Frequently Asked Questions


2009 Common Literature Experience
Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child

How was the this book selected?

Barefoot Heart

Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child by Elva Trevino Hart was selected for the 2009 literature experience by a committee of USU faculty, staff, administrators and representatives from the Logan library. The committee reviewed books suggested by the campus and community at large as well as books used by summer reading programs at universities across the country. The group initially narrowed the long list of books to about twenty, then further narrowed the list to seven. The university community, particularly students, were invited to read and provide feedback about the five books. The book was selected after much discussion and debate.

Barefoot Heart is a vividly told autobiographical account of the life of a child growing up in a family of migrant farm workers. It brings to life the day-to-day existence of people facing the obstacles of working in the fields and raising a family in an environment that is frequently hostile to those who have little education and speak another language.

Assimilation brings its own problems, as the original culture is attenuated and the quality of family relationships is compromised, consequences that are not inevitable, but are rather a series of choices made along the way. Barefoot Heart is also the story of how the author overcame the disadvantages of this background and discovered her true talents and, in the process, found herself.

From Publishers Weekly: Hart's expressive and remarkably affecting memoir concerns her childhood as the daughter of Mexican immigrants who worked as migrant workers to feed their six children. In 1953, when she was only three, her parents took the family from Texas to work in the fields of Minnesota and Wisconsin for the first time, only to find that in order to comply with the child labor law they had to leave the author and her 11-year-old sister to board in a local Catholic school, where they pined for the rest of the family. Hart remembers other years when the entire family participated in the backbreaking field labor, driven mercilessly by Apa (her father), who was determined to earn enough money to allow all his children to graduate from high school. Apa not only achieved his goal but was able to save $2000 so that Hart could enter college, a step that led to her earning a master's degree in computer science. This account is not, however, an ordinary memoir of triumph over adversity. Instead, Hart eloquently reveals the harsh toll that poverty and discrimination took on her familyAin sharply etched portraits of Ama, Hart's worn-out mother who clearly loved her daughter but was too exhausted to show it; of her brother Rudy, who refused to sit at the back of the bus because he was a Mexican; and of her teenage sisters, who struggled to keep their dignity in the muddy fields. She recalls many painful incidents in school and with childhood friends that stemmed from being Mexican in a small white Texas town. At 17, she drove her father back to Mexico to visit his family; she recalls how he suddenly changed into a happy man who felt at home with his land, his language and his people. This is a beautifully written debut from a writer to watch. (June) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal: A powerful collection of vignettes by a successful career woman who looks back on her childhood and her Mexican-American family's impoverished years with stark dignity. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

What criteria were used in selecting the title?

The committee looked for a book that had engaging themes for entering college students. They wanted a book that would be so captivating that the students would want to read the book with or without formal structure and guidance. The committee believes this book can have impact on our first-year students as they read about the migrant experience in the United States. The author presents experiences and issues that we need to know about.  She strongly emphasizes the impact that education has on the future of all Americans and the need to be committed to fostering educational opportunities for everyone. The book leads to discussions on discrimination, cultural and personal identity, the value of education, telling one’s own story, and the migrant issues in America. We are hoping the local community finds the book an opportunity to open dialogue about the Latino issues in Cache Valley.
 As last year’s selection, “A Long Way Gone” led to a focus on Africa, we are hoping that the 2009 selection will lead to a focus on the American Latino population.  As many of the Connections sections become involved in service learning, (30 sections in 2008), their service focus could be our own Cache Valley Latino community.   

The committee hopes to select a variety of titles over the years for the Literature Experience. Previous selections include:

  • 2003: May Out West - poems by May Swenson
  • 2004: Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League - a biography by Ron Susskind
  • 2005: When the Emperor was Divine - a novel by Julie Otsuka
  • 2006: Warriors don't Cry - a memoir by Melba Patillo Beals
  • 2007: Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science - by Atul Gawande
  • 2008: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - by Ishmael Beah
  • 2009: Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child - by Elva Trevino Hart

What else is going on, relating to the book?

The university invites the Cache Valley community, parents of incoming students, and alumni to join in reading this book, so that the literature experience becomes a community-wide experience. On the last day of Connections, a convocation will be held in the Kent Concert Hall on the Utah State University campus to cap off this joint reading. The speaker will be someone related to the book. and a few lucky students will have the opportunity to have a meal with the speaker when he/she comes to campus. See the Connections website for more information ( http://www.usu.edu/connections/literatureexperience/lunch.cfm ).In addition, Utah State University, will be hosting a number of events related to Latino issues and the challenges raised by the book. Check the Connections website for an updated list.

Is the book required for the course?

Yes, the book is required for the course, but you do not need to be enrolled in Connections in order to read the book. In fact, parents, alumni, and community members are enthusiastically encouraged to join us in reading the book and are invited to attend the Convocation presentation on Saturday, the last day of Connections, in the Kent Concert Hall on the Utah State University campus.

Is there an assignment connected to the book?

Yes, there is a journal assignment required by the Connections course. Students should consult the Connections website for more specific requirements.

What if I have a book that I think is a better choice?

Suggestions for future titles are welcome. Please provide them to the selection committee for future consideration. Each fall, the committee will issue a community-wide call for suggestions for the next book. In the meantime, you can e-mail your suggestions to Noelle Call at noelle.call@usu.edu.

Where can the book be purchased?

Merrill-Cazier Library has several copies of the book available for a one-week checkout period. The book may be purchased from the USU bookstore, local and online retailers.

For additional questions about the summer literature experience, contact Noelle Call at noelle.call@usu.edu.

 
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