The main goal of this paper is to address the question if there is any type of socio-historical narrative surrounding the state of Mexicans in the United States that might have developed from the very beginnings of Mexican-American relations up to contemporary US society and, further, might find its expression in contemporary American literature, using the example of “The Tortilla Curtain”. While the main approach of this paper will be of sociological nature, one cannot forgo an examination of the respective political background and events, which mostly go hand in hand and show interdependencies.
Notably, related research on this field is relatively scarce. Most major works dealing with Mexican-American relations and the state of Mexicans within US society focus on specific time periods or address specific contemporary socioeconomic issues of immigration and immigrants, but rather lack a comprehensive view that might combine the different strands and lead to a widely spanning narrative about Mexican immigrants in US society.
In general, I will try to develop a narrative that follows the overall course of events in Mexican-American history, which chapter two will comprise. Here, I will specifically depict the Mexican-American War as an origin of the boundaries we know today and will further provide an in-depth study on the 20th century and its waves of migration. Chapter three will look at the specific history of Mexican immigration to the United States and will then provide an overview of the contemporary situation of immigrants. Subsequently, chapter four aims to merge the findings of chapters two and three and examine contemporary literary expressions in Boyle’s “The Tortilla Curtain”. Out of the many aspects to be found within the novel, I will mainly focus on those relevant in sociological terms. Lastly, I will try to combine the paper’s findings to a potential narrative and discuss the political and sociological future of Mexican-American relations.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Historical Background: Mexican-American Relations
2.1 The Mexican-American War of 1846-1848
2.1.1 Causes of War: Annexation and Revolution
2.2 The 20th Century: Waves of Migration and Economic Integration
3 The Case of Mexican Immigration to the United States: Then and Now
3.1 Chasing the American Dream: Historical Abstract of Numbers and Policies
3.1.1 Poverty and Disparities: The Situation of Mexican Immigrants
3.1.2 The Case of Mexican Women
3.3 The Border: A Place of Transition
4 T.C. Boyle’s The Tortilla Curtain: Socio-Historical Implications
4.1 Family: Origin and Class as Determinants for Success
4.1.1 Liberal, Upper Middle Class Perspectives: The Mossbachers and Friends
4.1.2 At the Bottom of Society: The Rincóns
4.2 The Mex(Amer)ican Way of Life
4.2.1 Labor: Self-fulfillment and Necessity for Survival
4.2.2 Issues of (No) Food Choices and Consumption
4.2.3 Housing
4.2.4 The Rincóns and the American Dream
4.3 Encounters
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This academic paper explores the socio-historical narrative surrounding the status of Mexican immigrants in the United States, tracing developments from early bilateral relations to contemporary society. By analyzing T.C. Boyle’s novel The Tortilla Curtain, the study investigates how historical political, economic, and social interdependencies are reflected in modern American literature, specifically focusing on sociological perspectives regarding class, identity, and the border.
- Historical trajectory of Mexican-American relations and migration.
- Sociological analysis of immigrant poverty and labor conditions.
- The role of gender in the immigrant experience.
- Literary representation of the "American Dream" versus socio-economic reality.
- The symbolic significance of the border and the "us versus them" dichotomy.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.1 Liberal, Upper Middle Class Perspectives: The Mossbachers and Friends
Kyra and Delaney Mossbacher might well be regarded as a textbook example of a (white) upper middle class family: “Boyle’s white protagonists live in an upscale development … they drive a white car; they own white dogs” (Hicks 46). Further, in implementing Jordan, Kyra’s natural son whom she brought into the marriage, Boyle depicts the family as a modern, blended family (Boyle 225) with a female “chief breadwinner” (35)14. Consequently, the Mossbacher couple consider themselves “liberal humanist[s]” (3; 13), leading an active lifestyle that represents both modern work ethic and the notion of optimising one’s life in every respect:
They were both perfectionists, for one thing. They abhorred clutter. They were joggers, nonsmokers, social drinkers, and if not full-blown vegetarians, people who were conscious of their intake of animal fats. Their memberships included the Sierra Club, Save the Children, the National Wildlife Federation and the Democratic Party … In religious matters, they were agnostic. (34)
Further, as Hicks notes, the couple’s life “is shown as systematised and rigidly controlled” (49). It seems to follow a “carefully refined routine” (ibid.):
That was what he did, every morning, regular as clockwork: squeeze oranges. After which he would dash round the house gathering up Jordan’s homework, his backpack, lunchbox and baseball cap, while Kyra sipped her coffee and washed down her twelve separate vitamin and mineral supplements with half a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. (31)
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the significance of Mexican-American relations and the paper's goal to link this history to T.C. Boyle’s novel.
2 Historical Background: Mexican-American Relations: Examines the legacy of the 1846-1848 war and the 20th-century migration waves that shaped modern diplomatic ties.
3 The Case of Mexican Immigration to the United States: Then and Now: Details the historical evolution of immigration policies and the contemporary socio-economic status of Mexican immigrants.
4 T.C. Boyle’s The Tortilla Curtain: Socio-Historical Implications: Analyzes the novel’s portrayal of class divisions, gender roles, and the clash of cultures in suburban California.
5 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that historical patterns of prejudice and pragmatism remain central to current debates on immigration.
Keywords
Mexican-American relations, T.C. Boyle, The Tortilla Curtain, immigration, socio-historical narrative, border studies, class division, American Dream, globalization, unauthorized immigrants, gender roles, labor market, cultural assimilation, suburbanization, xenophobia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper examines the enduring socio-historical narrative of Mexican-American relations and how this history is reflected and critiqued in contemporary American literature, specifically T.C. Boyle’s novel The Tortilla Curtain.
What are the central themes addressed in the work?
The central themes include the history of Mexican-American conflict, the socio-economic challenges of undocumented immigrants, the role of gender in migration, and the ideological divide between liberal perceptions and the reality of exclusion.
What is the core research question?
The author seeks to determine if there is a persistent socio-historical narrative regarding Mexicans in the U.S. that has evolved since the 19th century and whether this finds distinct expression in contemporary literary works.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The paper uses a sociological approach combined with literary analysis, contextualizing the fictional narratives within historical facts, immigration statistics, and political discourse.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The body covers the history of U.S.-Mexico relations, the historical development of migration flows, an in-depth sociological character study of the two protagonist families in the novel, and an analysis of their interactions.
How are the keywords defined for this study?
The keywords highlight the intersection of migration policy, sociology, literary criticism, and political science, emphasizing terms like "class division," "unauthorized immigrants," and "cultural assimilation."
How does the author characterize the Mossbacher family?
The author identifies the Mossbachers as a "textbook example" of white, liberal upper-middle-class Americans whose obsession with material control and systematic routines masks an underlying ideological hypocrisy regarding immigration.
What role does the "coyote" symbol play in the novel?
The coyote functions as a dual metaphor: it represents the actual dangers faced by immigrants crossing the border and serves as a psychological pretext for the white community to justify their desire for isolation and physical boundaries.
- Quote paper
- Simon Brandl (Author), 2015, Mexican-American Relations and T.C. Boyle’s "Tortilla Curtain", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/337195
