Julia Alvarez Biography

During the 20th and part of the 21st century, various countries adopted economic nationalism and promoted development, but America seemed to continue the pattern of cultural and economic divide between Latino and white communities - Julia Alvarez became a prime example of this. Her distinct outlook into the writing world allowed her to be recognized nationally with awards such as the Lamont Prize from the Academy of American Poets in 1974, the Benjamin T. Marshall Poetry Prize in 1969, and La Reina Press Creative Writing Award for poetry in 1982 ("Julia Alvarez Fact and Biography."). Not only did her history as an immigrant help pave her road to success, but it also allowed her to explore themes of assimilation in American society. Alvarez’s unique
The transition was difficult- a shift in monetary situation, language, and a loss of family. "The feeling of loss caused a radical change in me. It made me an introverted [shy, withdrawn] little girl." said Alvarez, but her newfound secludedness may not have been as horrible as it seemed ("Julia Alvarez Biography"). Alvarez found comfort in both writing and reading- an enthusiasm that determined her success and hobbies that offered an escape to her seemingly “double life”. Feminist writer Lucia Suarez explains, “ Latina writers must invent themselves as they negotiate their double cultural affiliations: Latin America and North America. These two national identities are further complicated by the multiple layers of ethnic and racial, cultural and genetic histories, which may include African, White, European, and/or indigenous” (Suarez, 117). Regardless of her complicated home life, Alvarez continued to attend school and eventually entered Middlebury College in Vermont, where received her bachelor of the arts degree and proceeded her writing