January's book selection,
The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle, is still settling in my mind. Boyle skillfully presents both sides of the controversial divide of illegal immigration. His story follows two families- The Mossbacher family are liberal, affluent, spoiled, and fearful "gringo"-Anglo Americans while, the Rincón family are poor, starving and, humble Mexicans trying to find work for a chance of a better life in the Norte/United States of America.
I couldn't help feel disgusted with Delaney Mossbacher when he hit Cándido Ricón with his car. His initial concern was for his precious vehicle and the possible rate increase on his auto insurance. When he finally finds Cándido laying half dead in the brushes by the side of the road, Delaney fights to keep his "perfect" world in order. He absurdly rationalizes that Cándido must have thrown himself in front of his vehicle purposefully in order to scam his auto insurance. From this point, from the Topanga Canyon in California, the two families continue to cross paths both serendipitously and chaotically.
Boyle illustrates how our unquenchable American thirst for bigger-more-better with the juxtaposition of the coyote's drive for survival. I've read and heard the argument many times- if employers stop hiring illegal immigrants to provide cheap labor than we, (the U.S.) would not have so many people coming into this country illegally. However, there is something to be said about the types of jobs these illegal immigrants take. Most Americans would not work for minimum wage picking produce under the hot blazing sun with snakes and other varmints crawling around the work area. Nor would they consider working long hours in a factory sewing garments without a break or lunch. For illegal immigrants, labor rights do not apply. Often they are cheated from their wages and most commonly they are paid meagerly and unfairly. They endure harsh living conditions and risk being deported because they are desperate to provide a better life for their families.
How do I know this? Many years ago some of my family members worked in the agricultural fields of Central California picking grapes, apples [State of Washington], and other produce. My mother-in-law {que Dios la bendiga} worked in a sweat shop in her earlier years in California. Numerous of my in-laws also risked their lives to work in this country.Why?? Because they were STARVING in their own country. Okay, before any self-righteous person reading my blog starts wasting their time calling INS- I want you all to know, my family members including my in-laws that still live in this country, now have their citizenship and can legally work and live their lives in good ol' United States of America.
As I read the incredible succession of unfortunate events of the Ricón family, each time I kept asking, "why don't you go back home?" My answer, "Oh, that's right...you have no money to go back home." The consequences of returning to Mexico was not only problematic because of their lack of funds but also because they had no solid future back in their home village.
The troubles of the Mossbacher family are almost trivial to that of their counterparts. Their buried prejudice surfaces when chaos starts to unfold in their community. Hypocritically they want the cheap labor that the immigrants provide yet they
don't want the Mexicans in their "clean and safe" neighborhoods. It was comical when the Americans would conveniently turn a blind eye whenever they would hire someone to provide laborious work. When a strewn of random thefts and vandalism begin to take place, the Mossbachers and the rest of their community flatly ignore the possibility that one of their "own" could be committing these crimes.
I think Boyle fairly represents both sides of the "Tortilla Curtain" with humor and candor. There is definitely lots of fodder to gnaw on. I hope that you may read this book and think , {if only for a little bit}, about the people who come into this country illegally and how they have provided you an affordable service or product.
Adios!
