Summary: Chapter 12

(1) In addition to praying for Abuelita and Mama at the little shrine in the back
yard, Esperanza now begins praying for Marta. One night, Isabel comes out back with
her and begins praying, too—she tells Esperanza that she is praying to be made the
Queen of the May at the May Day festival at school. The honour is given to the girl
with the highest grades—and Isabel is the only one in her class with straight A’s.
Inside, Esperanza tells Josefina about Isabel’s cute prayer, but Josefina sadly says that
the school “always find[s] a way to choose a blonde, blue-eyed queen.” Esperanza’s
heart hurts for Isabel.

(2) A week later, Esperanza has grown sick of looking at asparagus all day. Isabel’s
class is announcing the Queen of the May tomorrow—and news has come to the
camp that the company is building a new section for workers from Oklahoma. The
Oklahomans will have indoor toilets and hot water—plus a swimming pool, which the
Mexican camp residents will only be allowed to swim in one day a week, just before
cleaning.

(3) Miguel comes in and announces that a group of men from Oklahoma showed
up to the railroad and said they’d work for half the Mexicans’ wages—the railroad
hired them all on the spot. As a result, Miguel has been let go as a mechanic and is
now being forced to dig ditches and lay tracks. Esperanza can’t believe Miguel allowed
himself to be treated that way, but Miguel needs to bring home the money for his
family.

(4) Esperanza, filled with rage, runs out of the cabin, slamming the door behind
her. Miguel follows her out to the vineyard and asks what’s wrong. Esperanza angrily
begins venting about how unfair everything is. Miguel and his family left Mexico for a
“better life,” but racism and poor conditions hold them back from achieving
anything. Isabel, too, faces cruelty and discrimination at school, and all around them,
Mexicans are being rounded up and deported. Esperanza asks Miguel if their new lives
here are really any better than they were in Mexico.