Theses and Dissertations

Ama

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Creative Writing

First Advisor

Britt Haraway

Second Advisor

Elvia Ardalani

Third Advisor

Alex Stehn

Abstract

This collection of interconnected testimonios - essays - follows the life of Socorro Benitez Celedon, an immigrant grandmother who spent decades laboring in the agricultural fields across the United States. After crossing the border from Mexico to Texas at the age of 12, Socorro navigates the harsh realities of migrant farm work low low-paying jobs, discrimination, segregation, and cruel realities, while nurturing dreams for her family's future. The stories shift between her early years in her small town in northern Mexico, San Jose De Raices Nuevo Leon, to her migrant life planting, picking, and harvesting fruits and vegetables, to her later life surrounded by the grandchildren whose education was partly made possible through her sacrifices. Through Socorro’s shared experiences, and the memories of some of her grandchildren, readers will experience the physical toll of fieldwork, the emotional sacrifices of throughout her life, the strict and complex character she was forced to build on herself and those around her to build a strong foundation and examples and the quiet moments of dignity claimed despite systemic challenges. Spanning seventy-five years, these narratives explore themes of perseverance, cultural identity, and the invisible labor behind the American Dream. Socorro’s journey reveals how one woman's determination to create opportunities for future generations transforms not only her family but also defines the meaning of a well-lived life.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Juan Gabriel Mendoza. https://proquest.com/docview/3240612189

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