Module 10: Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Summary:  Esperanza has spent her whole life (12 years) on a very prosperous ranch in Mexico.  While there, she becomes used to the finest dresses, parties, new dolls, and having servants to provide for her every need.  On the eve of her 13th birthday, Esperanza's life changes forever when her father is suddenly killed by bandits.  

Fearing for their lives and for the consequences they might face if they stay in Mexico, Esperanza and her mother are forced to give up everything they have, and they flee to the United States.  When they arrive in the U.S., they end up on a migrant farm in California during the time of the Great Depression.  While there, Esperanza learns what it means to make do with very little, but also experiences the hardships of being away from her family, trying to learn a new language, and to fit into a new country where people no longer think she is very smart.  When Esperanza's mother becomes very ill, Esperanza learns what it means to work hard to provide for her family, and to raise money to bring her beloved grandmother to the United States.    

APA Reference: 
Ryan, Pam M. (2000). Esperanza rising.  New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Impressions:  Esperanza Rising is a touching story, which allows the reader to learn several important lessons.  As Esperanza experiences frustration over her new poverty level, having to learn English, and even learning to do simple jobs like sweeping, it becomes easy to gain a new understanding of the frequent prejudices and discrimination faced by immigrants.  In addition, the book also brings to light information on the Spanish Culture, the Dust Bowl, The Great Depression, the Mexican Deportation act, and the horrible living conditions experienced by early migrant workers.  Esperanza is such an endearing character, and the life lessons she learns are so great, the reader can't help cheering for her in every step of the book.  To make things even more interesting, each chapter of the book is named after some sort of Mexican produce, which not only allows for greater education by the reader, but also serves as somewhat of a search and find for each chapter. 

Professional Review: Gr. 5-8. Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.
  
Engberg, G. (2000, December 01). [Review of the book Esperanza rising, by Ryan, P. M.]. Booklist, 97(7), 708. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses:  This book would be a fun community reads title, which could culminate in a library activity celebrating Mexican culture.  It could be held on Dia De Los Ninos or perhaps the Dia De Los Meurtos, and might include a pinata, taste testing of Mexican foods, and a variety of Mexican entertainers.