Sandra Cisneros was born on December 20, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois to her Mexican father, Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral, Chicana mother, Elvira Cordero Anguiano, and six brothers. Growing up for Cisneros was hard because of both her father and her brothers. Her family constantly moved back and forth between Mexico City and Chicago because of her father's longing for his home country and because that was where his mother lived. Cisneros explains, "Because we moved so much, and always in neighborhoods that appeared like France after World War II-empty lots and burned-out-buildings-I retreated inside myself."2 And Cisneros's brothers expected her to take on the role of the traditional female causing her to feel like she often had seven fathers. During this time of loneliness, Cisneros turned to herself and books for company. She began to read many books and write poetry, hoping to find a doorway out of her families poverty. Cisneros checked out a book from the library named The Little House over and over again. The house in

Sandra Cisneros is one of the first Chicana writers who has gained commercial success. Cisneros has gained unbelievable praise as well as popular success from Society. Using her heritage, culture, and her background, Cisneros has created a connection to those who must live in similar situations that she also had to endure. Cisneros has constantly returned to her community, creating a powerful connection between art and politics. She has also made a connection between herself and her character Esperanza in The House on Mango Street. What I have learned from my report is that Mexican men are to dominating and uncaring towards their wives. My mom says they need more estrogen in their hormones, but that is just one womans opinion.

Wanting to continue her writing, Cisneros received the National Endowment For the Arts Fellowship, for fiction, in 1982. Receiving this allowed Cisneros to work for full time. In 1987, after receiving the National Endowment For the Arts Fellowship for poetry, Cisneros wrote her first hit book of poetry titled My Wicked, Wicked Way. Cisneros meet her literary agent, who persuaded her to publish some of her short stories titled Woman Hollering Creek. won: The PEN Center West Award for Best Fiction of 1991, the Quality Paperback Book Club New Voices Award, the Anisfield-Wold Book Award, the Lanna Foundation Literary Award, and selected to be the notable book of the year by the New York Times and the American Library Journal. Cisneros has lectured at CSU, UCB, UCI, UMAA, and UNMA. Cisneros' works help to bring the Chicana woman into a better perspective for the American feminism. Her poetry and writings allow for all readers to connect with her in a special way. An hour after winning a $225,000 grant form the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, Cisneros was back in San Antonio, her current home, where she lectures at a local arts center.

The sun rose slowly over the old mission near my out-of-the-way house and the blooms on the ancient lemon tree in the front lawn began to open and show their pearly beauty to me. The wooden planks on our porch were slightly wet with dew from the night but my feet rested on a nice rug, free of moisture. The bench beneath me is an antique that I retrieved from my Grandmother in Mexico City when I traveled down there. Though she was reluctant to give it up, I managed to pry it from her nostalgic hands. The sky turned an unbelievable dusty rose color mixed with the littlest bits of fiery orange and a chalk blue. Slowly my eyes begin to water and my nose twitch. My hands shoot into the air and my legs out in front of me. I feel the whole world tensing up as my great, big mouth opens up and sucks in a huge breathe of fresh air. What

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Approximate Word count = 1821
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)