 Tomas Rivera Migrant Worker Narratives

Style  MLA HEADING  Essays should be typed.  Cover page  12 size, Times New Roman Font, Proper Manuscript Form  1 ½ page long/Double Spaced. NO MORE THAN 2 pages long.

Introduction  You are writing in first person. (I)  Begin the story from Mexico.  Narrate your journey to the United States.  How did you get here?  Were you alone?  Did you come with your family?  Were you part of the 250,000 temporary workers brought to the US by the government?

Body Paragraphs  Describe your first impressions of the United States.  Did you miss Mexico?  Describe how you were treated by “Americans”  Did you get a job?  Describe in detail what kind of work you did.  What were the working conditions like?  Did you get paid? How much?

Body Paragraphs  What did you eat?  Where did you sleep?  What were you most afraid of?  Did you encounter racism? Explain.  What did the other migrant workers go through?  How did you all help one another survive?  How did the migrant workers treat one another?

Conclusion  Will you continue working in the US?  Will you go to school?  Do you think about moving back to Mexico?  What can you do to help other migrant workers?  Finish telling me about your story, your experience as a migrant worker.

Themes  Example: Dehumanization, child labor, poverty, lost hope, feeling helpless, family ties, religion, tradition, suffering, racism, working conditions, fields, Gott ist Tott. Etc.