Rain of Gold & Mexican Migrants

In general, the life style options for Mexican immigrants to the United States after the 1910 Revolution were very limited. At the same time, the fortitude and determination of the Mexicans to maintain and nourish their culture and sense of community remained strong. They took advantage of the opportunities which were available. The sense of endurance and celebration, along with a deep faith in God, is expressed in the author's report on the last day of the life of his Aunt Maria:

She'd been bedridden for nearly three years, but . . . when she heard that my father was giving a fiesta . . . for my mother and all of the girls . . . she bought herself a new pink dress, had her hair fixed and came in her wheelchair. She ate and drank and laughed all evening . . . and then went home and died in her sleep that night---dreaming to awake on the other side of life, a miracle of God's. Amen (Villasenor 559).

Running through this book are a number of threads which hold together the fabric of Mexican life in the United States--

. . .
ily by working only one shift at the Copper Queen, so he decided to change his name to Juan Cruz and get a second job on the night shift. After all, he was going on thirteen. He figured that he could hold down both shifts (213). However, Juan's willingness to do whatever is necessary leads him to cross the line of the law, and migrants found no mercy at the hands of the police in the United States. Juan was sent to the Arizona State Penitentiary for stealing and a jail escape. Tempted into confessing to a murder he did not commit, so that his mother would be given desperately needed money to survive, Juan is sentenced to life in prison. However, continuing to demonstrate his determination to opt for a forward-looking life style, Juan begins his education under the wing of a book-loving inmate. Juan embodies the migrant who had personal aspirations to fulfill dreams and seek a good life: He didn't want to be a puto weakling, so he worked hard at learning to read. His earthly body was locked up, but his mind was set free as a young eagle soaring through the heavens (Villasenor 216). The migrants were willing to assimilate as much as they had to in order to survive, but they were also intent on maintaining cultural attitudes whic
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Juan Mexico, Anglos Los, Lupe Villasenor, God God, Arizona Penitentiary, Rio Grande, United Juan, Pedro I'm, United States---the, Villasenor Foreword, community culture, family community culture, life style, own culture, family community, faith god, life united, rain gold, advantage opportunities, united juan, juan example, advantage opportunities available, life style options,
Approximate Word count = 2687
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)