California The Golden State

My Reflection on The State of Hope

The State of Hope

Reflection.

In this essay I talked about of what California means to me. At the introduction part it went pretty well at the beginning, but it was not clear while answering the focus question which was, what is California mean to you?

On the first paragraph I felt somewhat confident of what I was writing, the teacher commented on the paragraph saying that I need to focus in the paragraph to unfold the thesis carefully, and to connect hope with the last idea I had. “Being in California is to have the weapons to succeed in whatever you want to do”. When I read it again several times I understood what the teacher meant on focusing in this paragraph, I think it was all over the place and not giving the reader a clear idea of my point of view.

The following paragraph is the same thing, not clear idea of what the focus question is and the reader would not get the idea as well. Although I had a good example of a friend of mine that succeed in California. I should have put it at the beginning of my first paragraph and try to lead the reader to a great reading sequel.

On my conclusion paragraph I was laughing of what I wrote, at first I did not notice but the teacher really pointed out “to keep dreaming means to being Californian?; so Californian you are”. There is a sentence where I meant to say that California is the best state to be, but I wrote California for me is the best place I have ever been; meaning I am California. So embarrassing!!!!.

This was my first essay in English 1B.

I need to practice more my focus and the clearness on my essays so the readers would understand what I have to say.

Overall, the teacher said that the title of the essay was good! I feel good

The State of Hope

                                                                The State of Hope

California has been one of the most popular state to live, to succeed and to retired; everyone that comes to California, they come full of dreams and hopes to become more successful and have a better life, a better future and a better reputation.  When we picture California, we see ourselves in a beach relaxing under the sun with a bunch of money around and that is what we want, we came to California to pursuit our happiness. That is why California is the state of hope.

I learned that California is the home of gold, celebrities, fame, money, beaches, mansions, Disneyland, education, technology and above all, hope. “The promises of the California Dream raise the expectations (…) hoping that their lives here will be better than what they leave behind (…) is [the best and last] chance of success”(CDR,25). When I arrived to California, it has being the America to my eyes, when I held my flight ticket; I hold it as a bible, as a key to a new world because Arizona is too hot and New York is too cold. I choose California as the perfect state to dream because my Mom said that this place would give us all the things that we have been dreaming for a long time, without suffering and starving and to leave behind all our frustrations; and it was true California changed my life. Sometimes I picture myself as rich as Steve Jobs, famous as Tom Cruise and smart as Bill Gates, and when I said picture I am dreaming on becoming a person that would change the world. I am making my dreams come true by going to school and graduate, and I know that I will get what I dream in this state. Be in California is being privileged to have the weapons to succeed in whatever you want to do.

However, California is sugar coded with too much sweet that can kill you with diabetes and vanish your dreams away. “[The] vivid images [of sunshine, beaches and Hollywood] the pursuit (…) has long been thought to have been the primary motivation [for coming to California]”(CDR, 40) which in this statement Denise S. Spooner is right for the perspective on the Dream. People all over the world come to California because they think they can get it fast and easy like in the images. Is too sweet to be truth and not everyone can make it. I called myself as an international dreamer; I came to change my life. The pictures, movies and people succeeding have being motivating to continue with my California Dream, but the sweet from too much sugar is affecting me to succeed and make my dreams vanish forever. The frustration of not having it fast and now the fabulous images makes me to give up, and go back from where I came, but there I have nothing. But this place, this state is “the strongest in all the world, with its steep cliffs and rocky shores (…) wild beast (…) and gold” (CDR, 31) The California state is one of the most beautiful place I have ever seen, with the wild beast like Lindsey Lohan and Charlie Shean and the money I will make after completing my dreams. Here is the only place I know and that I like to succeed. My friend Ivan, he came from Mexico fifteen years ago and he wanted to be a lawyer but he came with nothing to start his dream. He worked and studied and now he got what he wanted it; he is a successful lawyer, with a big house and a wonderful family. California was the place where he made his dream come true.

California has everything that every country would dream to have, in which they hope one day would get it. Unfortunately geological speaking, California is in between of San Andreas fault that will transform the state into nothing. As David A. Kaplan understands that California is the state of “Get it today, because it may be gone tomorrow” (The Sillicon Boys, 27) Let’s squish the juice out of lemon, lets get what we dream and make it true from this state of hope. I am enjoying being here, I am almost completing one of my dreams, graduating from college. California for me is the best place I have ever been, I like my country but I love it here. I have hope that one day I will change the world from California and I will say that everything started in the land of hope, where all the dreams come true. There is not place like California.

My Dreams

My Dreams.
I want to graduate from college.
Get a really good job in America.
Travel around the world.
To get these dreams come true, I will  study hard to get my Diploma and graduate, after graduation I will get a better job that would lead to the chance to get a car and a house, also travel around the world and have my own Family.
These would be my California Dream, because I believe that living in California is the only place where dreams come true. 

Interviews on California Dream

The three people I interviewed were my Mother, a co-worker and a friend of mine.

My Mother, She came to California because she got a job offer from my country. They told her to move to California's base. She did not want to at first but the payment was better than my country's. She sees California as a wonderful place to live and work, but is too expensive. My Mother doesn't want  to go back to our country because she fell in love with California.

My co-worker, her name is Farnaz and we both work at Marshalls Mountain View. I asked her why she came to California and what was her dream. She first laughed and replied that it was the job and the good payment. She got her Masters Degree in Computer Science at her country and she got a job at CISCO. Once she started working, she felt that it was not the thing that she wanted to do on her life, she also said that her parents made her study computer science, so she felt unhappy. She quit CISCO and started working at Marshalls as a sales associate. Farnaz feel more happy and free living in California because, one her parents are not here to tell her what to do and second in this country do not criticizes. I was surprised by her answer but I really do respect her decision.

My friend Gerardo came to California just to study medicine and return to his country. Gerardo’s plan is to get his masters, and look for a job in his country because he has more chances to get a better job with an incredibly salary. Plus all his family lives there, he doesn’t want to leave them.

ENGLISH 1B at Foothill College

Hello my name is Estephania!...I came to California with my family because my mom got a new job. I am from Mexico City and of course I do speak Spanish!.. I like to paint, draw and bake, also I love adventures and camping. I work at Marshalls Mountain View!...I am studying multimedia technologies. My California dreams are to graduate from university and get a better job that can pay for a new car a home and luxury travels hahaah!!!....I do have a blog which I made for English 1A last quarter!!! Hope to know all of you and have a good time in class!!!

Reflective Letter

June 27, 2012

Reflective Letter

To: Estephania Maupome

Writing is a skill that you have to achieve by learning; you did not born with it. The most important thing that you learn in this class was the amazing confidence you build towards writing essays. You lost the fear and did not give up. That was the main goal for this class, being able to write.

At the beginning of the class I remember you were very nervous because you felt that you were going to fail the class again. The topic of self-identification was the key to let your mind open and free with ideas, and that you are unique. Yes, society has been shaping you and so far has been for good. What you learn in how the identity is form is important to keep forever. It shape you to believe in yourself that you can do it; just like Rose Guibalt, learning English was not a barrier in her life, she became an amazing journalist. Your critical thinking became your friend and you started to melt the ice between writing and you. In this chapter you were learning to maintain focus on the questions and to write adequate.

You were a deviant for not wanting to change your essay to make it look better; you committed grammatical errors and your second essay was not that pleasant. Criminal, you know we are all criminals. However; you learn that in Juvenile System gives some chances to few people and you got the chance to improve, your paragraph structure was getting better as well your focus on the topic. You became a critical thinker. In this part of the class you learned of how to make a better outline to focus more in what you were going to write about.

In this phase of the class, you got to teach the class about gender inequality in which gave you the opportunity to learn more about prompts and how to use them.  The main thing of this exercise was to be in two different positions and learn in two different ways, by teaching and by listening. The goal of it was to ask questions, without it there would be no way of learning. From this you are going to apply this method towards school, work and general life.

Having the idea of being able to write an essay about the topic that most intrigue you was the greatest opportunity you had to express yourself towards the immigration issue. You had to do research; you learn to choose which resources were good and not always search on Wikipedia because we do not know if is a fact.

I think you did really well in this assignment; you really put all your knowledge together and that will pay off.

I have been watching you grow academically, and I am so proud of you. You pulled it off and made it to the end, go ahead and give a pat in your back. What is the most important is that you learn to focus and to put attention to any detail, plus your critical thinking grew. I really want to thank the Professor who thought you how to write and focus adequately and also because he made you break your barriers of fear of writing essays. I am proud of you.

Sincerely;

                                                                                                                                                               Me

P.S. Thank you Mr. Brian Lewis for believe on me and for teaching me to believe in myself; I can do it.  

Thank you.