Blog Post #5

1. Sophia Garcia is definitely the character that has been most impacted and had her life changed through events in the book. She has had to move back and forth between the United States of American and the Dominican Republic. She had to move to the Dominican Republic due to the possession of marijuana and her parents thought she had too much freedom living alone at the boarding school; therefore, she was sent to the Dominican Republic to live with her cousins and her extended family. Then once she was in the DR, she was caught having sex with her boyfriend in his car and was told on by her sisters. Once she figured out about who told her parents, she called her sisters traitors and was sent back to America to live so she could no longer ruin the name of her family. She has learned a lot and moved forward in her life due to these events because she has been persecuted so many times by her parents. She then finally decides that she can no longer take the stress that's being put on her by her parents, and decides to go live with her boyfriend in Germany. This encapsulates Sophia to where she is now because she has made a decision for herself that has detrimentally affected her life and relationship with her family.

2. So far in the story, the most positive part in the book was when the mother decided to go visit Sophia in Michigan because she wants to really see her first grandchild. The father has been in resentment for a long time but the mother finally decides to put her husband's demands aside so that she can rekindle her relationship with her lost daughter and hold her first grandchild that is a girl. This sets off a very positive mood and atmosphere because after all the years of disconnection between Sophia and the family, she finally gets in personal touch with her mother who she loves dearly. This was a person to person based positivity because it was between Sophia and her own mother. Another example of positivity in the book so far is when Sophia comes back to see her father and plan his birthday party for him. Although it did not all go according to plan, she finally gets to be with her whole family and even names her son after her father, Carlos. This is also a person to person positive event that occurs in the book.

3. I really think that the national conversation going on daily about Jeremy Lin is a lot about identity and race. Every day after school I go home and watch some TV, and the only channel I really turn to is ESPN. Every time I turn to this channel, and I watch Sports Center and for the whole hour that it's on at least half of the show is about Jeremy Lin. He is an iconic sensation to the world of sports and especially to the fans of basketball. He Is representing not only New York City, but also the rest of the Asian-American society that has been following him since his days in Harvard. Everybody knew who he was, but nobody knew what he could do. His identity is now built through his great achievements as the most points scored by a bench player in a 7-game streak. He is known as the savior of New York's basketball team and he is representing his whole race. People think it's so crazy that an Asian basketball player is running all over these superstars and their teams such as; John Wall and the Wizards, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and Joe Johnson and the Hawks. Overall, after becoming the nation's talk and the sensation of the NBA, the media has built Jeremy Lin a huge identity that he must try to live up to everyday.