Esperanza Rising Chapters 12 - 13
Chapter 12, Los Duraznos
Isabel hopes to be chosen as the Queen of the May at the May Day festival because she feels like she has earned it through her excellent grades at school. Typically, English-speaking girls in nice dresses are selected, but Isabel, with straight As, stands out. She shares news of a new camp with better facilities for workers from Oklahoma, where Mexicans are allowed to use the pool only before it's cleaned, which angers Esperanza, as she realizes that Mexicans are unfairly viewed as less clean.
Miguel returns and tells them about the railroad's preference for cheaper labor from Oklahoma over Mexicans. Miguel tells them that he opted to dig ditches instead of working for no pay. This infuriates Esperanza, as she angrily asks why the newcomers couldn't do that job instead. Miguel believes in the U.S. offering them a chance for progress and reminds her about her father’s often-cited advice on wisdom. Their exchange leads Esperanza to tearfully recall her father, and she becomes overwhelmed by Miguel's optimism. Isabel does not become the queen of May, and she becomes deeply disheartened so Esperanza gifts her porcelain doll as a lasting gesture. After a long and troubled time in the hospital, Mama returns home still quite unwell, but she finds a lot of comfort in the presence of her deceased husband’s blooming roses. That night, Mama consoles Esperanza and explains to her that Miguel’s reasons for departure were not just about her. For her part, Esperanza reassures her mother that she has set aside enough money for Abuelita’s traveling arrangements. To her horror, Esperanza discovers that the money orders she has been saving, only to discover that they are missing.
Chapter 13, Las Uvas
The family suspects Miguel of taking Esperanza's money orders, and so Alfonso pledges to reimburse the missing money to his former employer’s daughter. Though furious, Esperanza concentrates her efforts and will on coaxing her mother's sluggishly slow recovery.
Alfonso, Hortensia, and Esperanza make their way to the Bakersfield bus station together to collect Miguel. He surprises them all, but Esperanza most of all, by getting off the bus with her Abuelita. It becomes evident that he had used Esperanza’s money for the very purpose that she had been saving it for. Esperanza is overjoyed to be reunited with her grandmother, and she breaks down with gratitude. Back at the cabin, Esperanza surprises her mother by bringing in Abuelita. Her gentle awakening brings tears to her mother’s eyes, and Esperanza gifts Mama the crocheted blanket that she had so meticulously crafted while she had been unwell. Abuelita shares that she had intuitively felt Mama’s sickness, and she had been fervently praying daily for her family’s safety. Esperanza begins sharing an account of her life with Abuelita, and she paints a tapestry of her life using the seasons of crops to indicate the various transitions she had to contend with.
Later, in the foothills, Esperanza and Miguel recline on the grass. Esperanza encourages Miguel to listen to the land's heartbeat. As dawn breaks, Esperanza feels uplifted, and reassured by family, her roses, faith, and memories.
Esperanza’s fourteenth birthday becomes a celebration with fruit and cake. Witnessing Abuelita teach Isabel crochet, Esperanza patiently guides Isabel about embracing new beginnings without fear, as she goes about gently correcting her uneven stitches.
Analysis
Esperanza is upset about the negative stereotypes of Mexicans in their new home, highlighting the harsh reality of racism. The white employers’ belief that Mexicans are unclean and undeserving of good housing shows the deep-rooted racism affecting the lives of her people. This news leaves the family distressed, especially when Miguel shares similar experiences of unfair treatment at work. The fact that white workers can replace Mexican workers, hindering their progress, shows that these racist practices not only make their lives difficult now but also jeopardize their economic position and progress.
The disagreement between Esperanza and Miguel about improving their lives threatens to undo Esperanza’s emotional growth. Miguel’s use of her father’s words to justify his position makes Esperanza revert to childish behavior. Instead of finding comfort or wisdom in her father’s words, she focuses on the hardships of her new life. When Miguel calls her a queen, it reminds her painfully of her past, more than Marta’s earlier “Cinderella” jibes.
The racism and unfair systems they live in lead to more conflicts and realizations. The family is still adjusting to Miguel’s absence when Isabel loses a school honor to a blonde, blue-eyed girl, showing the preferential treatment of Americans over immigrants. This event, which was foreshadowed in a conversation between Josefina and Esperanza, allows Esperanza to show her maturity by comforting Isabel. Part of her emotional growth includes learning to be generous and responsible. By telling Isabel about better rewards in the future, she convinces herself of this too.
