小说简介：Try To Remember（音频文字）

Novel: Try To Remeber Author: Iris Gomez Source: VOA In her debut novel, "Try to Remember," poet Iris Gomez explores the challenges young Latinas struggle with to stay loyal to their families, while becoming independent women in modern American society. In crafting her story, Gomez drew on her own experiences growing up in Miami, Florida, and on her career as an immigration attorney. 'Try to Remember' is a bi-cultural coming of age story. "Gabriella or Gabi is a teenager growing in Miami," says Gomez. "Her family feels that they have found the American Dream. They bought a house. They're working people. They're legal immigrants. They have the green cards. They are low-income people, but they feel like they've made it." Caught between two worlds Like Gabi, Gomez immigrated to Miami from Colombia as a child. She understands the contradiction many young immigrants have to contend with as they try balancing their family's traditional expectations for them with what they want for themselves. "She's expected to stay home, not to go away to college or do anything that would betray the family's idea of what it is to be a good daughter," she explains. "But she does have aspirations and dreams that would take her outside of that world." "Try to Remember" is set in Miami in the late 1960's, an era shaped by political and social changes, including new roles for women. But, Gomez says, many young Latina women are still not able to take advantage of those opportunities. "As I've been going around the country talking about the book, I've been meeting young women who have approached me, other immigrant girls, who say, 'You know, we're still struggling with those same issues today," says Gomez. "We don't want to be rebels and betray our families, but we do want to leave home and do interesting and challenging things that maybe our families don't understand because they are still stuck in the old world a little bit.'" Stigma of mental illness In the novel, Gabi faces another dilemma. Her father loses his job and starts to lose his mind. Her overwhelmed mother pretends everything is normal, and the family refuses to face the problem. Gomez explains that many Latino immigrant families see mental illness as a moral failure, a problem to be hidden. "There are reports from the surgeon general that only one in 11 Latinos with a mental illness seek a specialist," she says. "So it's still a big problem in the society. In my book, they are afraid of the father losing his green card. So they try to protect him by keeping him busy at home. So they're hiding themselves also from the authorities and agencies that might actually help them." Hopeful future But Gomez ends "Try to Remember" on a positive note, as Gabi gains self-confidence, educates herself and finds the strength to become an independent young woman. Gomez says that reflects her optimism about the future of the young immigrants who believe in the American dream. "I'm coming in contact now with a lot of young immigrants and I find a lot of hope in their desire to continue to advocate for improvements and to not hide their issues or their concerns, but to participate in the society in a democratic way, whatever their legal status," she says. "I think that's a wonderful thing and it crosses all cultures. It shows me that there is something of the American dream that's still alive in these young people." Iris Gomez says her goal as a poet - and now a novelist - is to help people overcome their fears and dream of a better future. She says that's also what she has been working for more than 25 years to achieve, as an immigration advocate and attorney. />

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所有跟帖： 

• 英语歌曲：Try To Remember（视频欣赏） -紫君- ♀ (4113 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 20:04:18

• 好美的和声...好美的歌词......休息的时候听听真舒服 :) -千与.千寻- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 20:12:43

• 小千,你知道吗?当我看到视频里Quebec的风光时,我就想到了你. -紫君- ♀ (258 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 20:22:44

• 呵呵～好久没回来转转了，结果一进来就看到这首歌，喜欢的不得了～谢谢！ -千与.千寻- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 20:36:50

• Welcome back. Good night and sweet dream... -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 20:38:44

• thanks! good night to you 2~~ ^v^ -千与.千寻- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 20:44:53

• 好漂亮的版面，找这本书来读一读，谢谢你的推荐 -野鹤闲云- ♂ (0 bytes) () 07/28/2010 postreply 21:31:12

• I am going to read this novel, too. -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/29/2010 postreply 08:02:52

• 钢琴曲：Try To Remember -紫君- ♀ (4656 bytes) () 07/29/2010 postreply 08:26:57

• 喜欢这个美贴的意境。 -福田- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/29/2010 postreply 19:21:27

• 谢谢欣赏。 -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/29/2010 postreply 19:41:00

• 这个贴练听力真好。谢谢。 -福田- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/29/2010 postreply 19:18:49

• 谢谢留言。 -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/29/2010 postreply 19:42:00