Esperanza Rising

stop working, if all the Mexicans are juntos, to- gether...” She made a fist and held it in the air, “...then maybe it will help ...

work, sometimes all over the state,” said Josefina. “They work wherever there is something to be harvested. Those camps, the mig ...

people are coming to the valley to look for work, especially from places like Oklahoma, where there is little work, little rain, ...

hundred people. The table was set with lace tablecloths, crystal and china, and silver cande- labras. The servants cooked for a ...

Esperanza snuggled close to her. Mama continued. “Tomorrow we are going to achurch in Bakersfield. After church, we are going to ...

Mama stroked Esperanza’s hair. “What will you pray for, Mama?” “I will pray for all the things you said, Esperanza, and one more ...

A sthey walked to the bus stop, Isabel recited alist of concerns to Esperanza, sounding ex- actly as Josefina and Mama had sound ...

the stove. Hortensia had prepared them earlier with a big onion and a few cloves of garlic and in- structed Esperanza to stir th ...

bottle, as directed, and when he fell asleep, she put Lupe next to him. Esperanza lay down, too, wondering why she was so tired, ...

by the door grew. They must be ill, worried Es- peranza. Did they have the flu or was it something they ate? No one else had bee ...

“Oh, Esperanza, they are too young for raw plums! Everyone knows that plums must be cooked for babies,” said Isabel. “Well, I am ...

The grapes had to be finished before the first fall rains and had to be picked rápido, quickly, so now there were no Saturdays o ...

“Do you crochet?” Melina asked. “I know a little, but only a few stitches,” said Esperanza, remembering Abuelita’s blanket of zi ...

hoping they would go to sleep soon, but they were restless and wouldn’t settle even though they had their bottles. The afternoon ...

desperately needed money and a roof over their heads. She worried about what many were say- ing: If they didn’t work, the people ...

“What about Mama and Hortensia and the others? Alfonso and Miguel...they are in the fields.” “They will send trucks for them,” s ...

ine. Alfonso and Juan and Miguel, could they breathe? Irene, Melina, and Esperanza sat on the mat- tress in the front room tryin ...

Esperanza waited, nervously pacing the room and worrying about the others. The school bus came first. Isabel burst into the cabi ...

Hortensia. “We hid behind some crates and buried our heads but it did not help much.” Josefina took the babies next door and Mam ...

table, Esperanza asked, “What happened with the strike?” “There was no strike,” said Alfonso. “We heard that they were all ready ...