Review of Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

It is 1930, and Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico after her father dies. The two flee to California, where they settle in at a year-round camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza and her mother are lucky to find work in a year-round camp; many others are migrant workers, moving from farm to farm. Moving from a life of luxury to being a poor outsider is life-changing for Esperanza, who struggles with finding her identity in her new land.

Image

Cover image of Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan; Cepeda, J. (2000). [Cover image of Esperanza rising]. Retrieved from https://chavezcenterstore.org/product/esperanza-rising/

Evaluation

In Esperanza Rising, Pam Muñoz Ryan places the reader very firmly in 1930 Mexico and California. Mexico is still reeling from the Mexican Revolution, which was caused, in part, by government policies that favored wealthy landowners, like Esperanza’s father. When Esperanza’s father is killed by a group of angry bandits, she and her mother flee to the United States, leaving behind their beautiful gowns, servants, and luxurious lifestyle. Meanwhile, the United States has just suffered the stock market crash of 1929 and is on the bring of a decade-long depression. Esperanza and her mother arrive in California’s San Joaquin Valley, along with Japanese, Filipinos, “Okies,” and many others. As more and more willing workers arrive, jobs become harder to find and some workers strike. As one striker says, “if all the workers join together and refuse to work, we might all get better conditions” (Ryan, 2000, p. 98). At the same time, Esperanza finds herself to be an outsider in a strange land. Her friend Miguel explains that “people here think that all Mexicans are alike. They think that we are all uneducated, dirty, poor, and unskilled” (Ryan, 2000, p. 187). Esperanza’s story could not be told anywhere else; place and time are essential to the novel.

Ryan also uses Mexican proverbs throughout Esperanza Rising. These proverbs are strong links to Mexican culture but they are also useful bit of information for Esperanza to learn on her journey. The novel starts with an epigraph that contains two proverbs. The first is “He who falls today may rise tomorrow” (Ryan, 2000, epigraph). This proverb is fairly straightforward, since the entire novel is about Esperanza’s fall and subsequent rise; she goes from being wealthy to being dirt poor and must find herself in order to rise again. The second proverb is “The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich” (Ryan, 2000, epigraph). This proverb seems to indicate that Esperanza will find riches in her poverty, which seems like a contrary statement. Esperanza must discover what is important to her – it is not her fancy dresses or beautiful dolls but her family and friends. In finding what truly matters, Esperanza becomes wealthy. The novel includes other proverbs, including “There is no rose without thorns” (Ryan, 2000, p. 14), which shows that all beautiful things have sharp, dangerous sides to them. Another proverb, one that was a favorite of Esperanza’s father, is “Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hand” (Ryan, 2000, p. 223). This proverb shows the importance of patience. Throughout the novel, the use of proverbs makes both Esperanza and the reader think more carefully about Esperanza’s situation.

Finally, the format of the novel is unique. The chapters are not numbered but instead are given names of fruits and vegetables, both in Spanish and then in English. These chapters are broken up according to what is being harvested on the farm at that particular time. The story starts with “las uvas,” or grapes, which is what is being harvested on Esperanza’s ranch in Mexico when the story begins. When Esperanza and her mother leave their ranch, they see the harvests of papayas, figs and guavas in Mexico. In California, the first harvest is of cantaloupes, followed by onions. Esperanza’s mother becomes ill during potato eyes, and abuelita arrives during plums. Esperanza’s life changes, and she sees the passing of time through the harvest; she tells her story “as a field-worker, in spans of fruits and vegetables and by what needed to be done to the land” (Ryan, 2000, p. 246). This unique format fits perfectly with the novel and lets the reader see Esperanza’s life in terms of the harvest.

Response

Esperanza Rising is a touching coming-of-age story set in 1930 Mexico and California. I had a personal connection with this novel because I grew up in central California, not that far from the San Joaquin Valley. When I was a kid, many of the workers in the fields were migrants and immigrants, just as they are in the novel. I could picture the place and people in my mind, since it’s an area I’m familiar with. This novel is also important, because, although the setting is historical, the issues that Esperanza faces are still ones that are of concern in our world. Immigration issues are a major concern for many in our country today, with Mexico still a target. In Esperanza Rising, even people who are citizens are sent “back” to Mexico by immigration officials. The talk of worker strikes reminded me of Cesar Chavez and the fight for workers’ rights that comes later in American history. Overall, this novel resonated with me because there are many issues that I care about (immigration, how to treat workers’ fairly), and I think it’s an important novel because it showcases current issues in a historical setting. Elementary-aged students would learn a lot from reading Esperanza Rising.

Conclusion

Esperanza Rising is a historical novel that deals with one girl’s struggles as an immigrant to the United States in 1930. The setting is key to the novel; Esperanza moves from Mexico, where she lived a life of luxury, to California, where she becomes a farm worker. Ryan uses Mexican proverbs throughout the novel to share both Mexican culture with the reader and as a way to help Esperanza deal with her new situation. The format is also interesting, as the chapters are labeled by the harvest, mirroring the year of Esperanza’s life as she goes through turmoil and change. Overall, I really enjoyed Esperanza Rising and think that students interested in immigration or historical issues would find it enlightening. I recommend it to students aged 9 and up; 4 stars.

Citations

Cepeda, J. (2000). [Cover image of Esperanza rising]. Retrieved from https://chavezcenterstore.org/product/esperanza-rising/

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