Legal Alien

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1985

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Token

In Lines 16-18, the speaker refers to themselves as a “handy token / sliding back and forth / between the fringes of both worlds.” A token is a symbolic piece of currency that can be traded for something of value, but it can also refer to a member of a minority group who is included to give an outward appearance of diversity and equality without any actual effort to achieve these ideals. In both definitions, the token’s value is defined by others.

In the context of “Legal Alien,” being a token symbolizes the speaker’s objectification and subsequent degradation by others. They may feel tokenized in their workplace at an English-speaking office, where they are used as a symbol of diversity without a real effort to be included as a whole person. In varying contexts, they may be thought of as handy or convenient to people who want to use them without considering their individuality as a complex, multifaceted human being.

Fake Smile

In Line 19, the speaker offers but a fake smile in the face of prejudice. The phony smile symbolizes the alienation the speaker feels because they cannot express their genuine feelings to anyone around them. To keep the peace, they must placate others with a smile—however forced—instead of expressing their frustration at being misunderstood and pigeon-holed into a single category of existence. The fake smile is a polite mask for the speaker, who must find some way to cope in their daily life with demonstrating to the world around them how painful being judged truly is.

In another light, the fake smile symbolizes the speaker’s resilience. It can be seen as a stoic act of agency, the embodiment of the cliché “grin and bear it.” Instead of wallowing in self-pity due to rejection, the speaker adapts with an outer appearance of contentment. While they may not have the direct power to change the situation, their inner strength keeps them going despite the prejudice they face.

Eyes

Lines 12-13 act as a camera zooming in for a close-up shot on the eyes of Mexican people who view the speaker as “alien” (Line 11). In film, this type of shot emphasizes characters’ emotional reactions through their facial expressions, which is also how Mora uses it in this poem. The eyes are not described in terms of how they look, but by the message they wordlessly communicate: “You may speak / Spanish but you’re not like me” (Lines 12-13). Eyes, long considered a “window to the soul,” are a symbol of judgment that causes shame to the speaker who feels as though they are being looked down upon by others who do not even try to understand their identity.