This document provides excerpts from works by several Mexican and Chicano/a authors. It includes a short story by Sandra Cisneros called "Never Marry a Mexican" about the struggles of Mexican families and single motherhood. It also references an excerpt from Gloria Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" about the Spanish, English, and Chicano languages. Finally, it discusses an excerpt from Ruben Martinez's "Crossing Over" describing the experiences of immigrants crossing the border into the United States.

1. Bordering Fires The Vintage Book of Contemporary Mexican and Chicano/a Literature Liliana Carrillo

2. Authors Rudolfo Anaya Gloria Anzaldua Coral Bracho Rosario Castellanos Ana Castillo Sandra Cisneros Carlos Fuentes Dagoberta Gilb Ramon Lopez Velarde Xavier Villaurutia Ruben Martinez Angeles Mastretta Carlos Monsivais Ignacio Padilla Octvio Paz Elena Poniatowska Samuel Ramos Alfonso Reyes Richard Rodriguez Juan Rulfo Jimmy Santiago Baca

3. Sandra Cisneros “Never Marry a Mexican” “ Not a man exist who hasn’t disappointed me, whom I could trust to love the way I’ve loved. Its because I believe too much in marriage that I don’t. Better to not marry that to live a lie.” Sandra Cisneros “ Never Marry a Mexican , is truly an exceptional story, introducing how men, especially Mexican men; as well as how many Mexican Women are somewhat forced to be single moms even though the father might be there he really is not. Never Marry A Mexican reminds me of a lot of Mexican families that when the children go home there is no one to go home to both parents are working full time jobs and most of the time they work a second part time job. Another hot topic was when she is telling how her fathers death was very painful to her and how she wanted to yell at the doctor. When Cisneros is describing to Drew how he could be her son and that his father was her teacher and how his father took her to his bed that is great literature that way she describes that scene its beautiful literature. Quick thoughts; I have heard many Mexican mothers tell their daughters not to marry a Mexican that way they don’t have to work as hard and have to make a lot of sacrifices.

4. Gloria Anzaldua “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” “ Being Mexican us a state of soul-not one of mind, not one of citizenship. Neither eagle nor serpent, but both. And like the ocean, neither animal respects borders.” Anzaldua How To Tame A Wild Tongue is a short story of the beautiful Spanish, English and Chicano “tongue dialects.” Chicanos invent new words from a sort of spanglish of Chicano Spanish. We use English and Spanish in the same sentence. Chicano Spanish is diverse linguistically as it is regionally. Pride in language and in culture among immigrant groups who a retain language unlike other cultures.

5. Ruben Martinez “ Excerpt from Crossing Over: A Mexican Family On The Migrant Trail ” Martinez’s way of describing what the immigrant culture is exceptional. His detail of the “wetback” immigrant lives crossing borders for the American Dream. Border crossing was much easier before 1994; and it seemed that the border patrol was scared of the immigrants that the immigrants of the border patrol. In 1994 Pete Wilson began to deport immigrants, therefore, putting more border patrol men in the border. Describing the immigrant form head to toe, form what the coyote teaches them to loose their accent and coaches them thru the crossing over. Martinez exceptional story of immigrants truly gives us the immigrant experience to the point that it makes me imagine that I’m there.