In the year 1930, Esperanza was turning fourteen. She had grown up in a privileged family at Rancho de Las Rosas in Aguascalientes, Mexico. One tragic day, her father is killed by bandits and then her family's beautiful house is set on fire by her evil uncles. In the cover of night, Esperanza and her mother flee to the United States with their servants, Hortencia, Alfonso, and Miguel. Esperanza must learn how to adjust to life as a peasant, as she cares for babies, cleans, and lives in small, crowded quarters with other farm workers. The effects of the Great Depression lead to desperation for many, and poor working conditions spark workers' strikes.
I will admit, I had some trouble connecting with Esperanza through much of the book. Understandably, she is shaken by her family's fall from grace, and resentful of her newfound poverty. This transformation is repeatedly presented in her rude reactions to almost every other character. Esperanza acts snobby and condescending to her childhood friend, Miguel, a young girl on the train, a woman selling eggs, and her new companion Isabel. While I wanted to sympathize with Esperanza, her incessant complaining and disbelief of the lifestyles of those struggling around her illustrated her as very out of touch.
The settings in Esperanza Rising are conducive to a study of culture, because Ryan is able to contrast the Mexican ranch with the California fields. These provide different viewpoints on Mexican families, showing the wide range between the rich and poor. As this is historical fiction, the time period is also significant, as Ryan addresses the effects of the Mexican Revolution and the Great Depression. The foods and clothing described highlight the "before and after" of Anza's life. The papayas that were a favorite treat for the young "reina" in Mexico would have been a dream for the impoverished farm workers in California. Mamá's fancy hair updo is replaced by a more practical long braid, signaling the family's new status.
A major theme of Esperanza Rising is overcoming obstacles. Esperanza's beloved Abuelita reminds her that every rose has thorns, and so the beautiful parts of life will always be accompanied by hardships. Immigrants in 1930 and today often migrate due to major political upheaval, economic instability, and other difficulties, and demonstrate courage in starting a new life in an unknown land. Just as in the historical era of Esperanza's migration, this is a timeless theme of perseverance.
As opposed to the stereotypical "American dream" story, this book offers an alternate scenario, in which those with education and skills in Mexico may be overlooked in America. For example, Miguel is passed over to be a railroad mechanic because of his ethnicity, and instead would only be hired to lay track or dig ditches.
Pam Muñoz Ryan includes an author's note and an "about the author" section at the conclusion of Esperanza Rising. Both of these portions highlight the research and understanding of the topics of the book. Ryan was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California, Esperanza's destination. Ryan based Esperanza's story on that of her grandmother, who went through similar experiences. Therefore, Ryan was able to incorporate authentic stories and documents in her researching to write Esperanza Rising. She addresses issues like Mexican Repatriation, the Japanese internment camps, the labor strikes of Mexican and Filipino farm workers, and the Dust Bowl. As a U.S. history teacher, I found Ryan's attention to the history valuable. She is able to share these complicated, fraught events to a young audience in a skillful and accurate way.
The minority characters are portrayed in a respectful and equal way, with some differences in the socioeconomic classes highlighting tensions between them. The intermittent use of words in Spanish is thoughtful and the meanings are made clear to the reader.
Earning a starred review from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, Esperanza Rising was also awarded the Pura Belpré Award. This book is a valuable addition to any library.
An excellent idea for a lesson can be found through the Scholastic site. Students will be guided to analyze the quote by Abuelita: "There is no rose without thorns" (p. 14). A discussion will be conducted in which students use textual evidence to represent the "thorns" or challenges that Esperanza faces. Students will create red construction paper roses, on which they will identify their findings, and then they will write about the changes that Esperanza's character goes through to overcome those challenges and grow as a character. A connection could be made to the obstacles and hardships of immigrants in the modern-day. Students could also do something similar in reflecting on their own personal "thorns."
No comments:
Post a Comment