Ashton Chowning
College Prep English
Cause and Effect Essay Analysis/Response
December 7, 2016
Cause and Effect Analysis
“Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public”
p. 506-508
1. Marquez develops her essay using a specific structure. In a well-developed paragraph, explain Marquez’s organizational structure. Provide at least two specific examples from the essay to support your explanation.
In “Why and When to Speak Spanish in Public,” Myriam Marquez uses a specific organizational structure. Marquez does use not the the traditional, one cause to many effects essay, instead she works backwards by stating the effect, then the causes, which all lead to a remote effect. Marquez starts with the effect, which is speaking Spanish in public. She then uses three causes to explain why she speaks Spanish in public to prove her effect. Her first cause is to show respect for her parents and her culture. Marquez states “... For me and most of the bilingual people I know, it’s a matter of respect for our parents and comfort in our cultural roots” (4). Marquez continues with her second points, which is that America is free. While explaining why what language she using on her free time Marquez says, “ From its inception, this country was careful not to promote a government-mandated official language” (7). English is the most common language in America, but simply because a person does speak it all day does not mean that they are “un-American”. Marquez sums up with her third cause; she takes pride in who she is. She addresses that she understands that to be able to do many things in America you have to learn English, but that should mean that she stops speaking her native language when she is in public as if she was ashamed of who she is. In conclusion, her overall effect or remote effect is to stop judging people since we live in a free country.
2. In a well-developed paragraph, evaluate Marquez’s use of evidence. Why does Marquez cite immigrants from Poland, Finland, Italy, and “wherever else” (10)? Is this evidence sufficient to justify her claim that it’s okay for her family to speak their native language in public? Why or why not? Then provide specific examples of evidence that would be more effective in supporting her claim.
In “Why and When to Speak Spanish in Public,” Myriam Marquez uses evidence to prove why it is okay to speak Spanish in America. In paragraph 10 Marquez calls out immigrants from Poland, Finland, Italy and “wherever else” to prove that people mostly have problems when Spanish is spoken. This justifies her claim because the other immigrates keep their native tongue and speak it in public, without any mishap. Marquez states, “Pennsylvania even provided voting ballots written in German during much of the 1800s for those who weren’t fluent in English” (10). If a person who speaks Spanish were to ask for a voting ballot in Spanish they would be told to “go back to their country” and treated disrespectfully. She continues by saying that Latin American immigrants have fought in U.S-led wars, held political office, and paid their taxes for many generations. She adds this point to prove that Latin Americans who live in the United States are indeed, American. Latin Americans of the older generations have watched their children and grandchildren stop speaking Spanish due to the fact that they have become so “American” and that people say that it is “rude” to speak Spanish while in public. Marquez then explains what is rude for a bilingual person to do by stating, “When there are two or more people who are bilingual and another person person who only speaks English and the bilingual folks all of a sudden start speaking Spanish, which effectively leaves out the English-only speaker” (11). Marquez does a good job in proving why it is okay to speak Spanish in public by a use of calling out other immigrants and personal experiences.
3. Marquez makes a point of saying that immigrants from Latin America have “fought for this country” and “participated fully in this nation’s democracy by voting, holding political office, and paying taxes” (11). In a well-developed paragraph, analyze the potential objection Marquez is anticipating regarding her claim? Evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy?
In “Why and When to Speak Spanish in Public,” Myriam Marquez anticipates that even though Latin Americans have done many things for this country, they are treated unfairly. She states how Latin Americans have “fought for this country: and “participated fulling in this nation’s democracy by voting, holding political office, and paying taxes” (11). She puts this into her essay because she wants to prove that no matter where an immigrant's heritage or family is from, they are still American and they have helped this country in one than one way. Simply because a person is talking in Spanish, or any other language, does not mean they are not American. America does not have a national language, there for people who only speak English do not have the right so tell Latin Americans that they do not belong here. Marquez also put these statements into her essay for an emotional pull from her audience. Latin Americans have done many things to help the United States but they treated unfairly, so Marquez does her best to prove that immigrants have a right to be here.
College Prep English
Cause and Effect Essay Analysis/Response
December 7, 2016
Cause and Effect Analysis
“Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public”
p. 506-508
1. Marquez develops her essay using a specific structure. In a well-developed paragraph, explain Marquez’s organizational structure. Provide at least two specific examples from the essay to support your explanation.
In “Why and When to Speak Spanish in Public,” Myriam Marquez uses a specific organizational structure. Marquez does use not the the traditional, one cause to many effects essay, instead she works backwards by stating the effect, then the causes, which all lead to a remote effect. Marquez starts with the effect, which is speaking Spanish in public. She then uses three causes to explain why she speaks Spanish in public to prove her effect. Her first cause is to show respect for her parents and her culture. Marquez states “... For me and most of the bilingual people I know, it’s a matter of respect for our parents and comfort in our cultural roots” (4). Marquez continues with her second points, which is that America is free. While explaining why what language she using on her free time Marquez says, “ From its inception, this country was careful not to promote a government-mandated official language” (7). English is the most common language in America, but simply because a person does speak it all day does not mean that they are “un-American”. Marquez sums up with her third cause; she takes pride in who she is. She addresses that she understands that to be able to do many things in America you have to learn English, but that should mean that she stops speaking her native language when she is in public as if she was ashamed of who she is. In conclusion, her overall effect or remote effect is to stop judging people since we live in a free country.
2. In a well-developed paragraph, evaluate Marquez’s use of evidence. Why does Marquez cite immigrants from Poland, Finland, Italy, and “wherever else” (10)? Is this evidence sufficient to justify her claim that it’s okay for her family to speak their native language in public? Why or why not? Then provide specific examples of evidence that would be more effective in supporting her claim.
In “Why and When to Speak Spanish in Public,” Myriam Marquez uses evidence to prove why it is okay to speak Spanish in America. In paragraph 10 Marquez calls out immigrants from Poland, Finland, Italy and “wherever else” to prove that people mostly have problems when Spanish is spoken. This justifies her claim because the other immigrates keep their native tongue and speak it in public, without any mishap. Marquez states, “Pennsylvania even provided voting ballots written in German during much of the 1800s for those who weren’t fluent in English” (10). If a person who speaks Spanish were to ask for a voting ballot in Spanish they would be told to “go back to their country” and treated disrespectfully. She continues by saying that Latin American immigrants have fought in U.S-led wars, held political office, and paid their taxes for many generations. She adds this point to prove that Latin Americans who live in the United States are indeed, American. Latin Americans of the older generations have watched their children and grandchildren stop speaking Spanish due to the fact that they have become so “American” and that people say that it is “rude” to speak Spanish while in public. Marquez then explains what is rude for a bilingual person to do by stating, “When there are two or more people who are bilingual and another person person who only speaks English and the bilingual folks all of a sudden start speaking Spanish, which effectively leaves out the English-only speaker” (11). Marquez does a good job in proving why it is okay to speak Spanish in public by a use of calling out other immigrants and personal experiences.
3. Marquez makes a point of saying that immigrants from Latin America have “fought for this country” and “participated fully in this nation’s democracy by voting, holding political office, and paying taxes” (11). In a well-developed paragraph, analyze the potential objection Marquez is anticipating regarding her claim? Evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy?
In “Why and When to Speak Spanish in Public,” Myriam Marquez anticipates that even though Latin Americans have done many things for this country, they are treated unfairly. She states how Latin Americans have “fought for this country: and “participated fulling in this nation’s democracy by voting, holding political office, and paying taxes” (11). She puts this into her essay because she wants to prove that no matter where an immigrant's heritage or family is from, they are still American and they have helped this country in one than one way. Simply because a person is talking in Spanish, or any other language, does not mean they are not American. America does not have a national language, there for people who only speak English do not have the right so tell Latin Americans that they do not belong here. Marquez also put these statements into her essay for an emotional pull from her audience. Latin Americans have done many things to help the United States but they treated unfairly, so Marquez does her best to prove that immigrants have a right to be here.