Introduction
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, will always be remembered as a dark day in American history. Some experiences frequently went unwritten or were missed among the agony and loss. One story focuses on the immigrant servants who died while working in the World Trade Center’s kitchens on that tragic day.
Immigrant Contributions
The poem “Alabanza” by Martin Espada honors these people and their contributions while also highlighting their impermanence and the necessity of remembering them. Jasmine Garsd’s news piece, “Families Of Undocumented Immigrants Lost On 9/11 Continue To Search For Closure,” and the poetry are compared to better understand the hardships these workers and their families must endure.
The Struggles of Undocumented Workers
The narrative of Jasmine Garsd’s news article highlights the tough road undocumented immigrant employees who sadly buried their souls in the World Trade Center underwent. The piece highlights the extraordinary work of groups like Asociacion Tepeyac de New York, which was instrumental in establishing a complete list of missing immigrants and helping their families access crucial financial and medical aid (Garsd). These organizations made a valiant effort to close the administrative gaps that prevented the victims of unauthorized immigration from being recognized and remembered.
Loss and Remembrance
The themes in Martin Espada’s poem “Alabanza,” in which the author laments the unnamed immigrant laborers who died on 9/11 and stresses the need to honor their contributions and sacrifices, are consistent with this true story (Espada). The story and the poem highlight the hardship of these unseen people, whose presence is frequently ignored, and the ongoing search for closure endured by their relatives. Regardless of their citizenship or history, they serve as potent reminders of the importance of having compassion, empathy, and acknowledgment for everyone affected by the 9/11 tragedy.
Diverse Perspectives on Loss
The poems “Alabanza” and “Families Of Undocumented Immigrants Lost On 9/11 Continue To Search For Closure” provide diverse perspectives on murdered immigrants in the World Trade Center. While Jasmine Garsd’s essay highlights the families’ ongoing battle for closure, Martin Espada’s poem honors their presence and recognizes their sacrifice. Both pieces emphasize the importance of recognizing and remembering these frequently invisible people while underlining the obstacles posed by bureaucracy to their efforts at recognition and remembrance.
Conclusion
Together, they build a moving story that inspires us to consider the aftermath of the terrorist attacks and the lives lost, especially those who worked in the background and had their lives woven into the country’s fabric.
Works Cited
Espada, Martin. “ Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100” from New and Selected Poems. W. W. Norton and Company Inc., 2003. Web.
Garsd, Jasmine. “Families Of Undocumented Immigrants Lost On 9/11 Continue To Search For Closure.” NPR. 2021. Web.