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Keep A Promise

“Niña” is a song performed by the Latin pop group called La Quinta Estacion. I have chosen this song to represent The Tortilla Curtain because it talks about dreams. It reminds me how Candido promised America a better life in the United States with a house and all the comfortable amenities. America suffers a lot after she arrives to the United States because Candido is not able to support her. Candido was hurt from his hip and was unable to walk perfectly due to the accident caused by Delaney, America is basically a teenager leaving a life ofan older woman with an older man. The song talks about how a little girl goes around smiling, but  crying in silence and inside of her she is miserable because she has a hard time accomplishing her dreams. I have compared this song with the book for “The American Dream”. The lyrics of the song explains what the little girl is going to do with herself even though she has not accomplished her dreams. America at the end of the storythinks about going back to Mexico but it’s too late.

La Quinta Estacion

La Quinta Estacion was formed in 2000, in Madrid, Spain, by a group of friends.The group was named La Quinta Estacion, the (Fifth Station) because that was the number of stations that would separate the group members from practicing their songs. The group would participate in their local shows in Madrid. In 2001, the group recorded their first album “Maqueta” with BMG Mexico. The group became very popular in Latin America that started being nominated for various awards. La Quinta Estacion’s songs are mainly about love. Latin pop music has become stronger in Mexico and Latin America and the group has become a major part of it.

I’m Tired, I’m Finished

In The Tortilla Curtain,  part three – chapter two, America was pregnant, and after all her husband’s bad luck she felt hopeless. “So she sat there, as miserable as she’d ever been in her life, and closed her mind own till the world went from a mouse screen to a peephole. She was going mad, dancing around the edges, and she didn’t care. It was all his fault, everything.” This compares to the song in the part where the girl will not accomplish her dreams and she sits there looks around being miserable. America felt lost, hopeless, and without a home to live in (272). In part three, chapter six, America was feeding her baby and ask her husband what is next in their lives. Candido answers that he will find work. She was decided in what to do. She says “I want you to buy me a ticket with that money,” I want to go home and I don’t care whether you’re coming with me or not. I’ve had it. I’m done” (323).

 

Side By Side: La Quinta Estacion's “Niña” with T.C Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain

Niña   Jugando con el aire y su imaginacion no comparte tesoros ni tampoco secretos	Girl   Playing with the air and her imagination she doesn’t share treasures or secrets.	The Tortilla Curtain by T.C Boyle   Sequestered there in that pink bathroom with the bunnies on the walls and the pristine towels and the lilac soap in a little ceramic dish. She felt at peace for the first time since she’d stepped away from Candido and slipped into the big man’s car. She though how nice it would be to have hot water whenever you wanted it She was thinking about that, daydreaming for a second (137).
Ella rie sin saber por que, ella habla sin saber por que, ella mira a su alrededor y no ve mas que dolor	She laughs, she talks, and looks around without an explanation.	America waited there in the hut behind the wrecked car for Candido, day after day, bored and aching-he wouldn’t let her go, to the labor exchange, never again-her breast tender, her her stomach queasy, needing her mother, needing to ask the questions a daughter never asks, not till she’s married(182).
Niña que va ser de ti sin sueños que cumplir con tu vida no querras seguir	Little girl what are you going to do of yourself without accomplishing your dreams.	It was this place, he knew it. The defeat of having to come back here, of having to live like vagos after the promise of that day in Canoga Park, after the luncheonette and the flush toilet and all those rich things and the houses with the cars out front and the peace and security inside(256).

 

I believe “Niña” is a song that relates too many of us in this world. As humans we have sadness, happiness and fears. We also have dreams that we all want to accomplish, but sometimes we just don’t work hard enough to accomplish them. We think that everything will come easy to us. The Tortilla Curtain book from T.C Boyle and Niña from La Quinta Estacion relate by how America tried to make all her dreams come true with house, but she instead lived on the canyon with cold dark nights without any body to talk too. At the end she lost her baby and now she does not know what is going to happen with her life, she might continue suffering with Candido or go back to Mexico.

 

Cibrian, Kiko Ruiz, Manuel Curiel. Niña. Web. 19 May. 2016.

Greenwell, Elizabeth. “Tortilla Curtain’ Called Satire on Hypocrisy: California Natives, Immigrants Clash in New Boyle Novel.” Corpus Christi Caller – Times: J4. Mar 28 2004. ProQuest. Web. 19 May 2016.

Jimenez, Natalia. La Quinta Estacion. Wikipedia.org. 2000. Web. 19 May. 2016.