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Censorship

In early 2012, the Governing Board of the Tucson Unified School District voted to suspend Mexican American ethnic studies programs (hyperlink) due to a supposed violation of Arizona law, AZ HB 2281, which prevents education of material pertaining to the idea of overthrowing the government, (Arizona Ban). Multiple ethnic communities protested the ban due to the violation of their rights and declared the new law banning the Mexican American programs to be unconstitutional (Arizona Ban)l. Protesters advocated that the suspension of the Mexican American studies programs is blasphemous due to the fact that these programs do not differ from African American and other ethnic studies programs. In coherence with the suspension of the Mexican American studies program, the school board also banned texts relating to the multicultural curriculum (de Valdes). Books, including The House on Mango Street and Bless Me, Ultima (hyperlink), were removed from class curriculum and  school libraries due to the discussion of Chicano (hyperlink) culture and various instances of graphic sexual content throughout the novel(de Valdes). Throughout the months following the ban, students and faculty members staged protests at various school locations to display the distaste for the suspension that took away a program intrinsic to the community’s demographic. Protesters have gone to extreme lengths to bring back the Mexican American Studies program including chaining themselves to chairs and blocking the entrances to school buildings (Arizona Ban). Much of the discussion surrounding the Tucson Unified School District revolves around the constitutionality of removing the ethnic studies program. The removal of the Mexican American Studies program is being categorized as a violation of the equal protection clause (hyperlink) which intends to alleviate the discrimination of a specific groups of individuals and protect the liberty of all (Liu). On the other hand, individuals advocating for the ban “didn’t like the idea of teachers telling students the apparently subversive facts that nonwhite people have at times suffered at the hands of white people, or that people of every color have at times acted with color-conscious solidarity,” (Liu). Currently, the Arizona Court of Appeals is looking into the various civil lawsuits against the Arizona law HB 2281 and determining whether to remove the law perceived by many to be discriminating against a specific ethnic group within the state.

Parents and education boards found the content to be too graphic/real for children of a young age (Cisneros Interview). In response to this categorization as a children’s novel, Cisernos replies that even though it’s marketed as a young people’s book, the range of readers stems all the way to college level students, (Satz). Cisernos’ novel has one general theme: to promote individuality and drive within individuals which will conversely promote a distaste for conformity and cultural labeling, (Petty). Much of the critical reception surrounding the book today recants this theme due to its suspected negative effects on individuals challenging superior powers such as the government and educational institutions (Matchie).

Critical Reception

The response to The House on Mango Street by the public and various academics is varied. Much of the critique surrounding Sandra Cisneros’ novel stems from the overall intention of the literary work. Leslie Petty, a Gender and Sexuality Studies professor at Rhodes College, constructed a literary review investigating the novel and its intention. Petty identifies that Cisneros, through the various vignettes that construct the book’s storyline, highlights the conflict of “culturally defining the world by a rigid set of black/white, good/bad…versus the reality of individuality, uniqueness, and infinite differentiation,” (Petty). This notion of limited definition surrounding individuals and their qualities, as mentioned by Cisernos, is highlighted by two role models within Mexican Culture that profoundly limit the individuality of women; La Malinche and la Virgin de Guadalupe. These two characterizations of women, known as archetypes (hyperlink), define females within Mexican culture into binary roles that are solely based on sexuality and treatment of men (Petty). According to Petty, “Cisneros shows how artificial and confining these cultural stereotypes are, and through her creation of Esperanza, imagines a protagonist who can embody both the violation associated with la Malinche and the nurturing associated with la Virgen de Guadalupe, all the while rejecting the feminine passivity that is promoted by both role models” (Petty). In response to her distaste for the dualism among Mexican culture, Cisernos utilizes characters that successfully go against the societal norm and pursue goals that violate the expectations of their culture (Petty). Esperanza, (hyperlink to Plot) throughout the novel, works as a literary tool to promote individuality and passion by displaying the significance of challenging the archetypes that reduce women down into categorized groups that violate their basic liberties (Sarbanes). Also, much of the critical reception surrounding the novel stems from the sexual content present throughout multiple scenes. During the “Red Clowns” chapter of the novel, Esperanza is raped by a male who repeatedly defines her as a “Spanish girl” (Petty) whom he loves. Critics argued that the suspected audience of the book was perceived to be too young for this content (Cisneros Interview).

References

"Arizona Ban On Ethnic Studies Divides Educators." Talk of the Nation, 24 May 2010. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA227220973&it=r&asid=a272badde6e608b77fe2c301d5c505e9. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016.

Cisneros, Sandra, and Michelle M. Tokarczyk. "Spiritual Sustenance: Interview with Sandra Cisneros." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 305, Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1100105240&it=r&asid=b0f2c5abe28e9e099624f73cbd1505c8. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Class Definitions: On the Lives and Writings of Maxine Hong Kingston, Sandra Cisneros, and Dorothy Allison, Susquehanna University Press, 2008, pp. 212-219.

de Valdes, Maria Elena. "The Critical Reception of Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Tom Burns and Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 193, Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1100059813&it=r&asid=3cb113de1a70899aae048bf4ae302d75. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Gender, Self, and Society: Proceedings of the IV International Conference on the Hispanic Cultures of the United States, edited by Renate von Bardeleben, Peter Lang, 1993, pp. 287-295.

Liu, Eric, and Eric Liu. "The Whitewashing of Arizona." Time. Time, 1 May 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Matchie, Thomas. "Literary Continuity in Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Short Story Criticism, edited by Anna J. Sheets, vol. 32, Gale, 1999. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420004087&it=r&asid=7014d329fe70123a5e57daf950a0b9ab. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in The Midwest Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 1, Autumn 1995, pp. 67-79.

Petty, Leslie. "Re-Envisioning Chicano Cultural Archetypes: The 'Dual'-ing Images of la Malinche and la Virgen de Guadalupe in Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Children's Literature Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 123, Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420076387&it=r&asid=8ec99e49b32dafbaeb53a1e274d0467d. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016. Originally published in MELUS, vol. 25, no. 2, Summer 2000, pp. 119-132.

Sarbanes, Janet. "An overview of The House on Mango Street." Literature Resource Center, Gale, 2016. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420004091&it=r&asid=896f9e74763b83d078caa43d25ac7591. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016.

Satz, Martha. "Returning to One's House: An Interview with Sandra Cisneros." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter and Timothy J. White, vol. 118, Gale, 1999. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1100004430&it=r&asid=b47e154b9a3358cb3b2fbbc88777ce6a. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Southwest Review, vol. 82, no. 2, Spring 1997, pp. 166-185.

Sloboda, Nicholas. "A Home in the Heart: Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Children's Literature Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 123, Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420076385&asid=baf62f13e2c81ac0dce025b62d8bed9c. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Aztlan, vol. 22, no. 2, Fall 1997, pp. 89-106.

In the article, I would like to add a section that takes the time to discuss the significance of Chicana archetypes throughout the novel and discuss the effect it has on not only the characterization of female protagonists, but also the overall message of Ciserno's writing. In doing so, I think this page will provide the reader with more background into the censorship of the novel and the importance of the text to learning cultural material. Also, I would like to add a section discussing the censorship of the novel which will point out the Tuscon case and the differing reactions to the case details. This section needs to discuss the removal of ethnic studies and the different reactions to this development. It is imperative to show both point of views to make sure there is no bias in the article.

Censorship

In early 2012, the Governing Board of the Tuscon Unified School District voted to suspend Mexican American ethnic studies programs due a supposed violation of Arizona law, AZ HB 2281, thus preventing the education of material pertaining to the idea of overthrowing the government. As a result, multiple ethnic communities protested the banning due to the violation of their rights and declaring the new law banning the Mexican American programs to be unconstitutional. Protestors advocated that the suspension of the Mexican American studies programs is blasphemous due to the fact that these programs do not differ from African American and other ethnic studies programs. In coherence with the suspension of the Mexican American studies program, the school board also banned texts relating to this realm of education. Books, including The House on Mango Street and Bless Me, Ultima, were removed from class curriculum and various school libraries due to the discussion of Chicano (hyperlink) culture. Throughout the following months, students and faculty members staged protests at various school locations to display the distaste for the suspension that took away a program intrinsic to the community’s demographic. Protesters are going to extreme lengths to bring back the Mexican American Studies program including chaining themselves to chairs and blocking the entrances to school buildings. Much of the discussion surrounding the Tucson Unified School District revolves around the constitutionality of removing the ethnic studies program. The removal of the Mexican American Studies program is being categorized as a violation of the equal protection clause which intends to alleviate the discrimination of a specific groups of individuals and protect the liberty of all. Currently, the Arizona Court of Appeals is looking into the various civil lawsuits against the Arizona law HB 2281 and determining whether to remove the law perceived by many to be discriminating a specific ethnic group within the state.

Critical Reception

The response to The House on Mango Street by the public and various academics is as varied as the characters throughout the book. In order to understand the critique of Sandra Cisnero’s work, the motivation behind her writing and the overall intention of the literary work needs to be highlighted. By understanding the literary motive of the novel, the controversy surrounding the text and the critical reception of its content becomes more concrete. Throughout the various vignettes that construct the book’s storyline, Cisnero highlights the conflict of “culturally defining the world by a rigid set of black/white, good/bad…versus the reality of individuality, uniqueness, and infinite differentiation,” (Petty). This notion of limited definition surrounding individuals and their qualities, as mentioned by Cisernos, is highlighted by two role models within Mexican Culture that profoundly limit the individuality of women; La Malinche and la Virgin de Guadalupe. These two characterizations of women, known as archetypes (hyperlink) define females within Mexican culture into binary roles that are solely based on sexuality and treatment of men, (Petty). In response to her distaste for the dualism among Mexican culture, Cisernos utilizes characters that successfully go against the societal norm and pursue goals that violate the expectations of their culture. Esperanza (hyperlink to Plot) throughout the novel works as a literary tool to promote individuality and passion by displaying the significance of challenging the archetypes that reduce women down into categorized groups that violate their basic liberties. Also, much of the critical reception surrounding the novel stems from the sexual content present throughout multiple scenes. During an important moment of the book, known as the “Red Clowns”, Esperanza is raped by a male who repeatedly defines her as a “Spanish girl” (Petty) whom he loves. Although these acts of disgrace are real and occur throughout the world, the suspected audience of the book was perceived to be too young for this content. Parents and education boards found the content to be too graphic/real for children of this age. In response to this categorization as a children’s novel, Cisernos replies that the even though it’s marketed as a young people’s book, the range of readers stems all the way to college level students, (Satz). Cisernos novel has one general theme and that is to promote individuality and drive within individuals which will conversely promote a distaste for conformity and cultural labeling. Much of the critical reception surrounding the book today recants this theme due to its suspected negative effects on individuals challenging superior powers such as the government and educational institutions.

References

"Arizona Ban On Ethnic Studies Divides Educators." Talk of the Nation, 24 May 2010. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA227220973&it=r&asid=a272badde6e608b77fe2c301d5c505e9. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016.

Cisneros, Sandra, and Michelle M. Tokarczyk. "Spiritual Sustenance: Interview with Sandra Cisneros." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 305, Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1100105240&it=r&asid=b0f2c5abe28e9e099624f73cbd1505c8. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Class Definitions: On the Lives and Writings of Maxine Hong Kingston, Sandra Cisneros, and Dorothy Allison, Susquehanna University Press, 2008, pp. 212-219.

de Valdes, Maria Elena. "The Critical Reception of Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Tom Burns and Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 193, Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1100059813&it=r&asid=3cb113de1a70899aae048bf4ae302d75. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Gender, Self, and Society: Proceedings of the IV International Conference on the Hispanic Cultures of the United States, edited by Renate von Bardeleben, Peter Lang, 1993, pp. 287-295.

Matchie, Thomas. "Literary Continuity in Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Short Story Criticism, edited by Anna J. Sheets, vol. 32, Gale, 1999. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420004087&it=r&asid=7014d329fe70123a5e57daf950a0b9ab. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in The Midwest Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 1, Autumn 1995, pp. 67-79.

Petty, Leslie. "Re-Envisioning Chicano Cultural Archetypes: The 'Dual'-ing Images of la Malinche and la Virgen de Guadalupe in Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Children's Literature Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 123, Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420076387&it=r&asid=8ec99e49b32dafbaeb53a1e274d0467d. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016. Originally published in MELUS, vol. 25, no. 2, Summer 2000, pp. 119-132.

Sarbanes, Janet. "An overview of The House on Mango Street." Literature Resource Center, Gale, 2016. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420004091&it=r&asid=896f9e74763b83d078caa43d25ac7591. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016.

Satz, Martha. "Returning to One's House: An Interview with Sandra Cisneros." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter and Timothy J. White, vol. 118, Gale, 1999. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url= http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1100004430&it=r&asid=b47e154b9a3358cb3b2fbbc88777ce6a. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Southwest Review, vol. 82, no. 2, Spring 1997, pp. 166-185.

Sloboda, Nicholas. "A Home in the Heart: Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street." Children's Literature Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 123, Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420076385&asid=baf62f13e2c81ac0dce025b62d8bed9c. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Aztlan, vol. 22, no. 2, Fall 1997, pp. 89-106.