Traditional forms may at first glance seem like a straight jacket for poetic expression. They can also be useful structures that living writers employ to explore contemporary issues. In her poem “You’re at home, speak English, Mexican,” nineteen-year-old Juliana Sosa uses the ancient Arab form of a ghazal to reflect upon the various — and sometimes contradictory — spaces she navigates in her daily life.
"You’re at home, speak English, Mexican"
by Juliana Sosa
You’re at home, speak English, Mexican
But I have more than one home where I don’t speak English, Mexican
My light skin doesn’t show them I’m Mexican
Sosa tongue got them running in circles, Mexican
I won’t be thrown over the border type, Mexican
But my daddy might, Mexican
I won’t be chained in cages, Mexican
But my baby cousins might, Mexican
The 1st generation type, Mexican
I gotta make my dad’s wet back dry with a diploma, Mexican
You go to a fancy public school, Mexican
The I got white privilege, Mexican
Does the Spanish that leaps from my tongue have privilege? Mexican
It doesn’t write the air in cursive but spits dirt on my father’s boots, Mexican
I translated my father’s stereotype turned addiction, Mexican
Beer bottles wishing they stayed in Mexico, Mexican
We only go to Church on Christmas type Mexican
Beat our hands on our chest to scare the sin away, Mexican
I practically raised my baby cousins on my hip, Mexican
Do these hips scream Mexican?
Or do the stretch marks on them show how fast I had to grow, Mexican
To translate from teachers’ offices to courthouses at the age of 6, Mexican
I got the what to do if your Tia gets pulled over talk, Mexican
To convince officers that green cards turned brown are still valid, Mexican
We come in different shades of pride and regret, Mexican
But I came to fulfill a dream that my father regrets, Mexican
Source: Google Books
A Ghazal is a form of ode originating in Arabic poetry. It often explores both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love alongside that pain. A ghazal is comprised of a series (at least 5) of couplets, each of which could stand alone as its own poem.
About the poet:
Juliana Sosa wrote this poem when she was a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School (class of 2021) where she was a member of the school’s Spoken Word club. The poem appears in the collection Respect the Mic. Juliana was a Gold Key recipient in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Discussion Questions
How does the poet help a reader visualize her experiences? Can you offer an example?
What does the poem’s form, a ghazal, contribute to its effect?
What role does repetition play in the poem?
Why do you think Juliana Sosa wrote this poem?
Suggestions for Writing
Write about a time when you made your parent(s) proud.
What family expectations did you face growing up?
Write about a time you were stereotyped or one when you proved a stereotype wrong.
Write a ghazal that explores your identity.
For more information about Oak Park River Forest High School’s Spoken Word Club https://spokenword.oprfhs.org/about
Further Reading:
Carol Jago has taught middle and high school in Santa Monica, CA for many years and served as president of the National Council of Teachers of English. Her latest publication, The Book in Question: Why and How Reading Is in Crisis is now available from Heinemann (2019). https://www.heinemann.com/products/e09868.aspx
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