Matthew Yglesias
Dr. Castillo
Huma 1305.001
March 31, 2015
Essay Draft #1 More Than a Color
In Trinidad Sanchez Jr’s “Why am I so brown” a little girl questions why she is the color she is and why it must be this way. Sanchez answers her questions with many metaphorical statements but one statement in particular stands out from the rest “because it is one of HER favorite colors”, this like many of the lines in this poem is can be interpreted in many different ways. Lines like the previous are what make poems like this very unique and interesting because of the many metaphors it uses to describe culture and Hispanic heritage. In the following lines Sanchez explains to the little girl (Raquel Guerrero) how her color ties her in with her roots.
God made you brown, mi'ja color bronce--color of your raza connecting you to your raices, your story/historia as you begin moving towards your future (Sanchez 1-5)
In this first stanza Sanchez explains to Raquel that God made her brown and that her skin color is much more than a color, it connects her to her race and roots with a beautiful history behind it. Hispanic culture has been responsible for many of the foods, traditions, and family orientation we have in Texas and all over the United States, Sanchez is telling Raquel that she should be proud of her color because behind the color bronce(which just means bronze) is a culture that is beautiful.

In the following stanza Sanchez provides Raquel Guerrero further reasons to be proud of her color.
God made you brown, mi'ja color bronce, beautiful/strong, reminding you of the goodness de tu mama, de tus abuelas y tus antepasados (Sanchez 6-10)

In the second stanza Sanchez emphasizes the beauty of Hispanic women and the impact they have on Hispanic culture. In lines six thru ten Sanchez tells Raquel Guerrero that her color represents beauty and strength and that her beautiful/strong personality runs deep in her roots. In lines eight thru ten Sanchez explains to Raquel that these qualities were inherited from her ancestors, in particular her mother and grandmother who represent the strength and beauty of Hispanic women.

In the following stanza Sanchez talks about the beauty of the color brown and compares it to royalty.

God made you brown, mi'ja to wear as a crown for you are royalty-- a princess, la raza nueva, the people of the sun. (Sanchez 11-14)

In the third stanza Trinidad Sanchez tells Raquel Guerrero that being the color brown is not just a color but like a crown and it is something to be proud of not to be ashamed of, something of royalty. In line thirteen the phrase “a princess, la raza nueva,” Sanchez tries to emphasize to Raquel that she is beautiful in her own way and much like her ancestors she is of proud bloodline. In line fourteen Sanchez states the Hispanic people are like the sun because they have a very bright future, maybe brighter than any other race in history. He tells Raquel that she represents this new generation of Hispanics who have bright futures ahead of them and a proud history behind them.

The following stanza is about the origin of the Mexican people and talks about Raquel’s roots and gives another strong case of why she should be proud of whom she is.

It is the color of Chicana women-- leaders/madres of Chicano warriors luchando por la paz y la dignidad de la justicia de la nacion, Aztlan! (Sanchez 15-18)

In the fourth stanza Sanchez illustrates to Raquel where her ancestors have come from and what makes her, her. In line sixteen Sanchez reiterates to Raquel that her color is much more than what it is perceived to be “It is the color of Chicana women-- leaders/madres of Chicano warriors”, Sanchez lets Raquel know that she is of mighty women who embrace their color and were leaders of warriors. In lines seventeen thru eighteen Sanchez tells Raquel that her ancestors were peace-loving and justice-seeking people who originated from the Aztlan people and that the color bronce is much more than a color.

The next stanza is talking about the way society has evolved positively towards minorities and how the color brown is not once again a color but a state of being.

God wants you to understand...brown is not a color...it is: a state of being a very human texture alive and full of song, celebrating-- dancing to the new world which is for everyone... (Sanchez 19-24) The fifth stanza of this poem is very interesting and encouraging in lines twenty thru twenty-twenty-one Sanchez tells Raquel that God wants her to understand that “brown is not a color...it is: a state of being a very human texture”, what Sanchez means is that being the color brown is no different than being white or black we are all living, breathing, human beings. In lines twenty-three thru twenty-four Sanchez lets Raquel know that the world is changing for the better, this new world that he talks about is more welcoming to minorities than in previous years. He explains to Raquel that she has opportunities that others of her heritage could only dream of having, she is in a new world.

The last stanza is the most interesting and controversial because of the many different ways it can be interpreted.

Finally, mi'ja
God made you brown because is it one of HER favorite colors! (Sanchez 25-27)

This sixth stanza is very beautiful yet controversial, is very simple yet confusing. In the lines twenty-six thru twenty-seven Sanchez finally gives Raquel Guerrero the simplest reason why she should be proud to be Hispanic and also finally reveals to her why God has made her brown in the first place. In these lines Sanchez states that God has made Raquel brown “because is it one of HER favorite colors!” many people would be confused not at the concept of the statement but because most people associate God as a male super natural being rather than a female being. This topic is debatable to many and can even be offensive but a simple examination of the statement and different interpretation can clear things up. First of all “HER” could be interpreted as mother nature, many over the years have perceived nature as a female because of the many beauties and functions of nature, the many different seasons for example. The second interpretation is the most logical of the two interpretations, the Virgin Guadalupe who in Hispanic culture is the equivalent to the Virgin Mary is most likely who Sanchez is talking about. People might question this but the fact that chicanos are Hispanic and chicano heritage is what this poem is about might suggest that Sanchez is referring to the Virgin Guadalupe.

The poem Why am I so brown is about a little girl questioning her purpose in this world and how a poet Trindad Sanchez Jr explains to her how being brown is more than a color or race it is a state of being, a culture, and something to be proud of. Many people of different cultures and races can learn from this poem that it should not matter what color you are, you are a human being full of life just like the rest of humanity. Behind your color is a culture, a history, and a future waiting to be grasped, be proud of who you are because you are beautiful the way God made you.

Work Cited
Sanchez Jr, Trinidad . Why am I so brown. Chicago: MARCH/Abrazo Press, 1991. 1-27.