And the Earth Did not Devour Him by Tomas Rivera

As a dry land of immigrants, American report can non be written entirely in a single perspective specially of the ascendant ethnic group. A comprehensive delineation of our history requires the inclusion and accommodation of the experience of either member of modern American society.Tomas Riveras And the land did non devour him, is a literary subdivision that provides an supplemental presentation of the US history in the perspective a beleaguered group of Mexican upgradeers albeit sideway creating the impression that the US governance and its business capitalistic partners are the oppressors.The story was set sometime amid the 1940s and 1950s during which many Mexicans came to the US to give way as farmers under the Bracero (manual labor) Program.This program which was instituted by both(prenominal) the Mexican and US government to cover the motivating for manoeuverers lost during the previous world wars, became a furrow for the exploitation and social secretion o f the temporary men imported from Mexico instead of providing for the fair treatment of Mexicans workers in the US. Many transient Mexican workers (braceros) wickedly entered the US instead of returning to Mexico after the expiration of their work contracts.This prompted the US government to deport over 3 million Mexican migrants without proper regard to their unmarried rights, without effectively differentiating legal and amerciable migrants and without due setting to the disintegration of family relations.In a series of different stories often with unnamed characters, Tomas Riveras allegory in general captures the struggles and challenges in the lives of Hispanic migrant workers in their avocation in America.The Struggle of the Mexican AmericanMexico leads in the Latino in-migration to the U.S. The sharp rise of illegal immigrants from Mexico in particular with the Braceros program created political tensions between the US and Mexico. storey would almost always recount the illegal immigration of Mexican farmers by reporting the series of go used by the US government in combating illegal immigration.For example, aside from the massive deportation of illegal Mexican immigrants (i.e. Operation Wetback) initiated by the Eisenhower administration, the US government instigated a U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement with the target area of generating jobs in Mexico in order to prevent, discourage and belittle the pour of Mexican workers illegally entering the US soil.Strict laws that called for tighter restrictions on legal and illegal immigration to charm the U.S.-Mexico border were implemented.Later on, many American states adopted the position only policy which delegates English as the grievous bodily harm official language. The standardization of language was accordingly think to warrant the integration of Mexican immigrants in the American community. (Stacy, p 609-613)This example of historical account along with similar and related events tends to reduce the incidence of immigrant farm workers in the United States in American history as a mere issue of illegal immigration without due consideration and recognition to the unequaled experience and socio-political circumstances of Mexican migrant workers in South Texas.By recording the lives and recounting the traditional trails of an immigrant population, the novel produces in an artistic yet authentic literary piece the spiritual history of a sight thereby providing them a distinct cultural voice.In rest of their familys struggle to become part of America, the champion in the novel undergoes intimate and spiritual moments of end ones identity, family and society beyond the sheer politics of defying the dominant ending. In one instance, he even questioned divinity fudges wisdom in their plight.God could not care less about the poor. Tell me, wherefore must we live here like this? What waste we done to deserve this? Youre so favorable and yet you have to suffer so o ftentimes (Rivera, p 189)The stories in the novel practically served to embody and confirmed the hardships and brutalities that the immigrant Mexican farmers faced at work. In the story, That It Hurts, one boy was expelled from school because he was Mexican.In another(prenominal) terrifying story, The Children Couldnt Wait, a boy was killed because he couldnt comply with the bosss imperativeness that the workers should wait to drink water, a privilege freely endowed to cattle but not to the Mexican workers. The farmers bear long hours of intense work, modest intellectual nourishment and deficient accommodations in their camps for a meager pay.The children inevitable to join their parents in working in the handle to improve family earnings at the expense of not being able to attend school. Younger children incapable(p) to work were left to fend for themselves which made them undefendable to poor health conditions and other environmental risks.While the dilemma of the Mexican m igrant workers is comparable to the slavery of the blacks in the beginning on in the history of America, the novel depicts a young mans struggle for egotism identification which ended with a reaffirmation of his bicultural sensitiveness as well as his patrimony and devotion with America. The novel did not necessarily represent acerbity against the Anglo culture and resistance.Thus, people should reconsider the maltreatment of immigrant workers and the discrimination of ethnic minorities in general. For instance, the novel did not like a shot criticize the Anglo culture but only uses it for comparative discussion of differences aimed to create a sense of feel and community among the oppressed Mexicans.In the anecdote entitled The shadow before Christmas, the Mexican mother tells her children that, In Mexico, its not Santa clause who bring the gifts, but the collar wise men. And they dont come in the sixth of January, thats the real date.(Rivera, p130) In this example, the n ovel is not directly criticizing American culture but is surreptitiously protesting against a social lie of the dominant culture that utterly disregards the religious beliefs of Mexicans.