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Part 2, Chapter 1: Playing a Role
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dear America, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Citizenship, Belonging, and Identity
Family, Love, and Intimacy
Immigration Politics and Policy
Journalism, Storytelling, and the Power of Truth
Summary
Analysis
Vargas got into journalism when his high school English teacher and newspaper adviser, Mrs. Dewar, pointed out that he “ask[ed] too many annoying questions.” She recommended he attend a free summer journalism camp for minority students at San Francisco State University. Vargas saw journalism as a way to rebel against his grandparents, get his voice out into the world, and contribute to society. He calls it “my way of writing myself into America.”
Vargas’s insatiable curiosity might have been “annoying” at school, but it was a great asset for a journalist. If he could feel at home in journalism, then he had a rightful place somewhere in the U.S.—which could give him another way to belong (or achieve metaphorical citizenship) in his country. But crucially, this wasn’t possible without recognition, support, and guidance from others—like Mrs. Dewar and the journalism summer camp.
Themes
Vargas quickly decided that he wanted to become a reporter, and he put all his other ambitions aside. After attending the summer camp, he got an unpaid internship at a local newspaper. One day, the editor sent Vargas to cover a house fire on his street, and his article ended up on the front page. Lolo was furious when he saw the story, but Vargas didn’t care.
Vargas’s motivation, journalistic talent, and desire to contribute to society were clear from the start. But Lolo’s anger shows how, even if visibility and fame give journalists power, they can also be very dangerous for undocumented people. This suggests that U.S. immigration policies want undocumented people to be hidden and powerless.
Themes
To avoid spending time at home, Vargas signed up for numerous other activities—like choir, speech and debate, theater, and student government. He also befriended many of the adults at and around the school. Pat Hyland, the principal, used to give him rides home. They would stop at the Starbucks on El Camino Real, the road dividing the working-class side of Mountain View (where Vargas lived) with the wealthy side (where most of his classmates lived). Vargas remarks that he was lucky to go to such a privileged school. He also befriended and frequently had lunch with the district superintendent, Rich Fischer, and his secretary, Mary Moore. He explains that the adults he met constantly fought to give him opportunities throughout his life.
Vargas joined school activities to escape his lack of emotional connection at home. However unintentionally, these activities also brought him new relationships that filled his need for connection and parental guidance. By taking Vargas under their wing, Pat Hyland, Rich Fischer, and Mary Moore gave him opportunities that most undocumented students would be unlikely to have. They helped him bridge the gap between the two versions of America that he saw in Mountain View, and they affirmed that he did and could belong in his new country.
Themes
