LITR 5731:
Seminar in American Multicultural Literature: Minority
Sample
Student Research Project
Rosalinda Ortiz
Literature 5132
Research Project
Mexican and Mexican-American Women:
Their Importance to the Family in Literature
INTRODUCTION
I decided to do my research project on Mexican and Mexican-American women in Literature, but I wanted to analyze their roles in the family and how it is portrayed in novels. I chose this topic because I have always been fascinated with literature from my own culture and after reviewing the course objectives, I set my eyes on Objective 6. To observe images of the individual, the family, and alternative families in the writings and experience of minority groups. I decided to narrow down my topic by only looking at the women’s familial roles in Mexican and Mexican-American families because like Alfredo Mirande states, “the most significant characteristic of the the Chicano family is its strong emphasis on familism. While the impact of the family may have been eroded somewhat by urbanization and acculturation, it is still a central institution for the individual” (Mirande 751.) I agree with Mirande that the family is core for an Mexican-American individual. Since I had an objective in mind, I had to decide which research project to choose. The reason I chose the journal project is because I wanted to do research on different novels. With that in mind, I decided to create something I can use in my future, even if it’s just for reference. I have read a lot of literature from Latino, Hispanic and Chicano writers throughout the years and the one thing that stood out to me was the importance of family in my culture. It would be easy to find novels that are based on family, but I wanted to dig in deeper into the family element. I seemed to find that a lot of the novels and short stories have strong women that are the glue to keeping a family together. Women in Mexican and Mexican American culture have always been portrayed as submissive, in the world, while “the man wears the pants,” but some literature defies this convention.
Why I picked this topic? I am Mexican-American and proud to be, but I am often looked down on by my family in Mexico because I am single, no kids with no desire to acquire a husband nor children anytime soon. My extended family believes that the world should revolve around a family, but they don’t realize that mine does. My parents and sisters are everything to me and there is nothing I would not do for them, including support them, whether it is financially or emotionally. Although those traditional ideas are not a part of my world, I wanted to look for women characters that are powerful within their family. I wanted to see that the path of marriage and children is not the end, but maybe a beginning. Then one day I may change my mind and desire those things that are so foreign to me.
Unfortunately, I did encounter some problems with my topic, due to the fact that I placed a restriction on my choice of authors by only researching Mexican and Mexican-American ones. There were many novels out there from other Hispanic authors that would have suited my topic, but I wanted my main focus to be on the Mexican and Mexican-American culture. I believe I can always extend my research project in the future by adding on Hispanic authors that I come across again or for the first time. Such as, Julia Alvarez, Esmeralda Santiago, Piri Thomas, Judith Ortiz-Cofer, etc… I would like to leave that door open in this project for these additions. I will be able to read these authors with this topic in mind and see if they would fit in somehow. Of course, I was not able to research all the novels I would have liked to because time was limited and the length of the paper would have surpassed the requirements. I chose a few that had an emphasis on a woman’s role in the Mexican and Mexican-American family.
RESEARCH
The first novel I chose to research was Rain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor. I am guilty of reading this novel at least five times and each time it manages to make me cry. Villaseñor wrote this biography about his parents and how they came to the United States during the years of the Mexican revolution and how his parents met. The beginning of the novel, is based in Mexico and how two families struggle, during a time of war, and manage to crossover to “el otro lado” (the other side.) The two mothers in this novel are the ones that keep the family together and make sure the family is safe. Lupe’s, one of our main characters, mother, Doña Guadalupe, in the beginning of the novel, is the head of the household. According to the novel she feeds the Mexican men that work for the U.S. owned gold mine because “ever since their father left [they] had been making their living by feeing the miners” (Villaseñor 36.) Doña Guadalupe knew she had to take care of children and she did so by whatever means were available to her. Doña Guadalupe had to take on the two roles that Mary Gowan and Melanie Trevi describe in their article. They state, “Gender roles in the Mexican culture result from a lengthy socialization process. The male’s roles is that of sole breadwinner and master of his household; the females place is in the home. The female is to be first and foremost a self-sacrificing wife and mother” (Gowan Trevi 1081.) Doña Guadalupe played both roles, although she was the latter before the former. When the soldiers would raid the village, she makes sure she hides all her female children so they are not harmed in any way because “the last time soldiers had come through, even small girls not yet in their teens had been raped and beaten and taken away” (Villaseñor 40.) Yet when they came to the box canyon in La Lluvia De Oro (Rain of Gold) Doña Guadalupe did not hesitate to do what she had to do to keep her children safe, even if it meant hiding them in manure. The novel states “wet, soggy, smelly manure was flying all around Lupe’s face as her brother and sisters burrowed into the pile of chicken and goat waste” (Villaseñor 40.) A mother knows that her life is her children, not the husband, but the children that come from that union. Doña Guadalupe did not want any harm to come to her children, so she took extreme measures to not allow the soldiers to get a hold of any of them. She did this on her own because her husband was not in the village.
It continues with, Juan Salvador’s mother, Doña Margarita, who also has the strength to keep her family together. Unfortunately, his mother was the only parent he had when his section begins in the novel. He is Doña Margarita’s pride and joy because he “was the baby of the family, the nineteenth child, having come to his mother on her fiftieth birthday – a gift from God” (Villaseñor 118.) Juan and his family are heading to the U.S. border on foot when Chapter 8 begins. Doña Guadalupe and her family were in a horrid situation with no money nor food, but she knew she had to provide for her family no matter what the cost. She would go into the nearest town, but would not allow Juan Salvador to accompany her. He disobeyed her one day and went into town,
when suddenly, before his eyes, he saw a wrinkled-up old lady, all dressed in black, hands twisted. She was a pitiful sight as she grabbed at each passing person, no matter how poor they looked. She was such a disgusting, dirty old lady, whining and crying as she clawed at every person, that she was, indeed, the most repulsive thing [he] ever seen. Why, she wasn’t just old, filthy, and sick-looking, begging in the street like the lowest beggar on earth, but she was…Then she turned in his direction and [he] recognized her, but he couldn’t believe his eyes; this dirty old woman was his own beloved mother (Villaseñor 159.)
Doña Guadalupe stooped to the lowest level by begging, but she could not let her children starve. She knew that it was her responsibility to do something for her children and she did the one thing she could do…beg. It hurts Juan to see his mother in that situation, but it shows what a strong mother he really has because she thinks of her children first before herself.
The second novel, Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, María, Antonio’s mother, and Ultima, la curandera, are very strong female characters in the novel. Antonio, throughout the novel, is torn between following the ways of his maternal ancestors or his paternal ancestors. Yet if the Mexican family was based solely on patriarchal dominance, as often is stereotyped, then Antonio’s choice would have already been made for him by his father. Antonio would not have any opinion on it. Antonio’s dream about his birth and the battle between the Luna family and the Marez family:
The new son must fulfill his mother’s dream. He must come to El Puerto and rule over the Lunas of the valley. The blood of the Lunas is strong in him.
He is a Márez, the vaqueros shouted. His forefathers were conquistadores, men as restless as the seas they sailed and as free as the land they conquered. He is his father’s blood! (Anaya 5-6)
The old Mexican family beliefs are not portrayed in this novel because of the fact that Antonio is free to make his own decision. According to Robert Staples, the “family pattern of the Mexican folk culture is basically paternalistic. This pattern dominates the whole family structure. The father is the head of the family” (Staples 182.) If this were true, then why was Antonio’s father unable to keep his sons all at home? Why was there even a decision to be made on Antonio’s future? María was able to give Antonio guidance in his path. More importantly, Ultima had the greatest influence on him and this is because there “is no sharp distinction made between relatives and friends as they are often one and the same. Not only are relatives included as friends, but friends are symbolically incorporated into the family” (Mirande 752.) Mexican and Mexican-American families do not limit family to the immediate family. Family includes, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, even close family friends are a big part of a Mexican and Mexican-American family. Antonio’s relationship with Ultima proves this because she become Antonio’s confidante. In the novel, Antonio admits “I felt more attached to Ultima than to my own mother…I spent most of the long summer evenings in her room” (Anaya 115.) Ultima is not of Antonio’s blood, but becomes a very important person in his life, outside from his parents.
Another novel, Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquival, contains a mother that is domineering and demanding. She is feared by her daughter, Tita. Mama Elena knows the control she has over her daughters and uses it. She follows old customs by making sure her youngest never marries and takes care of Mama Elena as she reaches a ripe old age. Mama Elena tells Tita about Pedro trying to propose to Tita the following, “‘If he intends to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. He’ll be wasting his time and mine too. You know perfectly well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die’” (Laura Esquivel 10.) Tita has no choice in the matter, she has to accept what life has in store for her and Mama Elena makes sure of it. Mirande states “[m]others are…responsible for setting parameters on the children’s behavior. They determine when one gets up or goes to bed…”(Mirande 752.) Mama Elena was that type of mother. She is a very strong woman and makes sure her words are obeyed. Then after Pedro asks for Tita’s hand, Mama Elena offers her Tita’s sister, Rosaura, instead. Rosaura has no choice in the matter. The novel states, “Mama Elena came in the kitchen and informed them that she had agreed to Pedro’s marriage – to Rosaura” (Esquivel 14.) Rosaura did not argue or say she did not love this man. She just prepared herself for the wedding. Mama Elena had so much power in her own home and Mirande states, “while the woman does not have the formal prestige or status of the man, she has great informal influence in the home” (Mirande 752-3.) Mama Elena’s influence was so great that she was still able to control Tita after her death. Mama Elena wanted to make sure Tita would stay away from Pedro, even though Tita was not actually obedient after Mama Elena was gone. Yet Tita did have enough consideration to keep her affair hidden from the entire town because her mother taught her to care about what people would say. I do believe that is a trait that many Mexican and Mexican American families pass down to their children, the idea to think about what the neighbors would say before you do what you plan to do. It is the whole idea of bringing shame to the family and that is something no one wants to do. Mama Elena instilled this idea into Tita and managed to obey till the end of the book.
On the contrary, Sandra Cisneros’s novels have the submissive women that follow the old stereotypes of what a Mexican wife should be. I decided to look at some character in two of her novels because I wanted show that not all the characters are independently strong women. The two novels I looked at were The House On Mango Street and Woman Hollering Creek. They contain a couple of characters that fit the mold of what Mexican women are supposed to really be like. Or I should say what Mexican men expect their women to be like. Norman D. Humphrey states, “Mexican men…generally expect their wives to behave in much the same fashion that they did in Mexico, and in order to obtain wives who will conduct themselves in traditional ways some immigrants return to Mexico to marry” (Humphrey 624.) Many Mexican-American men tend to joke saying they are going to Mexico to locate a wife because they believe Mexican-American women are too independent. They are looking for the woman that Robert Staples describes:
Traditionally, the Mexican woman is expected to be submissive, faithful, devoted and respectful to her husband…A good wife is not expected to find fault with her husband or to be curious or jealous of what he does outside of the home…The Mexican wife does not consider herself a companion to her husband, but rather conceives of her function as one of housekeeper and bearer of children (Staples 183.)
Cisneros has characters that fit the mold of the domineering Mexican male in her two novels. In The House On Mango Street, “Raphaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays” is a story about a woman that lives with a controlling man. He does not let her leave the house when he is out. It states that she “gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at” (Cisneros 79.) There is no better way for man to keep his woman where he wants her than to lock her up. He, too, may be afraid that she will learn of the opportunities she has, if she steps into the outside world.
In Woman Hollering Creek, Cisneros again writes about a woman that is stuck with a man that treats her more of an object than a wife. The short story “Woman Hollering Creek’s” character Cleófilas comes from Mexico to the United States with her husband. It is a different world for her and she does not understand many of the ways, but her husband becomes a different man than the one she knew. She, too, becomes someone different because the
first time she had been surprised she didn’t cry out or try to defend herself. She had always said she would strike back if a man, any man, were to strike her. But when the moment came, and he slapped her once, and then again, and again; until the lip split and bled an orchid of blood, she didn’t fight back, she didn’t break into tears, she didn’t run away as she imagined she might when she saw such things in the telenovelas. (WHC 47)
She did not react anyway she thought she would or should. She just accepted it because that is what Mexican women were supposed to do. Cleófilas was not accustomed to her new world. If she had associated herself with more assimilated women, she may have had a chance, but she did have her strong family ties. She knew where she had to go to get away from this husband of hers. Cleófila’s husband did not fit the description that Mirande gives for “machismo.” Mirande states,
The concept of machismo is important but it is defined more in terms of family pride and respect than in terms of male dominance…[it] is not a pathological force or a tool for protecting male prerogatives but a mechanism for upholding family pride and honor. (Mirande 750)
Although I do agree with Mirande on machismo being about family pride and respect, Cleófilas husband is a bit more concerned with male dominance. Yes, the pride and respect may be an aspect, but the fact that he hits her gives him the power to know that he is the one in charge. Fortunately, she gets away from him, but realizes the difference between a Mexican woman and a Mexican-American woman when she meets Felice. Felice is an independent woman and this is a concept that Cleófilas cannot grasp. The reason is because Cleófilas is voiceless and choiceless, while Felice knows has opportunities and she is taking advantage of them.
These two characters in Cisneros novels are the women that are sought out by Mexican and Mexican-American men alike. They are looking for the passive and submissive woman that will worship the ground they walk on. Unfortunately, many Mexican-American women assimilate into the American culture because they get a taste of the opportunities they have as a person. There are a lot more doors open to them in this country and often times they are considered outcasts in their Mexican families. It is not acceptable for a Mexican-American woman to have so much freedom outside of the family realm. I wanted to look at write about these characters because I want it shown that they are important too. They are doing the only they were taught to do and it should not be a downfall, although their Mexican-American counterparts, like me, see it differently.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, through my research I have found that Ross, Mirowsky and Ulbrich are right when they state that the “Mexican female, as the center of the family, is accorded honor and prestige…[and] the role of housewife may be more highly valued and social arrangements may provide more support” (Ross 672.) I, originally, looked at the role these women took on as a negative one. I did not believe the role was at all influential, but I have come realize I was wrong in my assumption. These authors had strong women in their lives for them to be able to write about them the way they did. Does it change my opinion on being a wife and mother? Unfortunately, I cannot say that it has, but I leave that up to fate. I can now respect the woman that live that life I realize the impact that they have on their families. I appreciate the fact that this project opened my eyes to what I did not see before when it came Mexican and Mexican-American women and their roles in the family. They truly are the heart of the family because without them, the family will fall apart. I can now say that I am proud to be a Mexican American woman, even if my independence makes me more American than Mexican, I can no longer judge those that have chosen that path for their lives.
For the future, as I stated in my introduction, I will continue adding on authors to this research because I believe there are many more that emphasize on women and their roles in the family. I hope this research will beneficial in my future or maybe even someone else’s. Unfortunately, I was not able to cover all the authors I had originally planned to, but due to the fact that I knew this project could go on forever, I had to eliminate some works that were in my proposal. I really enjoyed this project because it gave me a sense of fulfillment and enrichment of my own Mexican heritage.
Works Cited
Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima. California: TQS Publications, 1972.
Cisneros, Sandra. The House On Mango Street. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1984.
Cisneros, Sandra. Woman Hollering Creek. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1991.
Esquivel, Laura. Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, with
Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies. Trans. Carol Christensen and
Thomas Christensen. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Gowan, Mary and Melanie Trevi. “An Examination of Gender Differences in Mexican-
American Attitudes Toward Family and Career Roles.” Sex Roles 38.11/12
(1998):
1079-1093. WilsonWeb University of Houston-Clear Lake 23 October 2007
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Humphrey, Norman Daymond. “The Changing Structure of the Detroit Mexican Family: An Index of Acculturation.” American Social Review 9.6 December 1944: 622-626. JSTOR University of Houston-Clear Lake 23 October 2007
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Mirande, Alfredo. “The Chicano Family: A Reanalysis of Conflicting Views.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 39.4 November 1997: 747-756. JSTOR University of Houston-Clear Lake 23 October 2007 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2445%28197711%2939%3A4%3C747%3ATCFARO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-A.
Ross, Catherine E., John Mirowsky & Patricia Ulbrich. “Distress and the Traditional
Female Role: A Comparison of Mexicans and Anglos.” The American Journal of
Sociology 89.3 November 1983: 670-682. JSTOR University of Houston-Clear
Lake, Houston.
23 October 2007
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Staples, Robert. “The Mexican-American Family: Its Modification over Time and Space.”
Phylon 32.2 (1971): 179-192. JSTOR University of Houston-Clear
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Villaseñor, Victor. Rain of Gold. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1985.
