What the Raisin Box Woman Doesn't Know: Migrant Farmworkers Young Adult Novels Beyond Esperanza Rising

Migrant farmworkers are "the poorest and most disadvantaged class of American workers” (Rothenberg, 1998, p.1) and their children drop out at a higher rate than any other group in the USA (Gibson & Bejinez, 2003). One set of tools for addressing these issues are young adult novels about migrancy that find an elusive balance between oppressive realities and hopeful empowerment, while avoiding problematic stereotypes and romanticism. Such novels can serve to inform teachers, reach out to migrant students, and foster understanding among mainstream children. This study examines, from aesthetic, critical, and educational perspectives, a collection of twenty-eight young adult novels regarding migrancy and suggests ways to use these books in the classroom to do justice to those who feed us.