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Eleven by Sandra Cisneros
“Eleven” is another short story from Cisneros’s first short story collection, Woman Hollering Creek (1991). The story follows Rachel, a sensitive and thoughtful young girl, whose humiliating experience at school ruins her eleventh birthday. Told from the protagonist’s perspective, the narrative explores race and poverty; the power dynamics between Rachel, her teacher, and her classmates; and the dichotomy between family and society.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
First published in 1991, Cisneros’s first novel is a collection of short, interconnected vignettes that tells the story of Esperanza, a young Mexican-American girl growing up in Chicago. The coming of age story reflects Cisneros’s own early experiences, running an emotional gamut from heartbreaking to humorous, angry to joyful. Beloved by critics and readers of all ages, The House on Mango Street is taught widely in schools for both its honest depiction of Mexican-American culture and insightful portrayal of young people’s lives.
“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston first published her short story “Sweat” in 1926 in Fire!!, one of the first literary magazines entirely created and published by African Americans. In the story, Delia is a hardworking woman who cleans wealthy white people’s clothing. She owns the house she shares with her lazy, unemployed husband, Sykes. Yet Sykes dominates Delia through physical and emotional abuse. Through her work, faith, and determination, Delia pushes back against Sykes and increasingly asserts her own independence.
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
First published in 1991, Julia Alvarez’s debut novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents tells the story of four sisters, Sophia, Sandra, Yolanda, and Carla, who grow up in New York City in the 1960s after their family flees the brutal Trujillo dictatorship of the Dominican Republic. While their parents cling to their Dominican roots, the girls try to fit into U.S. culture. Based on Alvarez’s own experiences, the book deals with identity, family dynamics, and the hardships of immigration.
