Exploring Mexican American Coming of Age Narratives in Borderland Short Fiction

Abstract

In this thesis, I aim to explore how the children and young adults growing up on the Borderland between Mexico and the United States of America are developing their identity, and how the different conditions of living by the border, in a culturally diverse land influences them. I include five short stories from various authors that all describe a child, adolescent or young adult that is growing up by the border. The short stories are "Woman Hollering Creek" (1991) by Sandra Cisneros, "First Crossing" (2004) by Pam Muñoz Ryan, "The Iguana Killer” (1993) by Alberto Alvaro Ríos, "The Ruins" (1993) by Patricia Preciado Martin, and "The Art of Translation" (2012) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I am amplifying the analysis of the stories with the help of Gloria Anzaldúa's book, Borderlands = La Frontera : The New Mestiza (1987).