"The Barrio" Robert Ramirez

"It is a home, but it is more than this." (391) The author Robert Ramirez explains in his essay "The Barrio" the hardships people face from the cold Anglo world. In this essay we are able to see the background of the author's life and his view on the "Barrio." The Barrio is made up by people of low class, people who isolate them self's from the real world and create their town, a place of warmth and unity. Through the author's detailed descriptions of the Barrio ranging from the Tortilleria, barbershop, and the cantina where young men become men, we are able to see more than just than this place. We see the people and the daily struggles they faced . He describes that these families at times were unable to pay up to the standards of the city, and also that kids had to be selling newspaper barefooted to help support their families. However, despite all the struggles they endured, they loved their lives and were happy to be living in a barrio with their families. The Barrio to them was their home and escape from the Anglo world. To them, "the barrios is closeness." (392)

So far this essay has been one of my personal favorites. First, the visual imagery the author provided was great because I felt like i was seeing the barrio and I really enjoy being able to visualize. I like that he touched upon the point of how these people created their own little place of comfort to exclude themselves from the problems of the Anglo world. It made me think of my English class last year because that classroom was a place where everyone knew each other and many memories were kept there. We saw that classroom as our own little escape from the drama of high school. I like that i was able to make that connection.  Also, I thought that his incorporation of the Spanish words was great, it gave it it's own style and again i was able to make that connection since Spanish is my second language. After reading, about the struggles of these people I'm glad and thankful that my life is pretty stable and I don't have to be put trough these situations. I really enjoyed reading this essay!