Olivia

Life and death, love and hate, and never abandoning a dream. This socio–historical novel is about Olivia, who emigrated from Mexico to Illinois in the late 1920s. Her family was part of the first Mexican immigrants to settle in the multicultural– multilingual Midwest town of Aurora, Ill. The novel covers Olivia’s life in Mexico and experiences living at a railroad–boxcar camp on Aurora’s outskirts, as well as subsequent life in a town with an increasing Hispanic population. Her story is interwoven with stories of other people from Mexico who first settled in Aurora along with the stories of Mexican Americans who began arriving about 30 years later. The historical and social events which brought diverse ethnic groups together are an integral part of the story as are the social dynamics which manifested. Social dynamics such as: cross-cultural conflicts, discrimination, ethnic identity, ethnicism, ethnocentrism, gender role, inequality, inter–and intra–ethnic-group social stratification, social mobility, and acculturation and assimilation into the dominate American society manifested during the time people of Mexican and Mexican–American began settling in Aurora. Everyone was affected differently by social dynamics which they experienced as individuals and as a group: Everyone had a story. Though people’s experiences were different, they had one thing in common: The American Dream. The story revolves around the development of Olivia’s character that begins a transformation at an early age after experiencing mysterious visions and quest for higher education. The multifaceted transformation involves her religious spirituality, search and maintenance of cultural identity, compassion, ethnic and gender bias, discovering diverse Mexican indigenous people and cultures, as well as those of Mexican Americans, and self–confidence. In the process, Olivia achieved self–actualization: The fulfillment of one’s potential, and a full development of one abilities and appreciation for life. Over the years, she seeks to understand herself along with the visions and power which she possesses. With the aid of her Mexican religious resilience, spiritual shaman experience, and educational pursuit, the vision crystalizes. Olivia’s vision is one of la hispanidiad, a community that embraces the Spanish language and its diverse Hispanic cultures. It was a vision of a former industrial railroad city transformed into a major revenue–generating Hispanic tourist attraction known as: Aurora—The City of La Hispanidad.