Soundtrack of immigrant stories- a reflection by Richard Gutiérrez
Richard Gutiérrez
My final project, “Soundtrack of immigrant stories,” was an homage to the stories my parents would always tell me about their journeys to the United States. Additionally, it was a way to connect our mutual love for Latino songs with these stories. I believe that story-telling is vital here, as their sentiments and memories can be traced using this music. I enjoyed learning new aspects of their lives, both in their original countries (Cuba and Nicaragua), and their transitional countries (Jamaica and Panama).
The most obvious way this connects to the course is through the “Nueva York” audio recordings by Tony Schwartz. Both my work and Schwartz’ use sound in some way- however, it soon diverges from there. Schwartz examines the sounds that come from Puerto Ricans in New York, while I examined the effect of sounds that went to my parents as they immigrated. Despite this difference, the long-run effect is the same: sound is used to examine the stories behind Latinos as they began new lives in the United States (and, in the case of my parents, Jamaica and Panama before the United States). Chief among this is the importance of an existing and ongoing connection to one’s roots. Schwartz’ work highlights the difficulties faced by Puerto Rican immigrants, but it also spotlights on the “bridges” Puerto Ricans in New York had to their home island, whether it be children’s games or songs inside of churches. I also explored this act of what I would call “bridge-building,” wherein my parents had connections to their ancestors and home countries through music. Interestingly, some of these connections were forged many years after coming to America. As an example, my mother connects Celia Cruz’ version of “Guantanamera” to her Cuban roots and country. However, she mentioned how the song did not have any specific emotional attachment to it when she was actually living in Cuba.
In a more general sense, this project is undeniably linked to many parts of the course. It is a story of identity and pride, which are both common themes in our class. Latinos have often been shoved into boxes or identities upon coming here, and the embrace of one’s culture through music can be seen as rebelling from this norm. My parents’ identities are intricately intertwined with the music they love, allowing them to connect to their heritage in a country that pleads for conformity and assimilation. In this way, it stirs up ideas from our zoot suit discussions. Wearing the zoot suit, popular among Chicanos in the 1940s, was a form of cultural identity and unity. However, wearing it was seen as distinctly unpatriotic due to cloth shortages during the second world war. Some people still wore it despite this stigma in order to maintain their sense of unity. While my parents listening to the music of Latin America would never result in them being arrested, it is still an example of maintaining a connection and sense of unity with each other, be it Mexicans or Nicaraguans and Cubans.
One final element prominent in our class that is present in this project is the idea of pláticas. Conversations are a powerful tool in understanding the psyches and motivations of people, as well as their individual ideas and perceptions of their stories. I used this extensively, as my interview questions were more casual. Additionally, I added my own thoughts when discussing everything with my parents, which I omitted from my final project, but were vital in creating a more conversational atmosphere while talking with my parents. My favorite moments that encapsulated this was when my father jumped into my discussion with my mother, backing her up and providing his own lamentation for the Cuban people’s lack of freedom in their own country. This casual setting also allowed for emotions to be more pronounced; my mother even began to cry while reading the lyrics of one of the many songs that connect her to Cuba.
In many ways, this final project encompasses much of what we covered over the last four months of class. It is a show of identity, a bridge of connectivity, and a vesicle of culture. Through it, I have fully and properly examined just how important the role of music in my parents’ lives: it connects them to their cultures, to their identity, to their new life in America, and even to each other.