Push and Pull Factors in
“El Norte” and “Lupita
Manana”
Lidia Perez
Introduction
 Immigration refers to the act of certain individual
leaving their native country because of “push and pull”
factors.
 There is a “push-pull theory” which explains how
immigrants are pushed out of their native land and are
attract to another country.
 Immigrants leave their hometown due to the lack of
resources, jobs, few education opportunities and
political fears and persecution.
Thesis
 The push-pull theory of migration helps explains the movie
“El Norte” by Gregory Nava and the novel “Lupita
Manana” by Patricia Beatty because it gives a better
understanding of the difficulties that immigrants have to
face in order to go into another country. It will also helps
people reflect on the meaning of the “American Dream”
and the costs one incurs in seeking it.
El Norte
Push Factors
Pull Factors
 What is El Norte about?
 Better living conditions
 Political fears and
persecution
 More educational
opportunities
 Poverty
 Have their own car
 Safety
Lupita Manana
Push factors
Pull Factor
 What is it about?
 Better job opportunities
 Poverty
 Higher salaries
 Less job opportunities
 Better living conditions
Similarities
 Theme of immigration
 Undocumented immigrants
 Cross the border
 American Dream
 Low income family
 They have many dangerous
adventures on their way north.
 Gives a better understanding of
the immigrants experiences
Differences
El Norte

Enrique and Rosa are from
Guatemala
 Indegeans peasants

They leave their hometown
due to the political and fears
persucution
 Rosa dies at the end of the
story due to an illness call
thypus which she contracted
from the rat bites when
crossing the border.
Lupita Manana
 Lupita and Salvador are
from Mexico
 They leave Mexico due to
poverty
 Earn money to support
 Want to help their mother
and siblings
Conclusion
 Gives us a better understanding of the immigrant experiences
crossing the border illegally.
 These two stories remind us that immigration is more than a
concept it is about human being uprooting themselves from their
homes and their families to try to make a new and better life.
 It helps us prove how immigrants sometimes can make “American
Dream” and sometimes not.
 For example Lupita Manana shows how Lupita could escape
from immigration authorities and resolves to learn English and to
work hard to support her family.
Children Literature:
Elena Fortun and Celia
Daisy Ramirez
Writing 117
Thesis
 Elena Fortun’s most important
contribution to Children Literature
were her stories about Celia, who
questions society and education, which
is important because children during
that time did not rebel, question, or go
against what they were told.
Elena Fortun
 Actual name is Encarnacion Aragoneses
Urquijo
 Spaniard writer born on November 17, 1886
 Education
• Philosophy
• Letters
 Life
• Married Eusebio de Gorbea Lemmi
• Two children
• Died May 8, 1952 at the age of 66
How Celia began
 Summers in Abades
• A small town in Segovia
 Magazine Black and White in 1928
Celia
 Blonde 7 year old
 Belonged to the Spaniard bourgeoisie
 Cuchifritin
• Little Brother
 Said what she thought
 Questioned society, adults, and
education
• She was advanced for her time
Impact
 People actually thought she was real

•
•
•

Asked Fortun:
How she was doing
If he had a boyfriend
If she ever though of getting married
Celia was Fortun’s most important and loved character
because she called children’s attention to transmit her
thoughts about society
Celia today
 Jose Luis Borau
o
1992
•
Produced a series of television shows
about Celia
 Is only known in Spain since
Fortun did not publish outside of
the country
 Is not read as much since times
have changed
Conclusion
Fortun used Celia for her own benefit
since she was able to get across to
children and see herself reflected in the
little girl because she was the same way
when she was a child. She opened their
eyes to reality and that it was fine to
question society, adults, and education.
Comparing
Contrasting
Similarities
 As literature majors we are using
fiction to represent reality.
 We analyze the books of Lupita
Manana, Celia, and the movie “El
Norte”
 We both have children as
characters of the story
 We came to the conclusion that
literature is important in our lives
because we learn about new
things, and new cultures
Differences
Lidia
Daisy
 Push and Pull Theory
 Analyze
 El Norte and Lupita
Manana
 Celia
 Mexico and Guatemala
 Topic: Immigration
 Immigration affects
males, females, and
children
 Spain
 Topic: Children
Literature
 Celia affected children’s
thinking about society,
education, and adults