Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

Efrén Divided is a work of Juvenile Fiction written for ages 8 to 12. I will be reviewing this book in the category of Pura Belpré Winner.

In Efrén Divided, Efrén is a legally documented citizen of the United States, but both of his parents are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. The novel follows how Efrén grows, as a son, a brother, a student, and a friend, in response to his Amá being arrested by ICE and deported to Mexico.

I chose this novel because of its relevance to my community and its youth. The issues of illegal immigration and undocumented residents are central to the political landscape of Texas and affect the daily lives of many of my neighbors. It is important to be familiar with literature like Efrén Divided because these books help me, as a citizen, to better understand the experiences of my Hispanic community members. Thus, they teach me greater empathy for these individuals, and they teach me how I can be an advocate for human rights within my community.

In this review I will be evaluating Characters, Tension, and Tone.

Efrén is a well-developed protagonist in Efrén Divided. Cisneros makes a point to show us Efrén as a son, a student, a brother, and a friend. Because of this, the reader quickly recognizes Efrén as family-oriented, responsible, and intelligent. Cisneros highlights Efrén's growing anxiety about the politics around illegal immigration as he shifts from a child shielded from truth into a young adult forced to face reality. The reader also recognizes Efrén's desire for greater independence and his desire to play which is typical of an American seventh grader. However, this aspect of his personality transforms throughout the novel. While, at the start of his story, Efrén craves space from his siblings, independence from his overbearing mother, and time to be with his friends, his mother's deportation changes this. After his Amá is arrested, his father wors overtime to provide for his family and to send money to Amá in Mexico, and so Efrén takes on the responsibility of being the primary caregiver for his kindergarten-age twin siblings. After his mom is suddenly ripped out of his life, Efrén's craving for independence is transformed into a longing for his Amá and a greater appreciation for the milagros (miracles) she created to take care of her family despite all of the obstacles she faced as an undocumented immigrant. With his mother's deportation, Efrén's focus changes from that of a preteen who wants to hang out with his friends and do well in school to that of a son who will do anything to bring his mother home. Efrén also becomes very politically minded in the wake of Amá's deportation, because he can no longer look away from the rumors his community spreads about ICE, nor can his parents continue to shield him from the harsh realities that come with being a child of undocumented persons. Thus, the reader sees Efrén transform from a typical American teen, albeit one who lives in poverty within a heavily Hispanic community, into a child of illegal immigrants, with all of the stresses that this reality brings. He experiences parentification because his mother has been deported. He experiences the management of financial stress because his mother has been deported. He experiences falling grades because his mother has been deported. However, we also see the strength Efrén finds in his identity as a son of immigrants. He experiences a greater connection to his family and heritage because his mother has been deported. Further, he experiences a clarity of purpose, to help his mother and other families like his own, because his mother has been deported. Efrén proves to be a well-developed and dynamic character who experiences ample growth as his story progresses in Efrén Divided.

The tension within Efrén Divided is centered on the question of whether or not Efrén and his Apá will be able to successfully bring Amá back over the border from Mexico after her deportation. While Apá repeatedly tells Efrén that the responsibility and worry regarding bringing Amá home belong to him as the father, Efrén cannot let go of his desire to help save his mother and his family. This is seen in how he tries to stretch the money his father gives him to buy food so there will be more left to send to Amá. It is also seen in how he places the welfare of his family, specifically the twins he has been given charge of, over his personal welfare and success in school. It is prominent when Efrén insists that he be the one to deliver money to Amá in Mexico by legally crossing the border, rather than having Apá attempt the delivery through an illegal border crossing. Throughout the novel, the reader feels Efrén's desperation to be reunited with his Amá and his determination to help Apá. The reader is invested in Efrén's family's success or failure in bringing Amá home. The tension is resolved towards the end of the novel when Amá succeeds in crossing the border, only to be stopped and detained at an ICE checkpoint in San Clemente, California. Despite this disappointing resolution to the book's core question, the reader finds comfort in Efrén's strengthened resolve to never give up on his family's reunification and in his decision to help his community by starting a campaign to educate undocumented parents on their rights as residents of the United States and as parents to legal citizens.

The tone Cisneros uses in Efrén Divided makes it clear that he views the separation of immigrant families based on their legal status as cruel. While he does not offer any solutions to the issues of illegal border crossings or how to respond to undocumented residents in the United States, he does make it clear to the reader that the current policies are inadequate and inhumane. Current United States policy runs against the basic human rights established by the United Nations, a fact Cisneros does not shy away from. However, he does approach these topics with an appropriate level of restraint, acknowledging that his readers are typically aged 8 to 12. Cisneros also shows great respect to his readers by holding back from providing a happy ending for Efrén and his family. Though Efrén loves the library and its books because they allow him to "escape into other worlds where everything usually ended in smiles" (Cisneros, 2020, p. 26), Cisneros' work does not end in this way. Rather, he acknowledges that the realities of illegal immigration are heartbreaking, and family reunification is almost always a long and arduous process. The honest and respectful tone used in Efrén Divided makes this work gripping for the reader. It allows children whose families are like Efrén's to see themselves in literature while also giving non-Hispanic children an authentic experience that allows them to grow in understanding and empathy.

Cisneros, E. (2020). Efrén divided. HarperCollins Publisher Inc.