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“No matter how much it costs to get there, or how hard the work is, America is still better than this.” These words were spoken by one of the millions of immigrants to America in his native land, before he left for America. The statement was true for some immigrants, but sadly, the reality of America crushed hopes for others. Carlos Bulosan, a Filipino immigrant, wrote an autobiography of his experience of life in America. Changing immensely, Bulosan experienced both the good and bad sides of America, yet, as an optimist, he tried to remember all the good things that it had done for him; clinging onto those memories of America.
As a young child growing up in the Philippines, Allos (Bulosan’s native name) had already faced many emotional and physical hardships. Coming from a poor family, Allos was separated for long amounts of time from parts of his family who lived in a rural mountain town to help his father farm on their small pieces of land in order to earn money for their family, and also as their source of food. Because of this separation, Allos rarely saw his brothers. In fact, he had a brother who went to war whom he had only seen in pictures, and he saw him for the first time when he was already five years old. Although Bulosan does not mention this in his book, he must have felt very lonely and separated at times; with a curiosity to know more about his family. As for his physical hardships, one year, most of his family’s farming land was destroyed by rain causing them to have no harvest for that year leaving him hungry, and their family without money. After this tragedy, Allos moved to the town where his mother lived, and stayed with her for a few years as they sold food to other villages. Working hard to keep earning money for his family, Allos and his mother later worked at farms, harvesting their crops. Eventually, after working several jobs, Allos made the decision that two of his older brothers had already made: to immigrate to America and start a new life. He had heard all about America: the land full of opportunities. Allos was ready to grasp all of these opportunities – otherwise, why would he have left the Philippines, his homeland?
On his way to America, Allos had no idea about what he was going to do there. Upon his arrival, he took a job at a fish cannery in Alaska. During his first few years, he traveled throughout the western United States – jumping onto freight trains and hopping off whenever he reached another town. Now called Carlos, his American name, he was able to track down his two brothers already living in America. Carlos changed jobs frequently, lived in many different cities, and made many new friendships. He noticed that both his brothers were becoming much Americanized, but he wanted to hold on to his old Filipino customs and traditions.
Carlos was definitely not expecting all the violence that was in America. Within a few weeks of his arrival, he had been to many gambling houses and restaurants and seen multiple people shooting and beating up Filipinos while the Filipinos all shot back and beat up others. In addition, Carlos had witnessed lots of discrimination toward the Filipinos; for no other reason than their race. He had seen that there was a major social class difference between the Caucasians and the Filipinos and he also had noticed that because the whites felt superior to the Filipinos and that they could do anything they wanted to the Filipinos. Once, he was found by policemen and they beat him up; just because he was a Filipino and they took his only hard-earned money. “It’s hard to be a Filipino in California.” (pg. 112)
With all his exposure to this violence and Filipino discrimination, Carlos became angry; so angry that he was able to get into a fight with the Caucasians who had just fired him from his job. Using violence, he got back at the Caucasians, but oddly, that made him feel free.
“I had struck at the white world, at last; and I felt free. Was my complete freedom to be fought for violently? Was murder necessary? And hate? God forbid! My distrust of white men grew, and drove me blindly into the midst of my own people; together we hid cynically behind our mounting fears, hating the broad white universe at our door.” (pgs. 163-164)
He started gambling and earned lots of money, but because of his morals, he soon gave it up. After Carlos had used up all his money that he spent from gambling, again he traveled from town to town looking for work, and hearing, “You’re fired! How many times did I hear those words?” (pg. 163)
Then, suddenly, something changed in Carlos. He soon reconnected with his brother Macario and they spent lots of time planning how to spread progressive ideas to the Filipinos in California due to the dynamic social struggle. He worked with his friends trying to organize a statewide union campaign. Carlos had changed. He had stopped just merely thinking about all the bad things that were in America; instead of just watching them happen, he was trying to help them.
One day, he felt terribly ill and had a horrible cough. He was taken to a doctor when he found out that he had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. His brother had died from the same disease within a few years while he was in the Philippines. Because he knew that he only would live for several more years, he started to follow one of his dreams that he had when he came to America: to become a writer.
As he lay ill in bed, he started writing poetry. Soon, his poetry was getting recognized. He met with an author, Alice Odell, and they started discussing his writing quite often. When she moved away, her sister Eileen took her place and made the frequent visits to the hospital.
Before he fell ill with tuberculosis, Carlos had met a young Caucasian lady whom he had become very good friends with. Carlos did not understand why some people like the author Alice, her sister, Eileen, and Marian, his friend who were all white people could be so nice and respectful to him; however other Caucasians such as those policemen who had beat him up earlier could be so cruel and be so mean to him.
Soon, Carlos had published his autobiography. He had taken this opportunity that was offered to him, and used it. That was America. The land full of opportunities. He decided not to remember all the violence and discrimination, but to remember the kindness of people and second chances that America had.
Through America is in the Heart, readers will be taken on a journey with Bulosan – through his life, but even after their journey, they will have brought back souvenirs from it: Bulosan’s optimism, hope, and perseverance which will inspire them to do the same.