Sodhi 1

Darpan Sodhi
Dr. Harrison
Honors 1000
23 October 2015
A Life Away from Home
The sun had just set and a long days journey had come to an end on this late summer day
in 1918. After hours of health inspections, language tests, and payment, I had finally made it past
Ellis Island towards the shore of America. A boat finally began taking me to the dock of my
dream city.
I am so glad Ppa took the time to teach me that little bit of English; its a factor that let
me come to this dream city, New York City.
As the boat docked onto the harbor, my heart began beating faster and faster. I felt the
experience of living in La Ciudad de Libertad awaiting me. I had heard many stories about
everyone assimilating in this country of sueos because of the diverse cultures that live here.
And knowing how to speak English, a not very common thing in my homeland Puerto Rico, I
felt I could get very far. In fact, that moment, I made it further than I had ever imagined as I was
the first girl in my family to leave Puerto Rico.
Walking off the boat onto the soil, I saw the buildings as tall as the sky. It looked grander
than I imagined in my dreams. But before embrace my dream as reality, a mans roaring voice
reached my ears. He spoke with an accent of English I had never heard before.
Name and Legal Papers?! he yelled with a long checklist in his hand.

Sodhi 2
Mi name es Isabella Novoa, I felt so accomplished yet terrified at the same time. I had
said my first sentence in English in America. So proud, I overlooked the mans reaction to my
own accent. Soon, I heard a voice yelling in the distance.
Isabella! Isabella! Estamos aqu!
Hola to! I ran quickly to give him a hug.
It was him. My fathers best friend. But to me, he was like an uncle. He had come to
America 10 years ago and was my ultimate motivation to move to New York. For years, he had
sent me letters about the superiority of life here. After a woman from our homeland, Isabel
Gonzalez fought for and achieved getting rights for Puerto Ricans in America, he bragged about
how happiness came easily (Erman). Soon though, I would see the truth.
Right as we entered the city, the superiority my uncle gave the gringos1 caught my eye.
All of us Latinos walked by foot on the side of the streets whereas all the gringos stood waiting
for their horse and carriage to pick them up. It hit me. We were walking on the rich side of the
city. Signs of wealth were all over: tall buildings, beautiful paintings, and proper clothing. As the
lower class, we stood out and meant nothing. Nobody chose to notice our presence (Ruiz).
After half an hour of walking past the immense population of gringos, we entered the
barrio. I felt like I had come back home with darkness and lack of opportunity. Unlike the grand
houses we had passed earlier, everything felt like it turned grey: Houses half torn, graffiti all over
the walls, little street vendors with Espaol all over the signs. At this point, I felt as if I never left
Puerto Rico2. I realized that the majestic fantasy that I made in my mind was far from the truth,
unless you were a gringo (Rodriguez).

According to Griswold del Castillo, whites were referred to as gringos by Latinos

According to "Puerto Ricans in the United States", there was a high level of unemployment and poverty in Puerto
Rico in the early twentieth century. This is because most of the jobs available were cheap labor jobs.
2

Sodhi 3
Staggering up the hill, we finally entered my uncles house. While the outside looked
alive even while worn down with unrepaired damages, the inside filled my heart with despair.
There were only two small rooms squeezing five people, and now six.
Now I was determined to get a job. With Ppa sick and Mma taking care of him, I was
the only source of income left for the family.
Buenos das to. Im going to look for a job today.
Qu? Chica, here women are meant to serve their men. Didnt your father tell you? He
fixed your engagement with Marcos in exchange for you living here and sending money back to
Puerto Rico.
Suddenly my heart stopped. Everything that I had come to the city for, the dreams that I
had set for myself had been a lie (Martelle XIII).
Padre, Cmo?
I wanted to ask myself why, but the answer was clear as glass. My mouth was beyond
words and my eyes held back the hundred tears ready to pour out. Quickly heading back to my
room, I decided nobody would stand as a barrier for me. If I could make it out of that terror in
Puerto Rico, I could make it into my dream a reality in America. If Isabel Gonzalez could fight
to get us rights, Im not going to be one to take one step behind.
Before the sun rose the next morning, I snuck out of the house. I left a note telling to that
I was going to get groceries to make them a grand dinner for taking me in in such a short amount
of time. This was the first time in my entire life that I lied to an elder.
As I left the barrio, the setting completely changed. I felt so out of place. I saw all the
gringos wearing such formal clothes. Women wore long black skirts and blouses with the fancy
white gloves. They tied their hair in a bun with a circular hat over it. It seemed that the only thing

Sodhi 4
that wasnt covered was her face. I suddenly looked down at my clothing. My scrawny little
white dress with the calf socks and black slippers was not going to get me into anywhere (1918
in New York). For the first time, I didnt feel like a confident Latina.
Its alright Isabella. Just walk with everyone else. Focus on what you came for.
Walking past the tall buildings, I heard a man read a sign that said Hiring Those Who
Can Sew ("THE STORY OF A HUNT FOR WORK IN NEW YORK").
Immediately entering the building, I observed the workers at the clothing factory. Tables
with bleached white table cloths were set in rows with a woman in uniform at each table. Men in
suits walked across the gaps in the rows inspecting the work of each woman. But there was one
thing I failed to see. I failed to see a smile in the entire factory ambiance.
Hallo. I m herr to apply to make clothes fr you factory. The gringo in front of me
looked scary. She had small glasses on mixed with a stern look of rage stamped on her face.
We do not have any openings here.
But thr is a sign tht say hiring outside?
Did you read the entire sign? I knew it. She already knew I couldnt read what the sign
said. But I wasnt going to give up.
jes, why? But she knew. She knew that I was unable to read it as I was barely able to
say it. I slowly walked away.
I stood in front of that sign for hours until I met a fellow portorriquea who sounded
literate. She told me that the sign says exactly what I had heard.
I am rejected for being Latina.
Three years later as I sit as Marcos wife with a daughter and no job, I remember that
day. That was the day I saw the true colors of New York. The city still seemed so bright, but

Sodhi 5
only from a distance. There were signs everywhere saying equality, opportunity, and freedom.
Yet still, there were those invisible laws denying this to anyone who did not fit the stereotypical
norm of the city. I no longer had any expectations from the city. Life has become a struggle, yet
a struggle better than the level of hardship in Puerto Rico (Ruiz).

Sodhi 6
References
1918 in New York. Digital Image. Www.nycgovparks.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
Erman, Sam. Meanings of citizenship in the U.S. empire: Puerto Rico, Isabel Gonzalez, and the
Supreme Court, 1898 to 1905. Journal of American Ethnic History 27.4 (2008):
5+.Academic OneFile. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Fisher, Phillip. Democratic Social Space. Still the New World: American Literature in a
Culture of Creative Destruction. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 33-55.
Griswold del Castillo, Richard. "Gringo." Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture.
Ed. Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons,
2008. 513. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Nov. 2015
Martelle, Scott. PREFACE. Preface. Detroit: A Biography. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review,
2012. IX-XVI. Print.
"Puerto Ricans in the United States." Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee
Cultures Around the World. Ed. Ian Skoggard, Carol R. Ember, and Melvin Ember. New
York: Springer, 2005. 1055-1068. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Rodriguez, Joseph A. "Latinos in Cities and Suburbs." Encyclopedia of American Urban History.
Ed. David Goldfield. Vol. 1. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference, 2007. 429431. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Ruiz, Vicki L. "Nuestra Amrica: Latino History as United States History." The Journal of
American History 93.3 (2006): 655-72.ProQuest. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
"THE STORY OF A HUNT FOR WORK IN NEW YORK." New York Times (1857-1922): 1.
Feb 14 1909. ProQuest. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Tocqueville, Alexis. Fortnight in the Wilderness. Tocqueville in America. Ed. George

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W. Pierson. New York: Oxford University Press, 1938. 229-259.