Latine writer Estella González, from East Los Angeles, is reading from her novel, Huizache Women at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Thursday evening. KUNM spoke with González, who said she wrote this book about her East Los Angeles community, but the theme of pursuing the American dream is recognizable anywhere in the country.
ESTELLA GONZÁLEZ: I write a lot about, you know, it's a working class immigrant community, mainly. And when I was growing up, you know, it was mainly Mexican, Mexican-American. And, you know, when women would gather at the table, because that's where I had to hang out, right? Because I, you know, as a girl, as the oldest Mexican daughter, I was helping, you know, my mom and aunts, making tamales, or doing the, whatever I had to do to prep and, you know, set the table. Or not even set the table, just making dinner, right, in some way. And so I would hear all these stories, and I would just start like writing, fictionalizing them.
KUNM: So tell me a little bit more about your newest book?
GONZÁLEZ: It's a novel that takes place over the course of, like, a few decades. It starts basically in the 1930’s and goes all the way into the 1990’s and it's a saga about a family of women who start off in Mexico. They go to Texas, and they go to LA, and they are on various quests for love, and I mean love, in not just the romantic sense, but self love. You know, they want to take control of their destinies, and they do it through various ways. Sometimes they do lose control, especially when it comes to some of the men in their lives, or even their own family members.
KUNM: Is there any particular scene or passage you're especially proud of?
GONZÁLEZ: You know, I really like my opening chapter where suddenly Merced is walking along just carrying on with her usual day, which is not, you know, very exciting, and it's a lot of work. And suddenly she sees a movie poster for Santa, this old movie. And she sees Lupita Tovar, looking up at the sky with her hands, you know, in a prayer fashion. And it's like she's looking up, praying for something to happen. And I'm like, that's her, that's Merced. She wants something to happen to change her life. And this fantasy that the movies always promise, in a way, to anybody. It's like, “this could be your life”, or, you could live, you know, there's something different out there than what you're living. And I don't think it's a coincidence too like, you know, they go back to LA. When they do end up in LA, it's like, yeah, that's the land of Hollywood and the land of, although, you know, like East LA, if you've ever been there, you know, it's east of, like downtown and Hollywood proper, but, you know, it's like, so close. The fantasy is right there. But really, you know, the gritty reality always comes into play and that's what happens with Merced.
KUNM: So what do you hope your readers take away from your book?
GONZÁLEZ: I hope they see a community that's very complex and that the American Dream is different, for different people. And it's still there, I think, considering all that's happening right now. I think that's also the American Dream, the struggle, to fight for it, to fight for something that is meaningful. And the daughters, I think, do fight for it, and the granddaughter especially, and it's okay to do that, I think. Giving permission to struggle, to achieve a dream, but also to do it with compassion and not to be the, you know, you have to do whatever you can and step on people, no. I don't think that's the message I want to relay. You know, the dream can evolve and become something else, but to maintain dignity and passion, to love your family and to uplift your family while you are achieving your dream is doable.
KUNM: Can you tell me a little bit more that will be happening here in Albuquerque later this week?
GONZÁLEZ: Yes, I'll be at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and I'll be reading a chapter of my novel so you can get a taste of it, and it'll be a meet and greet. We'll have a reception and a Q&A and I'll talk about my novel, I'll answer questions about my writing journey. And then Saturday, I will be doing a workshop. A generative writing workshop. It's actually more of like a generative writing session using memory, and we're going to be drawing and reading and hopefully I'll give you a little bit of my life in East LA too, and why it's so meaningful to me, especially, especially now.
You can find more information on the upcoming events here.
