Exploring Identity in Carmen Rivera's Play 'La Gringa': The Journey of Maria Elen - Essay Sample

Introduction

This paper explores the play “La Gringa” by Carmen Rivera. The discussion will focus on the topic of identity. Identity includes ideas of femininity and masculinity. It also involves aspects such as cultural identifiers, the family, and where one belongs. The focus will be on the main character, Maria, as she exhibits the elements of identity across the play.

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Identity

La Gringa is written about a young woman who is in search of her identity. The name of the young is Maria Elena Garcia. The tile “La Gringa” adopts a feminine aspect since the Spanish words have “La” in front of the word. Generally, feminine nouns in Spanish end with "a." The ending of the “Gringa” is feminine since the author is a woman. La Gringa offers a rich tradition as Carmen Rivera presents it. It is good to read the author's work if you wish to learn the Puerto Rican traditions. The author presents Maria across the play, an American brought up in New York. She decides to visit her family, which resides in Puerto Rico at the time of the Christmas holidays. This establishes the great connection that one has with their family. We all want to be identified with our families and relatives. Maria traveled to Puerto Rico to discover ore concerning the native country of her parents.

When she arrived in the place, she had several plans to ensure that she connected with her homeland. Maria was very enthusiastic about life in Puerto Rico and the traditions of the country. She hoped to experience a great time back at her parent’s country of origin. It is her first travel and time to be in Puerto Rico, although she exhibits an intense love for the region. She spends her past life in America even though she a Puerto Rican origin. As a result, she decided to major in Puerto Rican studies while at her college level. Maria decides to major in these studies, which will offer her more understanding of Puerto Rico and the way of life. This is a demonstration of a great desire to establish her identity. She was willing to learn her background and the country that her parents came to. Further, her move adds to the sense of belongingness that all humans exhibit.

Once in Puerto Rico, Maria ultimately realizes that the country fails to welcome her with open arms. This is contrary to the high expectations she had when she decided to visit the country. The natives did not welcome her at all. Instead, they considered a foreigner to the land. They referred to Maria as an American gringa. She is perceived as an American by the majority of the Puerto Ricans. She is considered a gringa, which to her, amounts to betrayal. It is ironic how she feels the same sense of an outsider in two different places. While in Puerto Rican, she is an American, and when in America, she is considered a Puerto Rican. She is not recognized to belong to a particular side at all. As a result, Maria struggles to establish her identity based on nationality. She faces a challenge of understanding where she should belong. The Americans see her as a foreigner. She is always addressed as a Puerto Rican. This can explain why she decided to seek the land where her parents came from. It is also to her surprise that even the Puerto Ricans classify her as a foreigner and American. As a result, she is in a dilemma concerning her place in the two different countries. She has lost identity, especially for her nationality.

Even though she resided in America for a long time, the native Americans did, and the government did not recognize her as a true American. Essentially, Maria experiences an identity crisis as well as a dual challenge. She was born a foreigner in her homeland and a foreigner in the homeland of her parents. However, she was brought up with the traditions of Puerto Ricans throughout her life. The deduction of maria eventually is that she is nobody everywhere. Her uncle, Manolo, teach her that identity is not dependent on external or superficial definitions. Instead, it is an essence she has had throughout her life in her heart.

La Gringa demonstrates the reality if the families of Hispano-Americans that migrated to the US. The majority of children born and brought up the United States usually lose their ability to speak Spanish fluently or lose their mother tongue. Even though Maria manages to talk to Spanish, she still demonstrates an accent that serves to reveal that she was not brought up in Puerto Rico. It is depicted throughout the play that she requires assistance from the family members to ensure that she can pronounce words correctly. They also help translate her thoughts and words, especially from English into Spanish. For instance, Maria uses the word "ancestors," and her cousin intervenes to help her use the word “antepasados.” Like many Puerto Ricans brought up in America, Maria seems proud of her heritage, although she feels the desire to prove the feeling to her relatives who live on the island.

Conclusion

The author, Carmen Rivera, addresses numerous social problems, including immigration, displacement, soul-searching, culture shock, and struggles of staying true to an individual's values. The sense of belongingness is an aspect that we all long for. It is a feeling that comes from within, and no one has the right to dictate that for you. When we establish our identity, we ultimately exhibit a sense of pride and community. Identity includes a place you are accepted and loved equally. Therefore, understanding who you are is important. Even when in a foreign land, the feeling of connecting with your community members is intense.