Simon J. Ortiz's Hunger In New York City

Using his Native American roots and experiences in life as guidance in his writings, Simon J. Ortiz became a poet who was widely known through the late twentieth century. He wrote about his struggles of attempting to fit in within American culture and society. During his career Ortiz received a variety of awards for his writings of the struggles Native Americans faced, and about his stories of Native American tradition. He also received recognition for accurately depicting life in an American society as told from an “outsiders” perspective. He expressed this concept in his poem “ Hunger in New York City,” published in 1967. He expresses his attempts of fitting into society but continually longs for his Native American culture and way of life. Ortiz is a well known and respected poet and short story write because of his background, many awards, and his poem “Hunger in New York City.”

On May 27 1941, Simon Ortiz was born in Albuquerque New Mexico. He grew up apart of the Eagle and Dyaamih clan, which helped form his deep bond with his culture. Growing up he was sent to a Native American boarding school where they encouraged Ortiz to leave the culture he loved and to adapt to American ways. Feeling like an outsider he found comfort in

He tries to feed this hunger with city life but his hunger is never satisfied. It yearns to be connected to mother earth once again and that the city life is only making his hunger worse. He turns to singing softly to himself in an effort to remind him of his roots and traditions. The singing calms the storm inside of him and he concludes his poem by asking mother earth to bless him.