Irony of America
The author-narrator receives the surprise of a lifetime when he comes face to face with the reality that America, despite what he was told, is not the land of milk and honey but a hotbed of abuse and racial discrimination. He is caught off guard by the ugly reality that equality of treatment as well as equal opportunity for upward social mobility only seem to apply if you’re white. What crushes him most however is the fact that after having struggled, sacrificed, fought so hard, and invested so much emotion in getting to America, but when he finally arrives he is confronted by the very same struggles--poverty, economic discrimination, hunger, abuse--all things that he fought so hard to leave behind in the Philippines.
Irony of the Author-Narrator
It is surprising that despite the many years of having gone through systemic abuse and being discriminated against the author-narrator bears absolutely no grudges, no resentments against the nation that had berated, beat, and ignored him and other Filipino migrant workers for so many years. In fact, rather than become embittered by the whole experience the opposite is achieved: he is unshakable in his faith in the nation that he loves dearly, so much so that the novel actually ends on a hopeful note where he declares that America was an unfinished ideal of nation building that requires more time and energy. He still regards America as a truly wonderful country that will eventually live up to it’s advertising.
Irony of Freedom
The concept of freedom, at least the variant espoused by white Americans that the author-narrator had encountered, does not just mean freedom from tyranny or oppression but also the freedom “to be as wrong I want to be.” This means that rather than treat everyone equitably they withhold the same freedom they enjoy from other people who are disenfranchised.
Irony of the Treatment of Migrant Workers
Migrant workers enabled the farms to meet the demand of production, keep costs down, and feed a nation during a critical juncture in their history. In that regard they perform a necessary--vital in fact--function for farm owners. Despite this truth however they are treated little better than dogs because farm owners know they’re desperate and are quick to exploit this vulnerability.
Irony of “The American Dream”
The American Dream is a lie. Liberty, fairness, and e are only applicable if you come from the same ethnic background otherwise; it is nothing but warm bywords spoken by clever statesmen and propagandists. The ugly truth however is that It is built on slave labor and the dehumanization of migrant laborers.
