Lineas to Cross in a Lifetime

   Ann Jaramillo's novel, La Linea, is a fictional story based on real events.  Ann met her husband Luis in the 1970's, where his family welcomed her with open arms.  It was here that Ann developed a sense of understanding when she learns about the difficulties and struggles that many have faced to cross the border line.  The afterwards states, "We didn't come to the United States.  The United States came to us."  This sentence reflects on how many times this country has turned a family around, and provided hope to those with none.
   La Linea is a story of struggle and hope for a young fifteen year old boy who longs to be reunited with his mom and dad in California.  What was a year of promise turned into seven, and on his birthday, the time had come.  San Jacnito did not offer stability of survival; the corn had dried up and families had left behind any hopes and dreams of making adequate income.
  Before he could leave, the reader learns various vocabulary terms, such as 'coyote'.  Through context clues, students quickly learn this is a man to help one travel across the desert safely.  Mata gente is the train that travels north, and pueblitos are communities in which residents help those migrants seeking a better life in the north.
   To me, it was an eye-opener reading this book.  Since I was little, I have heard the stereotypes of Mexicans crossing the border, thinking it is an easy task, which is why so many are here in this country.   Though I have argued the point they are here to better themselves and their children, others still have a distaste for their existence.  Reading about the children riding the mata gente was very frightening; Javi, the adopted companion on Miguel's journey, was concerned for gangs capturing and molesting these children.  It makes you also think about the amount of parents who have left their children behind to provide money and send back to a housekeeper.  How awful it must be to be separated and live across "la Linea".
    One of the most significant lines in this novel to me was "I didn't understand that there are thousands of lineas to cross in a life.  Sometimes you see the border and you walk right across, eyes wide open.  You know you will change.  You know everything will be different.  Other times, you don;t know you've crossed a border until you reach the other side.  Until you turn, and look back at la linea, surprised" (125).    This is a perfect open-ended response to get the students reflecting on their own lines they have crossed in their life.  How many times have we crossed decisions without looking back?
  Miguel knew he wouldn't look back.  The United States was where he longed to be; though throughout the story,  the reader felt dis-contempt for his father.  How could he deny Don Clemente the opprtunity to send his son earlier?  It wasn't until Miguel was older, "It took me years to accept that Papa did what he did out of love, not pride" (121).  Yet, his twin siblings will never know the struggle of la linea.  Something he will carry with him.
    Overall, this book teaches children a lot about struggle for Mexican-Americans.  Miguel and his younger sister, Elena, had to make many life-altering decisions.  If it had not been for certain moments, people, and circumstances, they may not have made it, just as the mom and baby left in the sand.


    In reference to the text, Young Adult Literature in the Classroom, "the eleven million immigrants age 10 or over who came to the United States during the 1990s accounted for more than one third of the nation's population growth" (45).   This, to me, tells the struggle of so many children and so many people to better their lives.   Students need to be exposed to diverse culture and diverse literature for this specific reason: ten million is all over our country, including our own towns.  As the text states, "Literature provides one important resource for all students to learn about themselves and others" (47).   I like the teacher idea on page 60, which lists character analysis vocabulary to help students identify dynamic words to describe the characters.  With this list, students can identify web cards to describe Javi, Elena, Miguel, Mama, Papa, and even Abuelita.  It would allow students to examine how dynamic they were to the main character, and how they worked together.  Overall, this novel has a lot of insight to offer young minds about the biases in our country.  I feel eighth graders could use a novel like this to break stereotypes, and to understand the struggle behind the travel.  Because even when they reach their destination, there are always more "la lineas" to cross.