Latina/o Literature and
Literature of the Americas at the
University of Northern Colorado

Debra Diaz -- The Red Camp

Debra Diaz turns in an impressive first effort in her collection of anecdotal rememberances of camp life in the Arte Publico Press book "The Red Camp" (c1996, Arte Publico Press, 126 pages, $11.95 paperback, ISBN: 1-55885-169-0).

Debra Diaz writes that the "The Red Camp" is really the translation for El Campo Colorado, and that it served as a:

"a citrus worker camp built in the early 1900s by a local growers' association to house Mexican-American and Mexican immigrant workers in Orange County, California. Conceived by the citrus growers under the pretense of concern for decent migrant-worker housing, El Campo Colorado was in reality constructed to provide the growers with the readily available and stable work force required for the rapidly expanding southern California citrus industry."

Diaz also declares that Mexican workers were preferred because unlike their Japaneses and Chinese counterparts, they did not seek land ownership and, therefore, would not become competitors in the citrus business.

What makes Diaz's book so striking is its portrayal of a family through flashback chapters of anecdotes into the lives of several three sisters. There is Mom, Dad and the three sisters -- Gloria, Rita "La Chiva," and baby Laura. The family first lived in The Red Camp ("nicknamed so because of the redwood used in the construction of the homes and because of the red tar shingles that topped the roof of each home") and later moved into el barrio.

They are constantly learning through experiences with family and friends.

One chapter that deals with the visits of family and friends that always results in a drunk member of the family getting in trouble.

In a more striking scene, Jeff Hauser, a schoolmate of Emily, becomes her campaign manager and helps her become student body president. But Emily later discovers there was malice behind Jeff's efforts.

Jeff's sister, Ellen Hauser, explains it this way, "Well, I don't know why, but Jeff really hates school and he wanted to mess with it and leave it in bad shape. Electing a Mexican girl president was one way of doing it."

Emily's life is shattered as she cries and her heart fills with hate. But she rebounds by rationalizing, "People voted for me and I won. I guess we both got what we wanted. I was not only going to be president, I was going to be a good one."

And such is the emphasis of the book, which offers hope among those who are struggling.

You will easily recognize the smells and colors of our youth as characters eat raspadas (snow cones), and menudo and tell stories about La Llorona (the wailing woman).

As Rita tells it, "I don't like menudo, but I like watching my Dad and Tio Chema eat it. Tia Flora is my Dad's favorite sister and likes to visit her on Sundays when he is hungover. ... Because Tia Flora knows Dad is going to be crudo, she makes sure she has a huge pot of menudo ready."

The book even takes us into the adult life of the girls, who marry and must decide whether to visit home again. Much has happened. Much has changed. But those memories of the early years will always remain the same.

Debra Diaz opens up a door into the past that is well worth reading and enjoying with "The Red Camp" from Arte Publico Press.

(NOTE: All reviews are read on "Cancion Mexicana" at 10:45 a.m. Sunday mornings on KUVO-FM 89.3 FM Radio, Denver, Colorado, and also are submitted to the Rocky Mountain News book editor for consideration)

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