Esperanza Rising

The Great Depression is one of the worst economic crisis in history that started in 1929 and took ten years to be resolved.

A combination of factors led to this crisis. During the 1920s, many people invested heavily in the stock market, often using borrowed money. However, in 1929, the stock market suddenly crashed, wiping out savings and creating widespread panic. As fear spread, people rushed to banks to withdraw their money, but banks did not have enough cash reserves. This led to the failure of nearly 20% of banks.

Since people no longer had money to buy anything they stopped buying goods sold by businessmen. When people no longer bought anything businessmen reduced their production and fired workers which caused unemployment for nearly 25% of the population.

People lost their homes and lived in temporary settlements called Hoovervilles. Families broke up because they could not afford to be together. Mexican workers were forcefully sent back to Mexico which caused unemployment problems in Mexico. Desperately some Mexicans migrated to America in the hope to earn money and lead a better life. Due to the Great Depression both the working and living conditions were bad.

Esperanza Rising a historical fiction book written by Pam Muñoz Ryan is a beautiful book which clearly shows the impact of The Great Depression on humans.

The story starts with a girl Esperanza eagerly waiting for her thirteenth birthday. Her father, Sixto Ortega was a wealthy landowner in Aguascalientes, Mexico where ehe had a ranch, El Rancho de la Rosas. Her mother Ramona was a proud and kind woman. Esperanza’s grandmother who everyone called Abuelita lived with them. They had faithful servant - Hortensia who looked after Esperanza and her mother, her husband Alfonso and their son Miguel who was Esperanza’s childhood friend.

The night before her birthday Sixto Ortega would be murdered by bandits. After a week of mourning, Tio Luis (Sixto Ortega’s brother) asks Ramona to marry him to gain popularity which would help him in politics. Ramona furious declines the offer. The following night, Their house would be burned by Tio Luis. During they time Alfonso decided to migrate to America along with his Family. Ramona knew that if she stayed win Mexico, Tio Luis would force Ramona to marry him, if she declined once more he would force her and Esperanza on the streets. So Ramona decides that she and her daughter would go along with Alfonso and later, they would bring Abuelita with them because Abuelita had injured her ankle and could not travel with them at the moment.

Once they migrated to America both Esperanza and her mother found it difficult to adjust to the poor living and working conditions of the labour camps. In this place Esperanza became humble and responsible. Just when things seemed to settle down Ramona fell severely ill with Valley fever and pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital for 6 months straight. During this time Esperanza would work hard to pay the hospital bills and also save money to bring her grandmother, Abuelita back.

Miguel takes Esperanza’s savings and bring Abuelita back just as Ramona recovers and comes back, reuniting the family.

Through Esperanza’s journey the novel reveals that economic failure its just a mere statistic but also causes personal hardships to many people.

By 1939 The Great Depression was resolved by government programs to provide jobs and the industrial growth during World War II created massive employment.

The Great Depression shows that economic systems are deeply connected to human lives. It shows us how financial instability and panic can reshape a society.