Writer & Educator
In Mayra Lazara Dole’s1 Down to your bone tissue (2012) Laura, a Cuban-American senior school junior, is obligated to come-out whenever her Catholic college teacher reads Laura’s personal texts to 
her gf aloud towards the whole course. As being outcome, Laura is humiliated, kicked away from college, and asked by her mom to go out of their house. Dole’s description of Laura’s coming-out is significant, among multiple reasons, as it focuses a Latina lesbian protagonist. Regardless of the increased understanding for the requirement of diverse children’s literature many gaps nevertheless exist—diversity in queer and homosexual YA literature being one particular gaps. Down seriously to the bone tissue stays one of many few YA novels with a Latina lesbian character compiled by a Latina/o author.2 The lack of accessibility or knowing of publications like these signals a resistance and aversion commonly skilled by Latina lesbian.
Certainly, this is actually the instance in Dole’s novel. Laura’s mom is specially aggressive about maybe perhaps not Laura that is accepting as lesbian. The opposition and aversion that Laura seems from her mom, but, is very much indeed linked with their Cuban-American tradition. Because Laura views her mother as an embodied representation of her Cuban-American history at the start of the novel she associates her mother’s homophobia with every thing Cuban-American. The only way Laura knows how to escape the homophobia she experiences is by attempting to abandon her Cuban-American traditions in other words. Through the novel there is certainly undoubtedly stress between Laura’s sex and her culture; her frustration is due to being unsure of just how to get together again both right areas of her. Interestingly, Laura’s mom utilizes the tradition of females requiring economic safety from males so that you can justify her behavior towards her child. A book about two young girls that could potentially grow up to be romantically involved and her mother threw it away fear that Laura might be influenced by those ideas at the beginning of the novel, Laura remembers that as a child she brought home. Laura’s mom claims:
“Authors such as these plant seeds in girls’ minds about selecting different lifestyles whenever they’re all grown up. Girls may do any such thing they set their head to. You may be president, but no body will employ you when it comes to task in the event that you develop into a lady tired of males. We don’t want you changing into some of those.” (11)3
For Laura’s mom, sex just isn’t an impediment for success; nonetheless, a woman’s orientation that is sexual determine her access to things such as employment. Once again, it is critical to mention that financial protection is exactly what matters to Laura’s mom. In this instance, the homophobic arguments have little regarding procreation and faith and alternatively highlight problems of course and course flexibility. The connection between course and identity that is queer something which additionally arises in other novels and films that center young adult Latina lesbian experiences.
Likewise, in Aurora Guerrero’s movie Mosquita y Mari5 (2012) Mosquita and Mari’s relationship is threatened when Mari partcipates in sex with a guy for the money to be able to assist her mother spend the rent. The connection between class and identity that is queer in this situation, is further complicated because of the proven fact that Mari along with her household are undocumented. Mosquita, unacquainted with any one of these details, knows Mari’s actions as a betrayal of the relationship and she chooses up to now the man that is young has been pursuing her. Mosquita and Mari’s relationship is a tender, intimate, and passionate friendship. Both associated with the young women can be in a stage of self-discovery and discover solace in on another plus the special relationship they have actually developed. Nevertheless, the purity within their relationship and love for just one another is quickly soiled by the realities and obligations their course statuses enforce. Her household’s survival becomes Mari’s concern and she chooses doing whatever she must so that you can assist them. Mosquita additionally finds that dating a child comforts her moms and dads and her buddies, whom were becoming resistant to her relationship with Mari. The different pressures of the course status along with Mari’s not enough course flexibility collide because of the young girls’ expression of the queer identification.
Writer & Educator
As down seriously to the Bone develops, it becomes more obvious that course is a thing that notably impacts the characters’ construction of the queer identification. Marlena, Laura’s (ex)girlfriend, is hitched down after her parents find out about her relationship with Laura. The wedding is recognized as you which will economically protect Marlena as will cure her of her deviancy. Laura momentarily dates a son and it is invited home by her mom. But, Laura realizes she will not desire to participate in a false relationship so that you can feel she is kicked out of her home once again like she belongs and. Overall, the novel gift suggestions a chance to generate discussion concerning the experiences of young Latina lesbians. The novel reveals that course, as exemplified by the necessity for economic protection, plays a role that is substantial the construction of young Latina lesbians together with growth of their queer identification. Down seriously to the bone tissue additionally demonstrates that course dilemmas differ within Latina/o communities. Laura, Marci, Mosquita, and Mari usually do not experience course within the ways that are same. In other words, that simply considering that the figures are Latinas does not always mean they feel the globe within the exact same way. These distinctions is just one of the main reasons why there was a need that is dire more Gay YA novels that center Latina lesbian figures.
1 Lazara Dole could be the writer of Drum, Chavi, Drum! (2003), Birthday into the Barrio (2004), and many brief stories.Down to the Bone was initially posted in 2008.
2 Other adult that is young with Latina lesbian figures include Ellen Wittlinger’s rough prefer (2001) and prefer & Lies: Marisol’s tale (2008) which defines Marisol Guzman’s tribulations with friendships and love. While Carla Trujillo’s What Night Brings (2003) just isn’t an adult that is young it really is narrated with a queer Chicana kid, Marci Cruz. The primary character in self-identified white-Mexican E.E. Charlton-Trujillo’s Fat Angie (2013) is just a young adult lesbian but her competition or ethnicity is certainly not clear. Finally, Sandra Cisneros’s the home on Mango Street (1984) just isn’t a young adult novel but young Esperanza’s relationship with Sally has often supplied queer readings.
3 Dole, Mayra Lazara. Down seriously to the Bone Tissue. NYC: Harper Teen & Bella Books, 2012. Print.
4 Further discussions on which evening Brings are essential to be able to explore Marci as perhaps being fully a transgender character.
