Rebozos reconsidered: a dead end for Chicano literature?

Re1·i s a de Es udios No eame icanos, n.º 1 I (2006), pp. 109 - 116 REBOZOS RECONSIDERED: A DEAD END FOR CHICANO LITERATURE? RA MÓN GARCÍA * MARÍA MARTÍNE Z- GUTIÉRREZ ** * Cali o nia S a e Uni e si y No h id ge ** CSU F esno an d USAC, Uni c si y o Ne ada The e is a long li e a y dis ance be ween he ebozo ( olklo ic Mcxican shawl) ha is wo n by Do olea, he psycho ic, ag uel y ic imized cha ac e in Juan Rul o's mas e picce Ped o Pá amo (1956) and he ebozo a he cen c o Sand a Cisne os's Ca amelo. Do o ea ca ies an imagina y child in he ebozo, he insc u able o sp ing o he demencia. Shc helps Ped o Pá amo's son, Miguel, ape ali hc gi ls in Comala ( his is he non-colo ul o m o La ín Ame ican magical ealism ha does no make i ac nss he bo dc ). Do o ea is a haun ing, di s u bing cha ac e , and she appea s in only a ew scenes in a e y sho no el. The ebozo in Ca amelo, in con as!, is a symbol o he s o y i sel , ep esen ing Lh e ac o ememb ance and Lhe passing on o amily his o y. The e is no g o esque hallucina ion in he olds o he ebozo, no psychological u mo il , and onc canno help hinking ha pe haps i he e had been some hing else han a i icial nos algia somcwhe c in all he old- ashioncd p e iness o i s p ose, he s o y «wo en» om Cisne os's a che ypal ebozo would ha e becn able o hold igo ous li e a y s anda ds. Cisne os is he celeb a ed au h o o se e a! books o poe y, a no ella, The Hou se 011 Mango S ee , and a collec ion o sho s o ies, Woman Holle ing C eek and O he S o ies. In he poe y and in The H ouse 011 Man!{o S ee Cisne os displayed a play ul comma nd o na a i e, empowe ing ideas and poe ic language. The House 011 Mango S ee is an accomp li shed, al hough une en, adolescen s o y. Mango S ee alone has sold mo e han wo million copies, and Cisne os should be c edi ed wi h cmpowe ing a gene a ion o La ina gi ls who g ew up in he 1990's, and who ead hc book in high school. In Woman Holle ing C eek, Cisne os ackled «di icul » subjec s such as adul e y, in emalized acism and AIDS. In he sho s o y «Ne e 110 Ramón Ga cía a1Ui Ma ía Ma íne~-Gu ié ez Ma y a Mexican» Cbne os h ows sexual poli ics upside down, and he assaul on he mo al and poli ical ounda ions o he e osexual omance is da ing. Ca amelo was launched in ea ly Sep embe 2002. wi h he equisi e ma ke ing bli z. Cisne os began appea ing on he co c o La ino-based magazines in cos umes mean o complemcn Ca amelo 's ccleb a ion o he Mexican and he beau i uL Coun less newspape a icles and magazine s o ies began de o ing as much ime - i no mo e- o non-Ji e a y ma e s: he special ebozos, he looks and he uncon en ional li e, he pu plc-pain ed housc e c., - he publici y pho os add in g ue! o hc non-li e a y i e: Sand a in ano he colo ul ebozo, his ime wi h a a oo o an umb ella as accesso ies; Sand a wi h ano he ebozo, his ime wea ing cowboy boo s emblazoned wi h he Vi gen de Guadalupe; Sand a decked ou in F ida Kahlo wea in an Eisens einian landscape o dese cac i. In a Wa holian age in which a and eomme ce can so easily swi ch places, i is necessa y o ask. «Wha is he p oduc ha Ms. Cisne os is selling'!» In an a icle in Book Magazine, w i e Dagobe o Gilb is quo cd as saying: «Talking abou Sand a Cisne os hesc days is likc alking abou F ida Kahlo.» Tha 's a bi exagge a ed, hu he e is so ne u h o ha . Gilb, howe e , is no speaking o F ida Kahlo he woman and hc ex ao dina y a is . bu F ida he icon madc sa c o comme cial consump ion. emp ied o he adical o ce o he a . Donna Ta 's 111e Li le F iend and Zadie Smi h's Tlze Au og aph Man, bo h published a ound he same ime as Ca amelo, wc e hcld up o much mo e igo ous li e a y s anda ds. Donna Ta was aken o ask o l eading amilim li e a y e i o y and o c isi ing he oo s (he Sou he n Go hic oo s), he same quali ies ha o he mos pm cha med e icwe s o Ca amelo. «Th eads o a Colo ul Family» an he i lc o Ron Cha les' glowing e iew o Ca amelo in he Ch is ian Science Moni o and Ca o! Memmo 's cqually glowing app abal in U5A Toda_ was i led «Ca amelo wea es a colo ul ale.» Zadie Smi h was chas iscd o no mee ing he high li c a y ambi ions, and bccause he no el was no as good as he i s (shame on he !). Bu hese doublc s anda ds eck o pa onizing poli ical co ec ness. A e ali, Donna Ta is he An iKi sch, shc wca s s a k designc clo hes (no nos algic Sou he n Belle ashions o he ) and she doesn ' smile o he came a. She is a se ious w i c . And Zadie Smi h, e en hough she's acially-mixed, is B i ish, and you know h cy a e jusi mo e sophis ica ed o e he e. Unde nea h ali he p aise la ished on Ca amelo he e is an ob ious pa e nalis i c diplo nacy, he idea ha La ino w i e s should no be judgcd by he same s anda ds as e e ybody e!se because La ina/o w i e s need o be okenized. A e ali, i is much mo e poli ically expedien o p aise a book like Ca amelo because i con i ms he wo s s e eo ypes: ha La inos a e simple, ki schy, colo ul and pic u esque, un damen ally un h ea ening. The main cha ac e in Ca amelo, om whose poin o icw he s o y is old is named Lala, and h e main pu pose is o be uncon incingly «nonnal» and likable. She is, in ac , oo un ema kable o o ll ow h ough 433 pages. She does no make exci ing company h ough coun less hou s in he house o ic ion. Ka he ine Anne Po e , a w i e who sha ed Cisne os's in e es in oman ic Mexican subjec s, didn' Rebo~os Reconside ed: A Dead End o Ch icano Li e a u e? 111 w i e abou ebozos bu she w o e abou women who wo e hem. Bu e en Po e 's ebozo-ciad beau ies we e mo e han pic u esque - hey we e s ong c ea u es and a om innocen . One is bewilde ed by Lala, a cha ac e whose ma u i y is ques iona bl e e en as an adul , and, whose ac ions a e so uled by cul u al ins inc ha by compa ison Ka he inc Anne Po e 's, and e en D.H. Law ence's Mexican mode n p imi i es seem lame- «I gel d essed, ie he G andmo he 's ca amelo ebozo on my head like a gypsy, and s a sucking he inge. l has hc amilia swec as e o i , like ca o s, like camo e, ha calms me» (388). Rebozo chewing o elaxa ion is an in c -gene a ional ai , one o he many wonde s passed on h ough he wond ous ebozo. I seems clca sucking he ebozo b ings he amilia as e ha calms Lala, bu i seems c en clea e ha Cisne os is no amilia wi h he an h opological and social mcaning o he cla ion bc ween ebozo and mou h o Indian Mexican women: hcy ha e o co e hei mou hs wi h hei ebozo (and o chew i hey wish) o p e en! hem om speaking in public. The idealiza ion o he ebozo in a de o cha ac e ize Lala as ue Mexican woman is a om accu a e; ac ually i is based on a alse ass um p ion o Mexican eali y. On he olhe side, by he ime Lala s a s cbewing on he ebozo o i s calming e ec you don' know who is mo e igh ening, Rul o 's demen ed Do o ea o his s ange woman wi h animalis ic quali ies. In Lala, D.H. Law ence's blood p imi i e has mo phed wi h a Ha lequ in he oine. This is Lala a e she has d aped he my hical ca amelo ebozo on he lo e E nes o, and hey a e consumma ing hei con ounding a ac ion: «Ali hc pa s o me coming back om some pl ace be a e 1 was bo n, and me li lc and sa e in he wa m h o ha name, well lo ed, mysel again. The syllables making me a ch and s e ch like a ca , ol! o e wi h my belly showing, p een. And laugh ou loud» (382). The e a e o he ins anccs o eline e nale beha iou , Lala 's mo hc Soledad is desc ibed as such: «Likc a dus y housc cal, she s e ched o cn and ubbed he lowe back, and whcn shc was los in hough , she s oked he belly unawa e she was s oking he belly. The body spoke and said jus enough, bu no oo much» ( 165). Ca amelo is peopled wi h colo ul cha ac e s wi h co lo ul names: Lala, Aun y Ligh -Skin, he Aw ul g andmo he , he Li le G and a he , Unclc Baby, Tikis, Uncle Fa Face, Seño Coochie- he lis gocs on. By he 35 h «chap e » you long o someone wi h a non-cu csey name. In Cisne os's House on Mango S ee we encoun e ed he mo he o he adolescen Espe anza, whose hai «smells like b ead» a nd in Ca amelo ou c i ica) acul ics a e once again asked o be suspended as we a e in oduced o Ca i a 's nameless « a daugh e » «who smells o chocola e». Ca i a he sel smells « he same as he s eamy dishclo h ha holds he ho co n o illas ». In a no el bu s ing wi h he mos s c eo ypical cul u al c c ences, e en he imp obable cha ac e s ha e o smell o hci cul u e: b ead, chocola e, dishclo hs o ho co n o illas. I'll buy h a one whcn I ead a F ench no el in which cha ac e s sm ell like pa é and camemhe cheese. Ali he ocus on desc ip ions o adi ional Mexican cul u e ing alse, and i ge s i ing -i is no enough ha he cha ac e s a e Mexicans, e e y hing hey do and e e y hing a ound hem has o hi you o e he head wi h i . Cisne os c ea es a hype -Mexicanized wo ld in which excessi e desc ip ions conspi e o make he 112 Ramón Gu C'Ía and Ma ía Maníne: - Gu i é ez ca oonish cha ac e s ki schy. In Mexico «S a s open whi e and so like esh bolill o (18) b ead,» (17) chu ches a e « he col o o lan,» (146) eyes a e « ende and da k as ca é de olla» and babies ha e «limbs like cho iw» ( 196). In The House on Mango S ee g andpa 's ee a e « a and doughy likc hick amales» and in Ca amelo i is he g andmo h e 's ee ha a e « a li le amales» (252). Ca am elo alls sho o Cisne os's ea li e wo k o he ex en ha i is no a no el in a no elis ic sense; i is a se ies o igne es s ung oge he o make up o he ac ha he e is no plo o con lic , which would no be a p oblem i he e we e ideas o philosophy in hei place. Bu he e a en' . Lala's umina ions ha dly quali y as philosophy: «l was only la e when she was nea he end o he li e ha she began o doub wha she'd ac ually seen and wha sh e'd emb oide ed o e ime , because a c a while he emb oidc y se em s eal and he eal seems emb oide y» ( I 35). Lala is a lic ed wi h a mild case o P ous ian ememb ance; un o una ely, i is o h e i es s ain. Wha Ca amelo <loes ha e plen y o is en i e chap e s comp ised o poin less quain si ua ions. The chap e i les h emse! es need se ious c i ica! conside a ion: «He Who is Des ined o be a Tamale,» « Nobody bu Us Chickens,» «We A e No Dogs» «Spic Spanish.» I ' s ha d o igu e ou wha he poin o hi s inexhaus ible bomba dmen o cul u al clichés is, because h e only ideas ha manage o escape om i a e ha Mexicans a e no only simple bu unny. and ha , yes, hey a e pa o No h Ame ican socie y. Bu i you al eady know h e la e . and ind he o1mc suspec , Ca amelo doesn ' make in e es ing company. You can spend you ime eading one o hose hick Russian no els ha anyone is hesi an! o pick up, o ea o ceing guil y i one does no linish i . P obably you al eady know ha Anna Ka enina kills he sel , bu you would like o ind ou how and wh y. Whe cas in Ca amelo il is al eady known no one was going lo kill hemsel es o anyone elsc -killing and suicide is ha d o make quain , and when such hings a e deal wi h in li e a y ic ion we know we a e in o a challenging philosophical and mo al ide. The bo de -c ossing ide ha wc a. e in i cd o ake in Ca amelo is onc in which no di icul ques ions a e posed, and no hing is challenged. Whcn c i ical inle oga ion is lacking, he wo k is mo e accu a ely dc ined as popula /comme cial i c ion, no li e a y ic ion. Which begs h e ques ion: why was Cisne os's Ca amelo e icwcd as i i we e li e a y ic ion? Why was i placed on he Los A 11 geles Times bes books o he yea nex o Paul Aus e and Umbc o Eco? Yx a Maya Mu ay's The Co11q11es also made The Los Angeles Times bes books o 2002. Mu ay has accumula ed as amoun s o p aise o g i y depic io ns o ba i o Ji c in such wo ks as he 1996 Locas. a no el abou he pa he ic li es o gangs e gi ls (cholas) in he Los Angeles neighbo hood o Echo Pa k. Tlús epic ale o igno ance and ga ng wa a e is na a e<l by a co e ie o chola oices who a li sound alike, a hyd a-headed epo om he gu e . This is Lucia, one o hc hype bolic cholas, in onc o he coun lcss momen s o ough ghe o musings: «I was a slick li le jalapeiia, pop me in you mou h, ca use sex is in a Mexican woman 's blood, i comes na u al, and I ga e i o him c azy, wild wi h lo s o noise, o as Rebozas Reconside ed: A Dead End o Chicano Li e a u e? 113 long as he could akc i so ha he'd s ay pu by my side.» We a e amilia wi h he cholas in Locas no only because hey a e s e eo ypes, bu because we saw hese same s e eo ypcs on he sc een a ew yea s be o e in Allison Ande s's 1994 lose melod ama Mi Vida Loca. Mu ay assumcs a simila coa se ba io nai a i e oice in Ri a Zapa a, he hood- a cha ac e ha ells hc s o y o Wha I Takes o Ge o Vegas. Ri a Zapa a speaks in a s ange ghe o lingo ha 's no pa o any ba io Iexicon, e eJTing o he sel and o he women as «pu ana(s)» (is he co ec wo d pu a?), and saying hings like «l pushed my a ms ou agains bis, sc eamed il hies.» Ri a's lo e in e es , and he gold-digging icke o Vegas, is boxe Guille mo Billy Na a o, a igu e in o which ali popula s e eo ypes abou he La ino male a e packed. He is macho and un ai h ul, b u ish, and na u ally lacks in elligence. Ri a Zapa a is his emale coun e pa ~she is i olous and hung y o sex, s i led and needy, bu she igh s, and e en kills women o he lo e o he macho man. This is he o ensi ely amilia masque ading as eali y, a (o he lack he co ) imi a ing eleno elas and acis No h Ame ican s e eo ypes. Like Locas, Wha i Takes o Ge o Vegas is os ensibly a aw po ayal o ough ghe o li e, bu i so why do we need ba io ca igh s depic ed in his way?: «I wen o e o h e bed and go he by he hai . l puJJed he o wi h one ug and she sc eamed like a apped ca and I kep ugging. He a bu blubbed a ound and he b eas s swung like bags and he ce wi h hei Az ec ed oenails g ipped he loo . I wan ed o smash he head in o he wall, and T would ha e done i excep o Billy ge ing behind me wi h his we p en is nudging me and his a ms Iocking a ound my shouldc s.» Wlza il Takes o Ge o Vegas con inues a legacy o he Mexican as boxe , a igu e o social conscience in Hollywood's «social p oblem» ilms o he l 950's, and whose wa c ed-down imagc su i es in he ele ision show Resu ec ion Bo ule a d. And o cou se he c is he sexy hough o Osea de la Hoya which haun s any con empo a y imagining o Mexican boxc s, and ha will help sell i c cn i no hing in c es ing is ac ua ll y imagined. We see he de olu ion o cha ac e iza ion i we u n o Jack London's sho s o y «T he Mexican,» in which boxe Felipe Ri e a d eams o c olu ion and is in used wi h London 's own melancholy socialis longings. In Locas and Wha i Takes o Ge o Vegas, Maya Mu ay pe o ms a ghe o en iloquism h a sounds o ali hc mos damaging and unpleasan s e eo ypcs abou Mexican mcn a nd wome n. As a hope ul an ido e, one can u n o Luis Rod ígucz's The Republic o Eas L.A., which p o es ha s o ies abou he inn e ci y can be popula ed by digni ied and complex cha ac e s whose eali y need no oyeu is icalJy gi e c edence o Cops o Bad Boys. 1 J 's b ee n dccades since Mcxican w i e s and ilmmake s abandoned he glo i ica ion o ebozos (1 don' hink hey we e e c much in o amales). Rebozos So ne in e con empo a y w i e s, such as Ga y So o, Susan S aígh , Dagohe o Gilb, Luis Rod íguez, Sesshu Fos e an<l Ma iscla No e, ha e also w i en ahou Chicanas/os wi hin a wo king class con cl , in a no oycu is ical o simplis ic way. 114 Rmm í11 Ga cía and Ma ía Ma íne ~- Gu ié e z a e plen i ul in he comedia anche a cinema ic gcn e o he 1930's-40's, a u al musical illed wi h happy singing Mcxicans in ol kl o ic landscapes. Two o he mos my hical ebozos we e wom by wo o h e mo s high-chce kboned ac esses o h e Golden agc o Mexican c inema , Dolo es Del Río in Emilio « El Indio» Fe nández's Ma ía Ca ndela ia ( 1944) and S ella Inda in Robe o Ga a ldón 's El Rebozo de Sol edad ( 1952). Th ese cinema ic ebozos we c no simp le indi gcnous ashion s a emen s, hey we e melancholy symbols o c e y hing ha was Mexican and beau i ul. Al hough h cy quickly became cu si and ou is y, he a is y o he melod ama pa ading hem ans o med hem in o my h. Bu e en hose my hical ebozos we e no a sa c ha cn o che a i ma ion o adi ional cul u e; he a ge dics o mode n social li e u hlcssly in ade he beau i ul Mexican landscapc, complica ing he gl amou o he ebozo -Ma ía Candela ia ge s s on ed by h e own people, accused o bcing a who e, a nd Soledad dics gi ing bi h. By h e 1980's, when Mexican m is s Je su sa Rod íguez a nd As i d Hadad wc e c i ing Mexican indigenous cu l u e, olklo ic moli s had bccomc aboo in Mexican in e ll ec ual ci cles because o hei assoc ia ion wi h eac iun a y poli ics and he ou is indus y. Bu Rod ígu ez and Hada d didn ' cco e ebozos and Az ec go<lde sses in o de o oman i cizc he n. hey e-in e p e cd hem h ough i ony and a sa i ic da k humo ha was sub e si ely elc an and cun empo a y. In Ca amelo. Cisne os e okes he oman ic olklo e o ebozos and amales, so ha Chicano cul u e can be po ayed as a c oss bc ween Ma ía Candela ia and a TV si com in he onn o he Am e i can amily saga. Wha needs c i ica] e lec iun is Cisne os's ende ing o hc immig an cxpe ience as slaps ick, hc ans o ma ion o Mcxican-Ame ican wo king class his o y in u a comedia a11che a. One is lcd o won <lc i he olde gene a ions o Mexican immig an s who wo k and con inue u con ibu e o Ame ican sucie y a e hono ed by exo ic ou is y pu ayals'! Mos likely h ey a e puzzled by Chicano w i c s who insis on being nos algic o a olklo e and a adi ional cul u e hal is mo e nade up han eal. mo e a p oduc o h c w i e 's sel -indulgence h an he li ed expe ience o a his o ical Mexican communi y in he Uni ed S a cs. In he 1940"s he g ea Cub an w i e Alejo Ca pcn i e a gued agains he alse enchan men s o su ealism by <lelining wha he e me <l /o eal nui al'illo.w, a ision o cali y ha would uly ep esen La in Ame ican his u y and socie y. Ca pen ie s a ed ha hc «p escnce» and «au ho i y» o lo e al ma a illoso was « he pa imony o ali he A nc icas.» Bu whi lc he decades ha olluwed Ca penlie 's p ophelic li e a y assessmen inspi e c.l La in Ame ican w i e s o c ca c so ne o he mos mas e ul and imagina i e li e a u e o h c 20 h cen u y, in he Uni ed S a es i p oduc ed Az ec p incess juggle s (Yx a May a Mu ay's Tlze Co11q ues }, d ead child en lying on o oo ops (Ana Cas illo 's So Fa F mn God), wa ing dolls (Sand a Cis ne os 's Cam111elo), and a glu o co n i ed oddi ies lh a we e nei he ma elous nu eal. Wha Chicano «magical ca li sm» lacked and which much o he li e a u e ha s a il ed o inco po a c is a c i ica] p c sp cc i e, an explo a i on o h e da k o n eg a i e ma c ha is he ue coun y o li e a y i c iun. One ca n eca ll he e i ying beau y u José Donoso's mac a b e magica l ea lis n in The Oh.w:ene Bi d o Nigh in o de u R ebows Re co11side ed: A Dead End o Chica110 Li e a u e 1 115 measu e lhe unaccoun able ex en o which Ca pen ie 's ideas o lo eal ma a illoso we e i ialized and misinhe i ed in he Uni ed S a es. I we wc e o do a census o he people ha popula e con empo a y Chicano li e a u e a as majo i y would be ch ild en ying o igu e ou hci idcn i y in coming o age s o ies. We o en ha e you ng s uden s, La ino o o hc wise, in ou Mcxican li e a u e cou se commen ha wha h ey a e eading is no wha hey expec ed. When we ask wha i was ha hey we e expec ing, hc answe s di c bu hey come om he same place. Thcy say he y we c expec ing mo e hings abou «Az ecs» and «poo peoplc.» Many s uden s expec o encoun e Mexican « adi ions» and by ha hey appa en ly mean amales, olklo e, piña as and hings Ca holic. Ami o so ne s ange eason ha s ill puzzles us. many s uden s cxpec Mexican li e a u e o be «l ess complica e l.» So ne s uden s ell us ha so much o wha we we e eading ami hc Mexican ilms we we e wa ching we e « Wei d .» Thcy hough we would be eading abou < <n i ce hin gs ... no mal s u ». no wha is o be ound in Lou des A edondo 's ic ion and he ilms o Alejand o Jodo owsky and A u o Rips ein. Fo nice and no mal Mexican hings hese s uden s would no ha e o go e y a . h ey could consul Camm el o and ind ali hose Mex ican adi ions ha an Ame ican ima gina y ou is comes o expec o any hing «Mexican.» Wc ocus on Cisne os's Ca amelo because i is symp oma ic o h e s agna ion o a ce lain ype o Chicano li c a u e, and because we hink i ep esen s a dead end o a Ii e a u e ha lacks a sel -c i ical pe spcc i e. The e a e ha dly any an i-he oes in h e li e a u e w i en by Chicanos because cha ac c s a e o cn bu dencd wi h being ep esen a i cs o posi i c o amilia aspee! o hei cul u e and his o y. Tha a signilican po ion o mode o wo l d li e a u c is po pula ed wi h an i-hc oes (cha ac e s who em body no h e a i ma i e em bl ems o hei cul u e bu he uncanny ills o hei soeie y). and ha Ch icano li e a u e is p ac ically de oid o h em is some hing wo h pondc ing. Wh a is eg c ahle is he ac ha so much o o u eali y (p cscn o pas ) emains un ouched by li e a u e. In i s place we a e o c ed he mii icial com o s o nos algia ( o he pas o o he p esen ). s im ple oman iza ions o hackneyed c ul u al symbols and hc suga coa ing o his o ical expe ience. Ambigui y, se ious mo al c lcc ion and he comp lexi ies o psycholo gy and social li e ha e been eplaccd in C<1 a melo by he i nno a i e idea ha Mexicans a e amusing and na u ally o e he op. I his sounds like lhe isiona y me aphysics o a TV si com, ha 's bccause i is. The e a e no hea y du y con lic s in Ca amelo because in Cisnc os's pos ca d uni e se Chicanos do no w ong, h ey su e no g ea agedi es- hey li e in a pe pe ua! lig h comcdy. Wha Ca amelo e eals mos o ce ully is a se ious po e y o imagina ion and un ala ming lack o mo al ision. Since P blishe 's Weekly decla ed Ca amelo a «landma k» and since we know ha landma ks can s om e imes become bluep i n s, Ca amelo could p e igu e he nex gene a i on o Chi cano w i i ng. Bu i ha is he case. hen much o o u con empo a y eali y. in ali i s ue bcau y a n<l mys e y, will emain ou side h e pu iew o he w i en wo d. The blu bs on he back co e o Ca amelo include an odd one om Mexican w i e . Elena Ponia owska, in which 116 Ramón Ga cía and Ma ía Ma b e z- Gu ié ez shc s a es ha Cisne os is «like a bce ha ex ac s new honey om old llowe s ... » and ha Ca amelo is «likc Mexican candy» Bu by he en h igne e one wishes he honeybee would s ing someon e, and one hop es beyond hope Lha so ne o ha ca ndy would be Jaced wi h li e a y a senic so i would s op being so saccha ine. WORKS CITED Ca pen ie , Alejo. «De lo eal ma a illoso ame icano.» Tien os y di e encias, en Ob as Comple as. Ensayos. México: Siglo XXI, 1990. 13 -18. Cisne os, Sand a. Ca amelo. New Yo k: Vin agc Con empo a ies, 2002. Edición en español: Ba celon a: Seix Ba al, 2003. - . The House o Mango S ee . Hous on: A e Publico P ess, 1984. -. Woman Holl e ing C eek and O he S o ies. New Yo k: Random House. 1991. Gilg. Oagobe o quo ed in Book Magazine, issue Sep embe /Oc obe 2002. www. Ba nes&Noble.com. Law cnce, D.H. Tlze P/um ed Seipen . New Yo k: Vin age In e na ional, 1980. Mu ia, Yx a Maya. Locas. New Yo k: Ha p e Collin s, 1996. - . Wha l Takes o Ge o Vegas. New Yo k: Ha pc Collins, 1999. -. The Conques/. Ncw Yo k: H a pe Collins, 2002. Po e , Ka hc ine Ann. Flowe ing Judas. New Yo k: Ha cou B uce, 19 30. Rod íguez, Lui s. The Repuhlic o Eas L.A. New Yo k: Ha pe Collins, 2003. Rul o, Juan. Ped o Pá amo. México: Fondo de Cul u a Económica, 1955. Smi h, Zadie. The Au og aph Man. New Yo k: Vin age, 2003. Ta , Donna. Ti e Li1 le F iend. New Yo k: Yin age, 2003.