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The Mixquiahuala Letters by Anna Castillo (First Trip to Mexico (The…
The Mixquiahuala Letters by Anna Castillo
First Trip to Mexico
The journey begins with the first trip to Mexico where Teresa and Alice met. Alice was suspicious of Teresa because of her complexion and perfect control of the language. But that was the beginning of a strong bond that meant more than friendship for them more to family.
Were on a university program together exploring Mexico. Teresa went on this first journey to find her identity and who she was leaving her husband behind. Seemed to feel trapped in her marriage. Pg.28 "It was apparent i was no longer prepared to face a mundane life...my poverty." She had been away in Mexico because she was tired of having to follow societies norms of what women's role in a relationship is. Used the journey to find more about her identity and to fight against what women were allowed to do. She was young and independent.
Alicia took this journey as a rebellion against her parents. Her parents who wanted nothing to do with gypsies or the "mongrel race" so to rebelled by dating only men of dark complexion which her parents held a huge prejudice towards. She too was fighting the norms that society had set on women by going on a somewhat of a sexual journey.
Alicia angry at Teresas beauty which caught the attention of so many men. Believed herself to not be as beautiful as Teresa which caused her so much pain with men that only cheated on her and hurt her.
End of the first journey in Mexico comes with Teresa following her husband to California. pg.37 " This time everything is gonna work out... grow together." From her dialogue, even she knew that what she was going to do wasn't what she actually wanted to do. She had spent so long running away from her marriage that now she does want to try but that will lead her on a journey to be the women that she doesn't want to become.
Does, in fact, go back with her husband but after months of not being taken into account by her husband. Who is, in fact, a total pushover. he lets his "business partners" walk all over him and take his money. Then when they mistreat Teresa doesn't defend her which is Teresa's last straw. She can't stand to be with someone that doesn't even take her opinion into account.
Alice in the other hand had left her man who had cheated on her and after she came back from the trip to Mexico she found another woman in their apartment. Devestated.
Mostly in the beginning but throughout the journey, there was an underlying tension between Alicia and Teresa. Could be sexual but it was also superficial. Alicia saw Teresa as so much more beautiful and she attracted all the men which caused Alicia to fall simply for any man that came her way.
While Teresa held this exasperation toward the kind of women that Alicia was. A white woman that dated dark men. Some with a privilege that she never experienced. Teresa constantly was seen as different not fitting in anywhere because she wasn't 100 American but not 100 Mexican.
Through this journey, she accepted herself as Chicana and found her identity. But the constant battle against societal constraints continued.
Second Trip to Mexico
These unfortunate events for both women led them on another journey through Mexico. This time much more gruesome and dangerous than the last. They were caught in multiple dangerous situations being almost robbed and raped, harassed multiple times with deeming comments by men in every corner. Not an easy trip especially because since they were women that were 1. traveling alone and 2 worn blue jeans. They were seen as easy women or as the engineer called them "liberal" pg. 79 which means promiscuous.
Some highlights of the journey were that Teresa met a rich man "Sergio" that promised her wealth and a home where she could have anything she would ever need. Beginning od this journey began with Teresa trying to find a home. She didn't love Sergio but that stability made her accept his offer.
Things didn't end there. Alicia too was after a man that promised her the world-marriage a man from Veracruz so together they set out to find him but only faced more misery and danger. Both returned to Mexico city. after the being almost sold off to rich bosses of the engineers but they are smart women and thought up of perfect cover stories for being on their own.
When they got to Mexico city, Teresa contacted Sergio but she too was met with rejection and pain. After such a long journey both of them had lost some of the adventurous spirits that had maintained them strong after so long. However, with this journey came them growing closer and closer together. They only had each other to depend on and that created a deep bond between them.
Not over yet. Both returned to respective homes. Teresa in Chicago and Alicia in New York. So much more vulnerable then they were in the beginning. The strong independence was fading with every disappointment and broken heart. Led Teresa to fall hard for Alexis who made her into the woman that she never wanted to become. A housewife that served to his every need. pg 109 " He knew the degradation i'd been subject too ... approval of my existence." She needed someone to tell her that she mattered someone to love her.
Ended worst for her because he broke her. The aftermath had Teresa trying to build her old self back together. That independent and strong woman that she was had been lost somewhere along the way and she had succumbed to societies norm and now she set out to start over.
Ending
Teresa had a son and seemed to have found her place. Alicia still going from men to men and happiness did not find her easily. Teresa wrote these letters to try and understand the journey that they took together through their adolescence. pg.130 "i want to take my ghosts, Alicia, confront them face to face.