Music, memory, and waiting: living life in a series of lines

This collection of essays explores culture and acculturation. The way identity begins, evolves, and forms around so much that is complicated: family (close, extended, ancestral), friends, relationships, the luck of draw, random biological imperatives, and sheer determination. No heroes or villains, just real individuals with complicated backstories and inclinations. The settings of these stories take place in a Mexican Barrio known as “North Side” of Visalia located in the heart of California’s Central Valley. The stories capture what it means for a growing family to live on the “poor side” of town to move to the “rich side” of town. A family that has to deal with pre-disposed roles, to be limited by class and culture, yet are still able to find meaning and even transcendence within these boundaries. Music and cruising are identified as forms of escape and a way to bond and bridge gaps between family and friends. More importantly, these essays are about the working class experiences from the perspective of Mexican Americans living in the Central Valley from the 1940s to present day