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Under The Feet Of Jesus Analysis

672 Words3 Pages

Freedom of poverty and individual rights ultimately what Mexican-American cultures strive to obtain in earlier times, according to Viramontes. Although this contains accuracy to an extent, today’s Hispanic American culture fight against stereotypes and hidden oppression of full individual rights. Remedification of potential and hard work is dismissed in this novel, due to Mexican-American’s job status and minimal education. This oppression often leaves Mexican-Americans to keep living in this lifestyle, obvlious to keep working and hopefully achieve grounds to move out of poverty. In the novel, Under the Feet of Jesus, Helena Maria Viramontes emphasizes the physical labor Estrella and her family go through, and how this work reshapes their …show more content…

Estrella finds this inner empowerment through the barn, using the location as her alone time to reflect on her life and build identity. The barn also allows Estrella to escape reality and dream of her future, finding her true self. I believe identity is hard to create since migrant families do not have the time nor effort to build strong characteristics. Often, when individuals do have strong personalities, they tend to be brought down by those who feel more superior and educated than them. This scenario is seen in Estrella’s classroom. Estrella, too oblivious and innocent to acknowledge the hypocrisy and judgment, is blown away when she realizes that people do not care for her education but more of her presentation and physical appearance. Estrella knows that her curiosity of the world does not concern her teachers but becomes somewhat ashamed of her physical appearance. Often this shame brings migrant children to fall back into the fields, believing their appearance cannot potentially aide them to succeed in greater things. This is visible even today in the United States. Even in this developed country, the United States segregates migrant families and typically stereotype them into doing all the dirty work. Due to several inabilities to cope with society, migrant families, with unfamiliarity of the land and language are strayed from opportunities and busied with their family needs. A country freedom for what its known, denies decent employment to incoming

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