Stella Díaz Has Something to Say

Dominguez based Stella’s character on her own childhood experience as a Mexican immigrant growing up in the US. Mexicans make up the largest immigrant group in the US, and nearly everyone who emigrates from Mexico moves to the US. Most Mexican immigrants reside in Texas and California, but Chicago—where Stella’s family lives in the novel— has historically also been a major hub for Mexican immigrants and their Mexican American descendants. There are many reasons that a person or family from Mexico might choose to travel to the US, but most commonly, people emigrate in search of better work opportunities. The US has a stronger economy than Mexico, as well as an unsaturated job market for low-skilled labor, meaning that there are more jobs available in the US than in Mexico. Many people also leave Mexico to join family members in the US, or to escape violence or other unstable conditions.

Even though there are large communities of Mexican immigrants in places like California, Texas, and Chicago, people from outside the US often face difficulties integrating after they arrive, as Stella does. Many people who leave Mexico face discrimination and social exclusion in the US. Strict immigration policies can make the process even more difficult—to be eligible for a green card, one must be sponsored by a family member or apply to seek asylum, which is a difficult and complex process.