Tamales De Puerco (Pork Tamales) by Mercedes Floresislas
Tamales De Puerco presents the story of Norma, a young mother who confronts her abusive husband and challenges a country that rejects and oppresses her as an undocumented immigrant. She overcomes the hardships of being Latina, undocumented, and having a Deaf child (Mauricio) without any support from her husband, her mother, and local and state institutions.
Norma wants to seek help but Reynaldo...
Tamales De Puerco presents the story of Norma, a young mother who confronts her abusive husband and challenges a country that rejects and oppresses her as an undocumented immigrant. She overcomes the hardships of being Latina, undocumented, and having a Deaf child (Mauricio) without any support from her husband, her mother, and local and state institutions.
Norma wants to seek help but Reynaldo refuses to believe there is anything wrong with his son. Reynaldo is quite abusive toward Norma and their child and he resorts to violence to cope with the news.
Norma has had enough abuse and runs away with the baby. Norma pleads with her mother to take them in but she tells her to accept the abuse and go back to her husband. She ends up in a homeless shelter and the next morning she wanders into an AA meeting for deaf participants. There, she witnesses a heart wrenching story of a Deaf man and his relationship to his father.
Years pass and the baby, Mauricio, is now six years old. Mauricio and his mother now sign fluently with each other and they have formed a new family of sorts, Tana, a street wise corn vendor, Tomas a street musician who wants to conquer Norma’s heart, a tall order since her heart is on getting her green card. Their struggles as street vendors who must evade the police solidify their friendships.
Karla, an overachiever, Deaf social worker who must also deal with her self imposed limitations, tries to help Mauricio and reluctantly forms a deep connection with Norma and Tana. She also reconsiders her meaning of success.
When Reynaldo reappears in Norma’s and Mauricio’s life, Norma must reevaluate the price she wants to pay for her green card and her desire for a better life is tested. At the end the problem she must solve is how to get rid of her husband. The solution binds Norma, Tana and Karla into a pact of silence.