Garcia Gonzalez

Oscar Garcia Gonzalez

Professor Rebecca Lawson
English 115
19 September 2014
Letter to an Author
Word Count: 640
Dear Nell Bernstein,
Greetings, I am a college freshman at California State University, Northridge and I most
recently read your essay, Goin Gangsta, Choosin Cholita. In all honesty, I feel that your
essay greatly acknowledges the social confusion and frustration situated within the adolescent
culture of present day.
The stated experience of the two boys, Will and Rodolfo, really caught my attention only
because I found it humorous due to its state of stereotype and irony. I recognized that in my
community, everything revolves around claiming streets, and who has more credibility, and I
found relativity to those statements. Its not to say that I walk around my neighborhood, yelling
at the top of lungs claiming the street, but its one thing I constantly hear late at night. In fewer
words, you depicted the casual conception of an identity crisis; you recognized how in order to
feel a sense of personality, one goes to the extreme of conforming to the beliefs of the
surrounding environment. This describes the irony of the situation, how one has to follow norms
in order to feel as an individual.
Alongside, another experience that I found quite interesting were the statements from the
two individuals, Andrea and Roland; their point of view differed in comparison to the rest of
teenagers. For example, Andrea described her acknowledgement of different aspects of other

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cultures and sub-cultures, but disagrees in how hers is portrayed. In other words, unlike Heather
who only cares about her own background, Andrea respects other cultures and recognizes her
own, but doesnt agree on its stereotype. Meanwhile, Roland also acknowledges and accepts how
society characterizes his background, but simply is over-sufficed with what it has to offer, and
prefers the other half of his culture. Overall, and merely not to summarize, both of their
experiences relate to themselves, but differ from others in the manner that they actually
acknowledge many things in comparison to the other characters.
Despite such good descriptions, there was one aspect that caught my eye negatively.
Heathers point of view, to a certain degree, seemed to be biased. She adopts an implicated
sadistic tone that further depicts a sense of her cultures superiority. In other words, unlike
Andrea or Roland, Heather doesnt recognize culture polarization; shes blinded by conformity.
Heathers argument is credible in certain aspects such as sticking to where you come from. For
example, she criticizes her friend Jennifer about claiming a culture where very little relativity is
present, but on the contrary her argument contradicts itself in the way the way that she is
judgmental.
Another factor, of which I was puzzled by, was the type of literature your essay was,
whether it was fictional, non-fictional, or merely a narrative. I would understand if it was
fictional because in all, the situations were a little clich; the cultures they selected and the form
in which they expressed seemed a little dramatized. In other words, based on my point of view
out of experience, gangstas arent common terms for cholitos. Now, I recognize your essay
from its non-fictional perspective in the form in which the stories are relatable to the extent of
present day identity crisis. The idea of individuals struggling to find their identity based on
societal norms exists, and it affects many individuals from many different cultures. Furthermore,

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viewing your essay from a narrative point of view, it is understandable to see it merely as a story;
it addresses a moral, and gives different perspectives on it.
Overall, I enjoyed your essay, and it is safe to say that I learned how its better to do what
you feel is best, whether it follows the norm or not, because in all, you are the only benefitting
from it.
Sincerely,
Oscar Garcia