Mujeres inmigrantes en narrativas fronterizas: La doble subyugación y la maternidad en cuatro obras

Abstract

In the year leading up to a presidential election, immigration issues become one of the more popular topics for debate, especially this year in the wake of Donald Trump. This paper studies fictional representations of undocumented, Hispanic immigration to the US in the novel La fila india by Antonio Ortuño and in the films Sin nombre, La misma luna, and María llena eres de gracia. These four pieces were produced in the last twelve years and represent a select but varied group of immigration stories that all feature female protagonists. Through the study of social realism and melodrama genres, these works reveal a double subjugation of women by both their gender and immigrant status, a situation further exacerbated by their role as mothers. I argue that the two forms of marginalization are inextricably bound and present one of the biggest obstacles to achieving a better life in these pieces. Additionally, the protagonists must reconfigure their conception of utopia in order to overcome dystopian realities. In a psychological journey that mirrors the geographical one, overcoming double subjugation leads to surprisingly hopeful endings where the newly-independent female protagonists can create a safe place for their family in the US, free from male dominance. While the pieces suggest that a better future is possible, it comes at a very high price.