This degree made him eligible for college teaching, and in 1965 he became an instructor in English, French, and Spanish at Southwest Texas Junior College, Uvalde, until 1966. After graduating, he became a teacher of English and Spanish in the public schools of San Antonio, Crystal City, and League City, Texas, from 1957 to 1965.Ĭontinuing his education, Rivera was awarded a masters degree in education from Southwest Texas State College in 1964. He graduated from Southwest Texas State College (now Southwest Texas State University), with a bachelor of arts degree in English in 1958. During that time, Rivera lived and worked in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Dakota, but his parents also ensured that he had sufficient time to attend school. Rivera accompanied his family in the migrant labor stream that traveled from Texas to many parts of the Midwest. and Josefa (Hernandez) Rivera, who were migrant workers. Tomás Rivera was born on December 22, 1935, in Crystal City, Texas, the son of Mexican immigrants, Florencio M. Through his example, one of the young workers discovers this connection for himself, leading him to a new appreciation of the earth and the cycle of the seasons. It shows how one old migrant worker regularly renews his feeling of kinship with the land. “The Harvest” is a story that illustrates this love. Rivera wrote that, in spite of the hardships of their work, the Chicano migrant workers kept their spirits up by what he described as their love of the land. Housing provided for them is often inadequate, and they are frequently treated as aliens in the communities where they work, even though many are American citizens. workers and they often work long hours in difficult conditions. Migrant workers are among the lowest paid of U. He therefore knew firsthand the difficult lives such workers had to endure, and still do today. Rivera, who was the son of Mexican immigrants, had been a migrant worker in his youth, at various times living and working in Iowa, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Rivera was the first writer to document the experience of Mexican American migrant farm workers who each year traveled north from Texas to the Midwest to find seasonal work. Don Simon is a very important character in Zoo Island and may be even more interesting than you think.“The Harvest” (Arte Público Press, 1989) is a short story by Mexican American writer Tomás Rivera. That way you know you're not only here but that you're alive." He took a huge change from being grumpy and uninterested to being supportive. By counting yourself, you begin everything. He drastically changed, though, because after Jose took Don Simon in the census, he said, "Well, you know, I kinda like what y'all are doing. When Jose first began questioning Don Simon for the census, he wasn't very enthusiastic.He barely answered and wasn't to happy about it as well. The 'island' part relates to them because they are isolated from other people. When Don Simon sliced Stumpy with a knife, no one did anything about it, for example. I think he called the town that because the first part, "zoo", relates to them because they don't have very many laws. But there was something in his eyes that made people jump.Įven though Don Simon only appeared towards the end of the story, he still has many important roles to play. When Jose went to question him for the census, he used the vaguest answers possible. Without this the story would be much more boring and not very complex. When he got angry with Stumpy for needling him, Don Simon chased him all around the field with a knife. One of Don Simon's points is to cause a little conflict in the story. Don Simon is a grumpy guy that makes Jose scared. When Jose, the main character, takes a census count, they counted everyone but a man named Don Simon. The story, "Zoo Island", by Tomas Rivera, talks about immigrants.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |