The experience was like plunging into unfriendly waters with the hope of being saved. In this piece, Alvarez vividly portrays the happenings of that night. So, the poem “Exile” dives into a child’s perception of banishment or forced exile and her struggle to digest the contrast between reality and illusion. However, from the reaction of her parents and other members, it becomes clear that they were filing themselves away from their country. All she knew was that they were heading to the beach for a cozy vacation. The adult matters were not comprehensible at this young age. Seeing their faces right before plunging in,Įager, afraid, not yet sure of the outcome.Īlvarez was merely ten-years-old when they had to leave their country. With all due respect as visitors to this country.Īt the quiet surface of our island waters, Superimposed, big-eyed, dressed too formally No wave would ever topple, the red and blue boats.Īnd when we backed away, we saw our reflections The beach pails, the shovels, the sandcastles ![]() In my storybook waded in colored plastic. ![]() Your three-piece suit, your fedora hat, your accent.Īnd by his side a girl who looked like Heidi So unlike you, Papi, with your thick mustache, The handsome father, slim and sure of himself, To admire a family outfitted for the beach: We stopped before a summery display windowĪt Macy’s, The World’s Largest Department Store, You tried to explain the wonders: escalatorsĪs moving belts elevators: pulleys and ropes īlond hair and blue eyes: a genetic code. Weeks later, wandering our new city, hand in hand, That a part of both of us had been set adrift. Your hand frantically waving her back in,įor you knew as we stepped inside the cabin ![]() Papi, you turned, your eyes scanned the horizonĪs if you were trying to sight a distant swimmer, More danger than the deep end of the pool.Īt dawn the plane arrived, and as we boarded, There was a better surprise in store for us! Past the checkpoint, we raced towards the airport, Out on the highway, heading toward the coast. Winding through back roads, stroke by difficult stroke, In the black Ford, Papi grim at the wheel, I let myself lie back in the deep waters,Īnd instead of sinking down as I’d always done,įloating out, past the driveway, past the gates, We wouldn’t see again for another decade, Something was off, I knew, but I was youngĪnd didn’t think adult things could go wrong. She dressed us in our best dresses, party shoes. What a good time she’ll have learning to swim!īack in my sisters’ room Mami was packingĪ week at the beach so Papi can get some rest. The uncles fell in, chuckling phony chuckles, On the way to the beach, you added, eyeing me. What explanation to give should we be discovered … Which car to take, who’d be willing to drive it, Speaking in worried whispers to your brothers, Hurried me to get dressed along with the others, ![]() This poem shares the memory of that particular night when Alvarez left her motherland with her family. Hence, his family had to leave the country as soon as possible in order to save their lives. He was charged with the conspiracy to overthrow the dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1960. Alvarez, born in New York in 1950 and brought up in the Dominican Republic for ten years, had to leave her parental home due to his father’s involvement in the political affairs of his country. Each person entering the funeral home, church, and cemetery will be required to wear a mask, and to practice social distancing of 6 feet or more.In her poem “Exile,” the Dominican-American poet Julia Alvarez shares her childhood memory of setting adrift from her motherly shores to a distant land, America. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren many brothers and sisters, numerous nieces and nephews.ĭue to the Coronavirus / COVID-19 Restrictions from the City of Austin, capacity levels are restricted at funeral homes, churches, and cemeteries. She is survived by : her husband Samuel Alvarez and her children, Guillermina Alvarez, Maria Isabel Alvarez-Gonzales and Cesar Alvarez. She was predeceased by : her parents, Antonio Perez Franco and Maria De Jesus Echavaria and her brother Juan Perez. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Julia Alvarez of Austin, Texas, who passed away on January 31, 2021, leaving to mourn family and friends.
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