Preview

Barrio Boy, it's an autobiography about Ernesto Galarza, and how he grew up in Jalco during the Mexican Revolution, and had to move to Sacramento, California to get away from it.

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2798 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Barrio Boy, it's an autobiography about Ernesto Galarza, and how he grew up in Jalco during the Mexican Revolution, and had to move to Sacramento, California to get away from it.
Barrio BOy

Gina Tyler

1. Author Information

The author of Barrio Boy, is Ernesto Galarza. Ernesto was born in Jalcocotan, Nayarit (which is in Mexico) on August 15, 1905 and died in 1984. During Galarza's early childhood, he lived in a small village of Jalcocotan, all while he learned respect for the things he had. Ernesto came to the United States at a young age, during the Mexian Revolution which happened in the early 1900's.

While Ernesto was growing up, he helped out his family in harvesting their crops. He worked in the harvest crops of Sacramento, California. Working in these conditions inspired his views on the way Mexicans were treated as farmworkers. He soon became concerned about the way that the Mexican agriculture workers were treated poorly, and lived in bad condtions all while being a school boy. During these hard times, a baby died, from drinking the polluted water they were given. When the Mexican people found out about this, they decided to ask Ernesto to lead the village in a protest, because Ernesto had been taught English in school.

Galarza showed his student activism towards Mexian-American in the early 1929's, which was when he vocalized his views on the way that the Mexian-American's were being treated. He finished up high school, and after graduation he continued on with his education. He went to Stanford University, where he was the first Mexican-American to ever be admitted. Mr. Galarza earned his Ph. D. in history and political science at Columbia University.

After World War II, Dr. Ernesto Galarza soon became a labor organizer because of his endorsement of the AFL-CIO, he was also named the National Farm Labor Union's executive secretary. Galarza was deeply committed to the education of young people, and the thought that everyone should have an opportunity to get a good education. Which might be the reason that he started to write literature for children.

Ernesto Galarza was the author of numerous books which included topics on

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ernesto Galarza is determined to learn english and become a good American. In paragraph 13 of Barrio Boy it says “I was soon able to match Ito’s progress as a sentence reader”. This proves that Ernesto is determined to learn english just as well as his friends like Ito. The last sentence of the memoir(paragraph 17), states “becoming a…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Death is caused by a revolting Indian, attempting to stop a "help letter" from arriving at it's destination. Ernesto was the messenger and the indian killed him thinking it would send a strong message to Cesar that the Indians meant business and wanted their share of Chactajal. This show of lack of authority expresses their…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the book Enrique’s Journey written by Sonia Nazario, a projects reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Nazario discusses the true story of a man named Enrique born in Honduras who was abandoned at 5 years old by his mother Lourdes. Lourdes chose to leave Enrique and his sister Belky to travel to the United States as an immigrant for better financial opportunities to provide for her children back home. After 11 years of depression and substance abuse, Enrique becomes determined to go the U.S in search of the mother who abandoned him…

    • 1129 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the late 80's, an anthropologist by the name of Philippe Bourgois sought the answers to questions and theories that transpires in our minds and permeates through society. Subjects involving racial marginalization within inner city culture and the dynamics of the underground economy are examined through his participant-observation of El Barrio in East Harlem NYC.…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “Barrio Boy” Ms. Ryan, Galarz teacher, help him to learn English and so the story tells you how this elderly figure helped him through his learning and later he succeeded as a writer.…

    • 931 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    MotorCycle Diaries Essay 3

    • 1202 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The motorcycle diaries allows the reader to discover life of Guevara before he was the revolutionary ‘che’. Through his diary entries, we are able to see the young minded personality that is normally overshadowed by his public figure. Upon discovering the young Ernesto Guevara, we are faced with his youthful tendencies as well as the weaknesses which plague him. The heroic figure of Che is challenged when we learn that he needs “take a few puffs of my asthma inhaler”. This defies our image of che the revolutionary hero and allows us to develop a connection to his humanised personality. We also witness the young Ernesto display characteristics of a typical male which also defies his image of South America’s saviour. Ernesto tries his luck with a married woman…

    • 1202 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Gary Soto

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gary Soto once wrote , ¨ I was the first Chicano to write in complete sentences ¨ (“www.goodread.com/ Gary Soto Quotes”) Knowing that Gary Soto was the first Chicano to write a complete sentence gives me a better understanding of what kind of guy Gary Soto is. He helps kids that speak spanish learn english and builds relationships with the kids he helps. He also explains his compassion and love for the people he loves through his poems. Gary Soto uses imagery and relationships to create a unique style by pulling the readers to the setting of his poetry and to establish a setting when you read his poems.…

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jaime Escalante

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Jaime Escalante was born in La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, South America. With the example of his parents, who were both teachers, he found a passion for teaching in his native country. Escalante taught math for twelve years before migrating to the United States with his wife Fabiola. The first few years in the new country, he applied himself to learn English while working in restaurants washing dishes. He went to college for the second time in his life just to get certified as a teacher in the United States. He received the highest honor as Magna Cum Laide at graduation and right away found a position as a computer teacher at Garfield High School in downtown Los Angeles, California. To his surprise, the school lacked the computers he needed for the class, so he took an alternative position as a math teacher.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cesar Chavez Analysis

    • 112 Words
    • 1 Page

    Cesar Chavez is a very important figure in Mexican history. He is more commonly known for getting better pay and safer working conditions for mexican farmworkers. However, the director fails in his attempt to clearly illustrate (Cesar Chavez) motivation and therefore fails to accurately tell the real story of Cesar Chavez.…

    • 112 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    El Tonto Del Barrio

    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Humbleness and charity towards one another is one of the lessons “El Tonto del Barrio” illustrates to the readers through the protagonist of the story, Romero Estrado. The story begins describing with very specific details the life of “El Cotorro” or Romero. Mr. Armas continues the story inviting all of the people from “El Barrio” to come along in the story to show their influence in the life of Romero. What happens in the story, Mr. Romero seems to be the happiest person from el Barrio. He always whistles joyfully and sings songs as he sweeps the sidewalks every morning for all of his neighbors. The Tortilleria America, The XXX Liquor Store, and the Barelas Barber Shop are some of the places he stops by to clean. Everybody in the neighborhood greets him and they all pay him with food and protection but not with money.…

    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An Essay On Outcasts

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ernesto and Alberto met a lot of people on their journey. The two men first stopped at Ernesto’s girlfriend’s house. Ernesto’s girlfriend, Chichina, belonged to a very wealthy family who was a part of the ruling class. Chichina’s family set themselves apart from other people. Ernesto and Alberto met an indigenous couple in the desert. After meeting the poor couple, Ernesto and Alberto were able to gain a better understanding of what it was really like to not know where your next meal will come from or if you’ll be able to find work or not. The indigenous couple were kicked out of their village because of their communist…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The first, main or central idea of "Barrio Boy" is being part of a new culture doesn't mean you forget where you came from. First of all, Ernesto felt that becoming a part of a new culture, did not mean being ashamed of your past identity. For example, paragraph 17 states, "It was easy for me to feel that becoming a proud American, as she said we should, did not mean feeling ashamed of being a Mexican." Second of all, at a place with a new culture, making people into a part of a new identity of the new culture doesn't mean throwing away what you originally were. Another example is in paragraph 17, it explains, "At Lincoln, making us into Americans did not mean scrubbing away what made us originally foreign." As you can see, one central theme…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Older Adult Interview

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mr. E was born in a ranch in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is the youngest son of nine children. His father passed away when he was 1 - year old. He was privileged to attend elementary school from the 1st grade to the 4th grade. Mr. E had the responsibility of helping support the family as there were only two male children in the family and the remaining siblings were female. At 13 years of age he went to the neighboring state of Tepic, Nayarit to work in agriculture. He was 15- years old when he immigrated to the United States by himself. Mr. E lived with friends who helped him find a job 3 weeks after he moved to the United States. He worked as a busboy at a restaurant for 3 months. He left that job to work in the garment industry making jeans, shirts and blouses for 3 years. “I was the only man working there at that time” (E. Privacy, personal communication, October 10, 2012). Mr. E observed that years later he saw more males seeking employment in the garment factories because word spread that any undocumented individual could work making clothing regardless of gender. He financially supported two infant children on those wages. He then worked in a fabric for 7 years making electrical parts for cars. After that he worked as a gardener and left the business to his son when he retired. He was married at the age of 18 and had his first child at the age of 21. Two years later he had a daughter. He became a U.S. Citizen and has helped many family members also obtain their citizenships in the past decades. He is a grandfather of 5 and looks forward to seeing great grandchildren…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Summary Of 'Barrio Boy'

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page

    The second, main idea or central idea of "Barrio Boy" is that confidence and success come from love and support from people around you. First, Miss Hopley and her helpers are warmly teaching students to accept and understand people from different places and they're burning away the racism they might hear outside of school. For example, paragraph 16 states, "The school was not so much a melting pot as a griddle where Miss Hopley and her helpers warmed knowledge into us and roasted racial hatreds out of us." Second of all, Miss Ryan was there for the students when Miss Ryan made them speak in front of the class. For example, paragraph 14 states, "It was not only that we sensed she was with it, but also that she was with us. In conclusion,…

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Miguel cervantes, was born on september 1547 on Alcala de Henares, Spain. The exact day he was born is unknown. He was a famous novelist and poet whose writings were and continue to be well liked in society. Cervantes was unsuccesful in portraying his thoughts and feelings on the corruption of the goverment and his life as a soldier. Nonetheless, Cervantes approached his goal of reducing corruption through his personal experiences into his writings. With the help of cervantes masterpieces, literature is viewed with a different prespective. The true meaning of the authors masterpieces was discovered after suffering several blows of life, but it is evident that he influenced history with his writings.…

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics