Before We Were Free

Title: Before We Were Free
2004 Pura Belpre Winner
Author: Julia Alvarez
Published: 2002
Cultural Group Represented: Dominican
Examples of Dominican Republic culture: (1) During the 1960s a disenchanted segment of the Dominican Republican population ( the democratic Dominican Revolutionary party led by Bosch) grew disenchanted with what they perceived to be the oppressive regime of the conservative Social Christian Reform party led by authoritarian, General Trujillo. Before We Were Free is a historical novel based on a populist movement to overthrow General Trujillo which resulted in years of civil war and political unrest*. (2)With a tinge of resentment, Anita, the narrator of Before, comments on the dominance of American culture, "Although the Pilgrims never came to the Dominican Republic, we are attending the American school, so we have to celebrate American holidays." A picture of George Washington on the school walls and the Plymouth that Anita's dad drives are other examples of American influences. (3) Anita observes how identification of self as American is constructed by suppressing a non American's mother tongue, "`United Estates! United Estates!` somebody in the back row mimics. Lots of classmates snicker, even some Dominicans. I hate it when the American kids make fun of the way we speak English." (4) Anita's American teacher treats Anita and her Dominican classmates unfairly, "Mrs. Brown always gives the not-so-good parts to those of us in class who are Dominicans." (5) The environment at Anita's American school does not affirm her Dominican identity. At her American school Anita's personality is suppressed and she is withdrawn, "I feel lazy and bored...I talk too much, like a little parrot...But then at school, I'm the total opposite and Mrs Brown complains that i need to speak up more." (6) Dominican Republic celebrates its independence in February, Anita thinks back to the "...the recitation contest on Independence Day last February." (7) Ginger plants are widely grown in the Caribbeans. Outside Anita's home, "Porfirio is watering the ginger plants..." (8) In many cultures, an ancestor or elder is present and usually represents wisdom. Throughout the novel, Anita's family defer to her grandmother, Chucha, for wisdom: Chucha says, "No flies fly into a closed mouth" and "black moths are an omen of bad luck" and "Mundin discovered a carved stone Chucha said would bring rain." (9) The characters in this novel speak Spanish and English. Spanish is the official language in the Dominican Republic. (10) Anita's family includes her extended family. They all live together on a compound. "Mundin gets to drive the car up and down all the driveways that connect the houses in the compound." Extended families are characteristic of Caribbean families.
* http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=DominicanR