Module Five: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Bibliography

Ryan, P. M. (2000). Esperanza rising. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary

Esperanza lives a privileged life in Mexico: Her father is a wealthy landowner, and she's surrounded by servants, family, and friends who attend to her every need. But suddenly, a tragic event changes everything, and Esperanza and her mother must flee to California for a better life. Esperanza's life in California is completely different from the one she had in Mexico. Set during the Great Depression, she and her mother are forced to into hard labor as migrant farm workers. Even worse, her grandmother, or abuelita, is still in Mexico with no means of contacting them. Already a fish out of water, Esperanza is compelled to take on even more responsibility when her mother becomes ill and is unable to work. Thrust into a world of back-breaking work, pressure to support her family, and union demands, Esperanza rises to the occasion, giving new meaning to her name, which means "hope" in Spanish.

 

My Impressions

Esperanza Rising is my favorite new book from this class that I've read so far. I instantly fell in love with the dreamlike, poetic language that contrasts nicely with Ryan's bleak setting on a California migrant farm. The reader will probably like the Esperanza of California much better than her Mexican counterpart. In her previous life, she was a naive and spoiled girl, unconcerned with the plight of others unless their misfortunes directly affected her own life. Her conversations with Miguel, the son of her father's employees, illustrate this self-absorption. For example, as a child, Esperanza wanted to marry Miguel, although her mother gently explained she would feel differently when she was older. As predicted, she later changed her mind, realizing class differences wouldn't allow her to marry the housekeeper's son. "In a moment of self-importance, Esperanza told all of this to Miguel" (p. 18). Her life in California, on the other hand, is in stark contrast to Mexico. After a few missteps early on, she learns to take responsibility for herself and for her family. She is sensitive to the strikers' issues but is also realistic enough to understand that her family is relying on her to keep her job. Another aspect of this book that I particularly like is the gentle weaving of Spanish words into the story. They are never an intrusion or out-of-place; rather, they offer a lovely, authentic Mexican flair to Ryan's novel.

 

Review

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy  

"When first we meet Esperanza, the young daughter of a wealthy landowner in Mexico, we cannot imagine what kind of "rising" she might experience. In her already privileged life filled with servants, beautiful clothes, and elaborate parties, we wonder what great heights she might reach. As a precursor of what is to come, in an opening scene Esperanza and her grandmother are crocheting. As Esperanza concentrates on learning to knit mountains and valleys, her grandmother reaches over and unravels all of Esperanza's stitches, telling her, "Do not be afraid to start over" (p. 15).

Like her stitches, Esperanza's life unravels as she suffers a great loss. Her beloved father is killed by bandits, and through a series of events Esperanza and her mother lose everything and flee to the United States. Helped by a family that had worked for them, Esperanza and her mother move into a cramped California migrant camp where they constantly face new trials and adjustments.

Esperanza Rising is a migration story set during the Great Depression in the United States. Not only is Esperanza unprepared for the labor expected of her, she is beset by economic, cultural, personal, and political unrest. Esperanza faces continual conflict as she strives to earn money to bring her abuelita to the United States and to pay medical expenses when her mother contracts Valley Fever and is hospitalized for many months. As she struggles to find her way in a new country, Esperanza must fight for acceptance on all levels. Many times, and in many ways, she is reminded that her life has changed. She is told by Marta, a young union organizer, "This isn't Mexico. No one will be waiting on you here" (p. 67). Her experiences at the migrant workers' camp are overwhelming.

Although Marta tells Esperanza about the importance of collective action and how agricultural companies separate farm workers by nationality to prevent them from organizing, Esperanza grapples with the complexities and tensions surrounding the workers' union and labor strikes. She crosses picket lines because she needs money and housing. She sympathizes with the striking laborers because of the low wages and abhorrent camp living conditions, but she also fears that the "Okies" fleeing the dust bowl will take her job and work for less money rather than join the strikes. Esperanza is horrified when she witnesses the deportation of union organizers and strikers to Mexico, even though some of them are U.S. citizens and have never been to Mexico. She fears the same could happen to her.

Esperanza does rise, but not in the predictable riches-to-rags-to-riches way. She does not regain her former wealth. Instead, Esperanza rises to a new and different level where she gains different riches; these riches include maturity, familial and social responsibility, and--most of all--love."

 

Use in Library

This could be used in a Spanish-language lesson for middle school children. Write all the Spanish words from the book on flash cards and include additional words if desired. Have the children take turns acting out the words for everyone else until someone guesses the word right in English. Acting out the word will help children remember the Spanish term more so than using simple repetition.

This could be used as a genealogy exercise for middle school children. Give children sheets of paper and instruct them to draw a family tree. They should complete as much information as possible and then be given a week to perform additional family research. The group will then discuss the results of their family trees and what they learned.


Tropp, T. (2001). Esperanza rising. [Review of the book Esperanza Rising]. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(4), 334.

Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanza_Rising