In this lesson, you’ve already looked at how informational texts and fictional texts differ. As you read the next chapter of Esperanza Rising, did you notice any additional differences?
Read the factual account below of Mexico during the 1930s. As you read, compare this information to what you read about Mexico in Esperanza Rising. When you finish reading the passage, click the Begin button and answer the questions beside the text.
Mexico in the 1930s
The Native people of Mexico have spent many centuries in bondage. When Mexico was conquered by Spain in the 1500s, the Spaniards enslaved the majority of the Natives. Three hundred years later, Mexico won its independence from Spain, but the slavery of the peasants didn’t officially end until the 1930s. Even after the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) was won, Mexico’s government was slow to bring about equality. For example, one of the most important results of the revolution was the ejido. This reform was meant to transfer land from the Spaniards back to the Native people. However, this exchange did not really begin in earnest until 1934 when Lázaro Cárdenas became president.
In addition to the slow crawl toward equality, other factors also affected Mexico in the 1930s. For one, many lives had been lost during the revolution. Historians estimate that at least 1 to 2 million people died. Many more moved out of the country entirely. This sharp decline in population left Mexico with fewer workers, an issue that affected the country for several decades. One positive aspect of the revolution was that it pushed people to be more mobile. Before, families had generally stayed in one area, tied to the land and enslaved by those who owned it. The turmoil of the revolution as well as the freedoms won after the war drove people from their homes and into the cities and other regions to find work.
The U.S. stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s added to Mexico’s problems. However, these events also pushed the leaders of the country to make drastic changes more quickly. As trade with outside countries declined, President Cárdenas began to focus more on the issues at home. For one, Cárdenas oversaw the government takeover of the oil industry, which brought more money into the country. He also encouraged the creation of unions for workers and pushed for better schooling. These changes had many positive effects on the people of Mexico. They could now own their own land, become educated, and organize with others to bring about better working conditions. Although the early years of the 1930s saw few changes, by the end of the decade, Mexico was well on its way to the much more robust economy of the 1940s and ’50s.
Now, use the questions below to compare what you learned in this factual text to the setting and characters in Esperanza Rising.
Are the details in the informational passage about Mexico specific to one area, or are they more generally about the entire country?
What kinds of details—specific or general—are used in the novel? What are two examples?
How does the writer of “Mexico in the 1930s” feel about the enslavement of Native Mexicans? How do you know this?
What does the author of Esperanza Rising think about the class differences in Mexico, such as between Esperanza and Miguel or between the Ortegas and their servants?
What kind of information do you get in Esperanza Rising that is NOT included in the factual text about Mexico in the 1930s?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
|
The informational text is more general. It is about the entire country of Mexico, not just one area, and it also covers the decade of 1930s, not just one year. |
|
|
In the novel, the details are specific to a certain time and place and they apply to a very small group of people. Two examples include the details about the corruption of Esperanza’s uncles and the distinct differences between the wealthy Ortegas and their servants. |
|
|
You do not know what the writer feels about this issue because he or she does not communicate that information. The text is objective. |
|
|
Although Ryan doesn’t come right out and tell you what she thinks of the inequality, she portrays the servants in a very positive way, which shows respect for them. |
|
|
The novel helps you see how people might have thought and felt about the important historical events they were living through. |
|
