Riding Low Through Streets of Gold : Latino Literature for Young Adults

by Cofer, Judith Ortiz

• ISBN13: 9781558853805
• ISBN10: 1558853804
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr

Summary

"There seemed to be no way out of the custom. Her arguments were always the same and always turned into pleas ... 'But, Ama', it's embarrassing. I'm too old for that. I'm an adult,'" Naomi says in Helena Maria Viramontes' story "Growing." Ever since Naomi hit high school and puberty, she began to notice that "there were too many expectations, and no one instructed her on how to fulfill them..." In her tradition-bound family and under the thundering gaze of her father, Naomi struggles to stretch the limitations imposed on her by her family, even as her mind expands along with her changing body. Like "Growing," the pieces in this anthology for young adults reveal the struggles of discovering a new self and the trials of leaving behind an old one. This extraordinary collection gathers a wealth of stories and poems that explore the challenges of negotiating identity and relationships with others, struggling with authority, learning to love oneself and challenging the roles society demands of teenagers and adults. Edited by well-known poet and prose-writer Judith Ortiz Cofer, the collection includes work by such leading Latino writers as Pat Mora, Jesus Salvador Trevino, Tomas Rivera, Virgil Suarez, Jose Marti, Viramontes and Ortiz Cofer herself. Included as well are new voices that represent the freshness and vigor of youth: Mike Padilla, Daniel Chacon, and Sarah Cortez. For many students across the United States, this text will serve as their first rewarding introduction to diverse writers of Latino/Latina literature. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Judith Ortiz Cofer
Introduction	v
Jose Marti
I	2	(7)
Roberta Fernandez
Amanda	9	(14)
Tomas Rivera
from ... y no se lo trago la tierra/.. And the Earth Did Not Devour Him	23	(1)
The Salamanders	24	(6)
Jesus Salvador Trevino
The Fabulous Sinkhole	30	(31)
Pat Mora
Fences	61	(1)
Same Song	62	(1)
Tomas Rivera	63	(3)
Helena Maria Viramontes
Growing	66	(12)
Sarah Cortez
Haunt	78	(1)
Walking Home	79	(2)
Mike Padilla
Carrying Sergei	81	(38)
Jesus Colon
He Couldn't Guess My Name	119	(3)
Beatriz de la Garza
Pillars of Gold and Silver	122	(18)
Sandra Maria Esteves
Religious Instructions for Young Casualties	140	(2)
Affirmations #3, Take Off Your Mask	142	(1)
Life Is A Journey	142	(2)
Virgil Suarez
Ricardito	144	(3)
Daniel Chacon
Too White	147	(19)
Victor Villasenor
Toreando el tren or Bullfighting the Train	166	(20)
Judith Ortiz Cofer
Primary Lessons	186	(8)
Volar	194	(3)
Additional Works by These Authors	197