ESPERANZA RISING
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The Characters
Esperanza Ortega – the main character
Papa (Sixto Ortega) – Esperanza’s father
Mama (Ramona Ortega) – Esperanza’s mother
Abuelita – Esperanza’s grandmother
Hortensia, Alfonso, & Miguel – The Ortega’s
servants & later Esperanza’s “family”
• Juan, Josefina, Isabel, and the twins –
Alfonso’s family in the U.S.
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The Setting
Aguascalientes, Mexico
1924
1930
Arvin, California, United States
1930 -1931
Where is Aguascalientes, Mexico
Aguascalientes is
792.55 miles or
about 14 hours
Southwest of
Lockhart
Lockh
art
lockhart
Aguascalientes, Mexico
• In 1804 Aguascalientes became a sub-delegation of
Zacatecas
• At the end of the Mexican War of Independence, in
1821, Aguascalientes became an independent
territory
• In 1824 it once again became a sub-delegation of
Zacatecas
• As time went on the status of Aguascalientes
changed. In 1857 Aguascalientes was declared a
Sovereign State of Mexico.
What does sub-delegation mean? (Use context clues)
the prefix sub- means under
delegation – the act of transferring power or
governance
Therefore sub-delegation means under the rule of
another body of government.
In this case Aguascalientes was being governed by
Zacatecas.
What does sovereign state mean?
sovereign means self-governing
Aguascalientes was finally recognized as a state with it’s
own government in 1857 by the country of Mexico.
Esperanza’s Journey
Esperanza’s family
took a journey to
the United States.
First they travelled
by wagon from
Aguascalientes to
Zacatecas, Mexico
it took 2 days to
travel 73 miles.
In Zacatecas,
Esperanza boarded a
train and rode to the
immigration checkpoint
in Mexicali, Mexico.
This part of the journey
took 5 days. During the
ride, Esperanza was
puzzled by her
mother’s interaction
with poor people. They
finally arrived in Los
Angeles a day later.
After arriving in Los Angeles, Esperanza and her
family travelled northwest, by truck, to Arvin,
California. Arvin is 104 miles north of L.A., but the
terrain is mountainous.
A Dust Storm
One day a dust storm occurred. The camp
where Esperanza lived was blanketed in dust.
Esperanza and her friends rode out the storm
in her home. Her mother and “family” were
not able to leave work and were exposed to
the storm. Esperanza’s mother became ill .
This is a turning point in Esperanza’s life.
Symbolism
Esperanza pricks her finger with a thorn, and
begins to bleed – this is a sign of bad luck
Our Lady of Guadalupe – a symbol
of the Mexican nation, since the
War of Independence.
The Phoenix – a bird of Egyptian
legend that is consumed by fire
and then reborn; it represents
renewal.
The Chapters
• There are no chapters.
• The book is divided into the fruits and
vegetables that are prominently discussed.
• Esperanza’s story occurs during the
different harvest seasons in California.
• As you read the novel, notice how the
author weaves in fruits and vegetables.
Pam Muñoz Ryan
• A direct descendant of Esperanza Ortega
• She was born and raised in the San Joaquin
Valley of California
• She originally went to school to become a
teacher.
• A professor suggested she try writing.
• She based Esperanza Rising on the stories her
grandmother told her.
Historical Context
• Although Esperanza and her family migrated
to California for work, Mexican people were
not the only ones leaving home to find work.
• In Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma,
Texas, and New Mexico there was a serious
drought.
• In 1931, the drought gave way to a “Dust
Bowl”
The Dust Bowl
• Occurred during the drought in the Great
Plains.
• Crops were covered in black dust.
• The crops died and the soil became even drier.
• Animals began to die from lack of food and
poor air quality
• People were unable to breathe because the
air was saturated with dust.
• People moved west to California to find work.
The Dust was not the only
PROBLEM
• When Esperanza arrived in the United States,
the Great Depression was just beginning.
• More and more people were unemployed.
• Not only were people leaving the Great Plains
to find work in California, people were flocking
to California from all over the country to find
work in the fields harvesting crops.
• The competition and the economy led to very
low wages being paid to workers.
Like the Phoenix rose from the ashes,
Esperanza rises above the obstacles
placed in her path. As you read
Esperanza Rising pay careful attention
to her “rising”.