Immigrants In Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees

What is one of America's most polarizing topics? Barbara Kingsolver's, The Bean Trees, is an example of the hardships immigrants experience in America. The main character, Taylor becomes friends with two immigrants from Guatemala, Estevan and Esperanza. She becomes connected to them, as they shared the struggle and decisions they had to make coming to the United States. Taylor was exposed to everyday life experiences these immigrants faced. To be an immigrant in the United States is not easy, as most experiences are characterized by discrimination, violence, and the need to seek protection.

Immigrants experience discrimination because they are different than society expects them to be. The Huffington Post article by Marivir R. Montebon, “Attitude, Racism, and Immigration” explained stereotypically how Filipino’s are seen as either nurses or teachers and questioned for anything altered. Marivir said that if she introduces herself as Filipino, she was most certain she would be asked whether she was a nurse. She would say no, I am a writer. Marivir was an odd ball in the family, and nine of her ten cousins were nurses. She didn't mind that being a writer was a shock to …show more content…
Estevan and Esperanza explained how they knew the names of each union member. They had to get away from Guatemala because their lives were at stake, and the government wouldn't stop at anything to find this information. Estevan explained how their daughter was taken on a raid on their neighborhood in which Estevan’s brother and two friends were killed. Estevan and Esperanza were in need of safety in the United States where the Guatemalan government couldn’t access the information they knew from them. Both experiences showed how families immigrate to America to seek protection from the dangers of living in their own country even if it means you leave your friends and family