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US History II
Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

Lupita Mañana by Patricia Beatty
New York:  Beech Tree Edition 1992 (original copyright 1981)

     After a fishing accident takes the life of her father, thirteen year old Lupita Torres and her fifteen year old brother Salvador attempt to cross the US-Mexican border in order to find work to support their family in Ensenada.  They have no papers to cross legally, so like many other impoverished Mexican citizens they are compelled to risk capture, imprisonment, or even death, to make the crossing.
     But Lupita is an optimist, and her nickname Lupita Mañana is indicative of her belief that things will be better tomorrow.  If Lupita and Salvador can somehow reach Indio, California, they believe their "rich" Aunt Consuelo can help them find work.  Aunt Consuelo is a pocho, meaning she can legally reside and work in the United States.
     It is a perilous journey, and even after their arrival in Indio life remains difficult when they discover their rich aunt is not so rich after all.  Lupita and Salvador must maintain constant vigilance to avoid la migra, the border patrol.  They must also cope with the deep prejudice of the white "gringos" and Mexican pochos who frequently harass and take advantage of the "wetbacks" who have entered the country illegally. 

Comment
     This book is written from the perspective of an impoverished Mexican family who believe they must risk the lives of two of their children in order to survive.  They are fighting for survival, and do not have the luxury to dwell on the moral correctness of US immigration policy.  The novel is clearly sympathetic to the plight of illegal Mexican immigrants, and can serve as the basis for discussion about the pros and cons of US policy towards illegal immigrants and immigrants in general.  The book deals strictly with the personal, human side of this issue, and makes no pretense to offer both perspectives of this difficult and complex issue. 
     The novel includes an Afterword by Lucas Guttentag, Director of the Immigrants' Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union.  He describes the "push" and "pull" factors that drive illegal immigration.  He concludes by stating that "Lupita Mañana reminds us that immigration is much more than an abstract concept:  it is about human beings uprooting themselves from their homes and their families to try to make a new and better life."

Reading Level:  4.7
Interest Level:  5 - 7 (in my view the interest level is higher)
190 pages

Supports the Following Instructional Objectives:

Trace the growth of anti-immigrant sentiment from the arrival of the Southeast Asian refugees to the present

Excerpt

     Men with flashlights and pistols on their hips were walking beside the train.  When they came to a boxcar, they hauled open the doors and shone the lights inside.  A man with a bass voice called out in Spanish, "Traigo pistolo.  Levantense los manos!  I have a pistol.  Raise your hands."
     Lupita looked on in dismay as Señor Rosario and his family jumped out of their boxcar.  To her surprise, three young Mexican men followed them.  The railroad guards handcuffed Senor Rosario to one of the young men and handcuffed the other two together.  Another guard led Señor Rosario's weeping wife and children away.  Tears came to Lupita's eyes.
     "Lupita, get your head down," Salvador hissed, as he ducked his head out of sight below the turret.  Lupita scrunched down, and Salvador quickly pulled the hatch shut as far as he could.  Seconds later they saw the beam of a flashlight through the crack that remained open.  Lupita held her breath in terror.  Would they be flushed out too?  Would one of the railroad guards climb up to the hopper car, open the turret, and shine his light inside the car? (page 83)

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