Cherrie Morag Heroes And Saints - Essay Example

Race, Sexuality and Injustice: Cherrie Moragas "Heroes and Saints" Cherrie Moraga uses the play “heroes and saints” for the purpose of bringing to light injustices committed to Mexican immigrants. Plays are powerful tools of communication and have proven to be of much help when interpreted correctly. This paper brings out the concept of race, sexuality and injustice as brought out in the play by Cherrie Moraga "Heroes and Saints". The play does not tell how the people were crippled, but tells of how the many years of political injustice had manipulated to physical deformity it tells of a tale of the Latino people who without their knowledge had become crippled. This goes on until there emerges saints and heroes who enlighten the community of the political injustice that was slowly, but surely killing people and their bright futures (Cacho 415). Heroes and saints represent horrible epidemics of incurable diseases birth defects among other problems that a small farming town faced; this was caused by the spraying of a pesticide that resulted in a great suffering among the people. These Political injustices arose in the American system of governance. The play seeks to sound a message to the present people that they should not count on other people, to bring changes, but should demand the help. People must learn to come together, and fight for their basic rights. This can only be achieved if the oppressed come together, and in one voice demand, their rights and this will lead to the eventual attainment of happiness and liberty. Race takes precedence in the play, once one was recognized as a Latino he or, she was taken to have a sort of disability. Race and disability are both identities that are interstitial and simultaneous. In this play, Moraga makes use of disability as a metaphor and phenomenal frame for economic oppression, gender and racial discrimination. Felipe Franco is a character used by Moraga in this play, the mother to Felipe worked in the fields poisoned by pesticides when she was pregnant, due to this Felipe was born with no limbs. Here, what is seen is the use of disability put forward in lived reality and used as a metaphor dissipating oppression (Yvonne 17). An environmental justice group identified race to be a very powerful factor when it comes to the public’s exposure to toxicity. Pesticides tend to focus on the female reproductive system resulting to devastating effects. Dona Amparo is used by Moraga to map the illness caused by pesticide poisoning in the community and is used to represent women’s leadership (Cacho 412). Visibility forms a large part in social activism to help fight the oppression that brings about these problems. Cerezita’s disability provides proof that indeed environmental racism is evident and targets the minor communities. When Cerezita finally speaks to the workers, her message carries a theme of religious prophecy, the reality of her impairment combined her appearance incite the people to act. Disability combined with religious idolatry creates a catalyst for change and social protest (Yvonne 49). The character of Cerezita also depicts feminine gifts with no body Cerezita uses her mouth to function as an articulate organ for action and speech. Her words had the power to seduce as seen with priest Juan. Morgan tries to point to the gendered experiences of the workers that included rape, pregnancies and mothers struggling to care for their little ones. Morgan clearly brings about the feminism at the boarder (Cacho 12). “Heroes and saints” seeks to point to the exploitation of women. Moraga tries to emphasize on the struggles of mothers who are affected by the pesticide poisoning by losing children or giving birth to physically debilitated children. The ranchers try to keep the death of the children arising from this poisoning hidden from the public since they will draw the attention of the media (Yvonne 45). Moraga comfortably unmasks the goals to earn a profit from high productions that bring about death and suffering of the workers in the field. Demands made by the protestors in the play seek to provide permanent solutions leading to institutional changes, which are still to take place (Yvonne 40). The Writer brings to light the importance of women in protests. Moraga is asking questions regarding the lack of recognition by their government to their concerns, lives and health of the workers. The refusal by the government to recognize the labor conditions of the people leads to a standpoint that the workers lives are indeed dispensable. Moraga effectively drives in the irony of which everything that should nourish is poison, due to pesticides this ranges from the poisoned grape fruits to mother’s milk (Cacho 100). The side issues addressed in the play are digressions from the fight by the characters’ for a better and safer place to work and live. Moraga does not let her characters stand and speak on their own behalf, but he routinely does insert an intrusive, stylized voice, which makes it seem that they have channeled the play (Yvonne 40). What comes out to be heroic and saintly in the people lies in their everyday experiences, working to provide for their families by working in the pesticide-poisoned environment while still fighting these practices of the companies that are poisoning them. The writer gilds the lily in their characters heroism and shows us the courage that people have in their day-to-day lives (Yvonne 10). This play challenges all non-Latino readers and viewers to picture the dangerous and squalid life that has been imposed on a large number of immigrants who have been subjected to many environmental dangers and injustices, which other people can comfortably avoid. This play superbly shows the connection between agricultural policies, environmental and public health and the way that illness and poverty always go together. It shows the way people have managed to escape from systematic violation of their human rights and the role of the church in this issues (Cacho 389). The Environmental protection agency reported that per annum approximately 300,000 workers in farms fall ill due to pesticide poisoning. Many of the victims are women and children who tend to be very vulnerable. The total numbers of cases that are diagnosed are much lower when compared to the degree of illness that the people experience. Many cannot afford let alone access medical care (Yvonne 22). The failure to serve the demands put forward by the workers’ working condition is majorly due to the political economy that profits from the farm business, which outweighs the lives and health of the workers (Cacho 412). This play by Moraga tries to address the issue of safe pesticide use, it demands that the government to get rid of the fact that the agribusiness is a major income source and put guidelines for the safe use of pesticides it calls for the government to stop placing the lives of the workers below the economic profit. Moraga addresses the issue of racial ideologies that bring about the notion that workers lives are dispensable. She demonstrates how such ideologies, deeply rooted in the colonialism history, provide the necessary fuel for a capitalized system in exploitation. Moraga’s writing brings to light the suffering and inhuman experiences of the workers in the 20th century (Yvonne 33). The play “Heroes and Saints”, responds to the boycott in 1988 where police beat a female worker named Dolores Huerta brutally, she had been holding a conference that intended to enlighten the public of the refusal of the president to acknowledge outbreak of cancer among the farm workers (Cacho 410). In conclusion, though the Play was written many years ago, it is still very relevant today a number of farm workers, and their children are still developing cancer. Moraga clearly demonstrates race & disability, feminism and injustice as intertwined factors to social change, Moraga uses the play explain real life situations that were occurring many years ago but having them been replayed today. The crusade for justice of the Latino workers in farms, in America, is still on today; Moraga situates the workers as agents who in spite of challenges and criticism have played a central role in leadership and social protest today. Works cited Cacho l. “The People of California are Suffering: The Ideology of White Injury in Discourses of Immigration.” Cultural Values (2005): 389-418. Print Yvonne Y.B. The Wounded Heart: Writing on Cherríe Moraga. Austin: University of Texas, 2001. Print Read More