Dina Bengelsdorf Week 6 - América by Richard Blanco

 Dina Bengelsdorf Week 6 - América by Richard Blanco

From his book of poems City of a Hundred Fires, América caught my eye right away. I assumed that this work would relate to Blanco’s struggles between two clashing cultures, with one being the American version of himself, and the other being his Cuban roots. For the most part, I was right; the accent on the “e” of America gave me a solid clue. I think the poem is really sweet as it shows his and his family’s journey to becoming a part of a new country, making new traditions, while working to preserve their old ones. The writing is almost childlike, as it comes from the perspective of Blanco when he was a young boy, so a sense of naivety and hope is still there.

“This Thanksgiving we would have turkey, as well as pork.” As Thanksgiving approaches, we remind ourselves what and who we are thankful for. Blanco gives thanks both to his new American life, where he could only dream of living in The Brady Bunch show, and his family gives thanks to their Cuban culture, as Blanco makes a bilingual blessing. But while his immediate and extended family is old-fashioned and unwilling to adapt to their American change, Blanco embraces it, in América, to the point where he tries to get rid of his Cuban traditions. However, even though this conflict shows throughout the poem, the sense of tranquility I felt by the end leads me to believe that he was left at ease, at least as his older self. There is no way to rid family traditions, so why not just appreciate it, even as more traditions are added? 

While this poem most obviously addresses an internalized conflict between cultures, I think there is a deeper message. While we sympathize for Blanco and his confusion on who he should be, I think that the poem also shows that this conflict extends deeper than an impressionable child. Rather, everyone is affected by change; adults, parents, siblings, and so on, and we all react differently. Everyone goes through a struggle that is even greater than we understand. And as we enter into Thanksgiving season, I think we should all be mindful of how others are feeling, and be thankful for the lives we lead on our own.