotoftenquestionedbecausepeopledonotseethemasstoriesbutas naturalpartsofeverydaylife.(Hunn)

Hernandez4

Counterstoriescanbesimilartochangewriting,Hunnsays,Inourcounterstories,wefaced thechallengeofgenuinelyconnectingourlivedexperienceswithothersinrelationtochallengingand changingracialhegemony.(Hunn)Grandesmemoirisagreatexampleofacounterstory.Sheisa minoritythatfacesobstaclesinherlifeandchallengesthemajoritarianstory.So,Grandesmemoir challengesthemajoritarianstorybecausethereisthisstereotypethatifyouarelowincomeandcolored youhavenopotentialtosucceed,youarebasicallydestinedforfailure.Yossomentionsthroughher bookhowpeopleofcolorareputinaneducationalsystemthatismeantforfailurecausingthemtostay intheirlowincomepositionwithnopowerandwheretheyareundervalued.Yossosays,Becausethe K12systemchronicallyunderpreparesStudentsofColorandtracksthemawayfromcollege preparatorycoursesofstudy,only21%ofLatinas/oswhograduatefromapublichighschoolin Californiahavecompletedtheminimumentrancerequirementstoenterastatecollegeoruniversity. (Yossopage103) ReynaGrandeachievementsasanadultweretremendous.Afterwhatsheenduredfromthe timeshewasinMexicoandherparentsabandonedherandhersiblingswasatruecounterstory.What madehermemoiranevenbetterstorywasherprovingthatjustbecauseyouarecolored,poor,andare animmigrantyoucanstillachieveyourgoals.Sheattendedasegregatedschoolandstartedoffher collegecareeratacommunitycollege,Yossostates,ofthe26Chicanas/oswhocontinueontocollege afterhighschool,17beginatacommunitycollege.(Yossopage99)GrandeattendsPasadenaCity CollegebutnotonlytransferstoUCSCbutshegraduatesfromthereaswell.ItisstorieslikeReyna Grandethathelpinspireandmotivateindividualstopursueaneducation,eveniftheyaregoingthrough roughtimes.CounterstorieslikeReynaGrandeallowsherreaderstoconnecttoherexperienceandsee herperspectives.Itmakesthemthinkofhope,opportunity,belief,andmotivation.

Hernandez5

ReynaGrandesmemoirisanunbelievablestorythatfirstofall,isanexampleofchangewriting andacounterstory.Grandesmemoirwasaninspiringmemoirthatcapturestheherlifeexperiences andputsyourightinherperspective.Itallowsherreaderstomakeconnections,feelherpain,and understandwheresheiscomingfrom.Shespreadsknowledgeandpositivemindsetforindividualsthat mayormaynothavegonethroughherexperiences,andleavesyoushockedandinspiredattheend onlytomakeyouthinkofwhatsheaccomplishedafterwhatshewentthrough.

Hernandez6

WorksCited Grande,Reyna.TheDistancebetweenUs:AMemoir.NewYork:WashingtonSquarePress,2013. Print. Hunn,L.,T.Guy,andE.Manglitz."WhoCanSpeakforWhom?UsingCounterStorytellingto ChallengeRacialHegemony."annualconferenceoftheAdultEducationResearchConference, UniversityofMinnesota,Minneapolis.2006. Pipher,MaryB.WritingtoChangetheWorld.NewYork:RiverheadBooks,2007.Print. Tobar,Hector.Review:Acourageousvoiceemergesin'TheDistanceBetweenUs'.LosAngeles Times19August2012. Yosso,Tara.CriticalRaceCounterstoriesalongthechicana/chicanoeducationalpipeline.Taylor andFrancisGroup,2006.