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The Development and Improvement Of SUEÑOS Y PESADILLAS DE TRABAJADORES RURALES MIGRANTES EN TRES NOVELAS CHICANAS: …Y NO SE LO TRAGÓ LA TIERRA, BAREFOOT HEART Y UNDER THE FEET OF JESUS A Dissertation by MARIA CONSUELO DONATO MOLINA Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, José Pablo Villalobos Co-Chair of Committee, Roberto J. Vela Committee Members, Esther Quintana Millamoto Stephen Miller Armando Alonzo Head of Department, José Pablo Villalobos August 2018 Major Subject: Hispanic Studies Copyright 2018 Maria Consuelo Donato Molina ABSTRACT The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the way in which Chicano novels…y no se lo tragó la tierra de Tomás Rivera, Barefoot Heart de Elva Treviño Hart y Under the Feet of Jesus de Helena María Viramontes, deconstruct the American Dream through its positioning in the face of assimilation, a condition without equanimity to achieve it. This study examines the main motivations of the constant search of rural migrant workers, based on the reality they face while moving following the harvests of the southwestern United States. The three authors reflect critically on the way that agro-business in the United States has been nourished by Mexican and Mexican-American immigrant labor, while keeping it marginalized through its power structures. Agribusiness in the United States is postulated in the three novels as an oppressive structure that creates barriers to socioeconomic mobility not only of Mexican immigrant agricultural workers and Mexican-American migrants but also for their future generations. The study of the three novels is contextualized in the debate on the sociology of assimilation and its implications for migrants. This, over a century of interceptions of the times of great economic growth of agriculture in the United States with large migratory flows of Mexicans to the agricultural fields of the southwest of the country. In addition, the concept of the American Dream and its interactions with the migrants of the stories are studied. The three authors propose to redefine cultural relations by answering the assimilation and producing and affirming forms of relationships that strengthen the democratic processes and human rights on which the nation has been strengthened. The three novels emerge as examples of counter narratives that question assimilationist hegemony and demystify the American Dream, ii while producing and affirming the historical cultural contribution of the Hispanic community in the United States. iii RESUMEN El propósito de esta disertación es determinar la manera en que las novelas chicanas…y no se lo tragó la tierra de Tomás Rivera, Barefoot Heart de Elva Treviño Hart y Under the Feet of Jesus de Helena María Viramontes des-construyen el Sueño Americano a través de su posicionamiento frente a la asimilación, condición sin ecuánime para lograr el mismo. Este estudio examina las principales motivaciones de la búsqueda constante de los trabajadores rurales migrantes, basadas en la realidad que enfrentan mientras se desplazan siguiendo las cosechas del suroeste de los Estados Unidos. Los tres autores reflexionan críticamente sobre la sobre la manera que el agro-negocio en los Estados Unidos se ha nutrido de la mano de obra inmigrante mexicana y mexicoamericana, al tiempo que la mantiene marginalizada a través de sus estructuras de poder. El agro negocio en los Estados Unidos es postulado en las tres novelas como una estructura opresiva que crea barreras a la movilidad socioeconómica no solo de los trabajadores agrícolas inmigrantes mexicanos y migrantes mexicoamericanos sino también para sus generaciones venideras. El estudio de las tres novelas se hace contextualizándolo en el debate de la sociología de la asimilación y sus implicaciones para los migrantes. Éste, a lo largo de un siglo de las intercepciones de las épocas de gran crecimiento económico de la agricultura de Estados Unidos con grandes flujos migratorios de mexicanos a los campos agrícolas del suroeste del país. Además, se estudia el concepto del Sueño Americano y sus interacciones con los migrantes de las narraciones. Los tres autores proponen redefinir las relaciones culturales contestando la asimilación y produciendo y afirmando formas de relaciones que fortalecen los procesos democráticos y los iv derechos humanos sobre los que se ha fortalecido la nación. Las tres novelas emergen como ejemplos de contra narrativas que ponen en tela de juicio la hegemonía asimilacionista y desmitifican el Sueño Americano, a la vez que producen y afirman la contribución cultural histórica de la comunidad hispana en los Estados Unidos. v DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my beloved parents, Clemente Donato and Enriqueta Molina, Colombian farmers who firmily believed in personal improvement through education. To my children, Julia and Arturo, joy of my life. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to sincerely thank the president of my committee, Dr. José Pablo Villalobos, the co-president, Dr. Roberto J. Vela (TAMUK) and the members of my committee, Dr. Maria Esther Quintana Millamoto, Dr. Stephen Miller, and Dr. Armando Alonzo for their guidance and support provided during the course of this investigation. I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues, the professors and staff of the Hispanic Studies Department at Texas A & M in College Station, Kingsville and Laredo, for the support and friendship during my studies. Finally, I thank my siblings for their affectionate and permanent support and my husband and children for their patience and encouragement. vii CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES This research work would not have been possible without the decisive and timely collaboration of Dr. Jose Pablo Villalobos, president of my committee. Likewise, Dr. Esther Quintana Millamoto offered me guidance and special support in the process of my writing. For his part, Dr. Roberto Vela, in TAMUK, was my permanent advisor from the first to the last day of my studies and dissertation. I have infinite gratitude towards him. My work was also facilitated by the advice of Dr. Armando Alonzo and Dr. Stephen Miller. I do not think I can thank enough Dr. Shad Nelson, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences at Texas A & M University-Kingsville, for these years of support while working with him. Through the funds coming from the NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) of the STEP UP projects (Award No. 2011-38422-30826) and START NOW (Award No. 2016-38422-25542), of the United States Department of Agriculture and of which Dr. Nelson is its director, it was possible to finance my studies. viii TABLA DE CONTENIDOS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. ii RESUMEN ............................................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION .......................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................... vii CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES ................................................................... viii TABLA DE CONTENIDOS ................................................................................................... ix CAPITULO I: INTRODUCCIÓN ............................................................................................ 1 CAPITULO II: PARA QUÉ RECORDAR. FUNDAMENTOS TEÓRICOS: SUEÑOS Y PESADILLAS........................................................................................................................... 6 CAPITULO III: EL ESPAÑOL: HERRAMIENTA QUE DERRUMBA EL SUEÑO AMERICANO EN…Y NO SE LO TRAGÓ LA TIERRA DE TOMÁS RIVERA .................... 54 CAPITULO IV: MAPAS DE MARGINACIÓN ÉTNICA Y EMPODERAMIENTO FEMENINO EN BAREFOOT HEART DE ELVA TREVIÑO HART .................................... 96 CAPITULO V: LA ACCIÓN: RESPUESTA TRANSFORMADORA DE LA INJUSTICIA SOCIAL EN UNDER THE FEET OF JESUS DE HELENA MARÍA VIRAMONTES ......... 145 CAPITULO VI: CONCLUSIONES..……………………………………………………… ... 185 OBRAS CITADAS………………………………………………………………………… ... 188 ix CAPITULO I INTRODUCCION Numerosos son los escritores pertenecientes a familias de trabajadores rurales migrantes mexicanos y mexicoamericanos que han narrado sus dolorosas experiencias infantiles o juveniles mientras sus familias recorrían los campos del suroeste de Estados Unidos siguiendo las cosechas, en búsqueda de una vida mejor. Dentro de este grupo, los escritores chicanos Tomás Rivera, Elva Treviño Hart y Helena María Viramontes narran sus propias experiencias de vida en sus novelas…Y no se lo tragó la tierra, Barefoot Heart y Under the Feet of Jesus, respectivamente. Los tres reflexionan críticamente en como el agro-negocio en Estados Unidos se ha nutrido de la mano de obra inmigrante mexicana y mexicoamericana, al tiempo que la mantiene marginalizada a través de sus estructuras de poder. Así mismo los tres abordan algunos temas comunes, que a su vez son centro de preocupación de la cultura chicana, como las relaciones de poder asimétrico, la injusticia social, la búsqueda de la identidad individual y colectiva, las relaciones de producción, el trabajo infantil, el papel de las instituciones en la marginalización de los trabajadores, el racismo, la revaluación de valores,
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