Los Vendidos Essay examples

Tanya Barrientos explained her struggle with her identity growing up in her writing “Se Habla Español”. Barrientos describes herself as being “Guatemalan by birth but pure gringa by circumstance” (83). These circumstances began when her family relocated to the United States when she was three years old. Once the family moved to the states, her parents only spoke Spanish between themselves. The children learned to how read, write and speak the English language to fit into society at that time in 1963. (83) Barrientos explained how society shifted and “the nation changed its views on ethnic identity” (85) after she graduated college and it came as a backlash to her because she had isolated herself from the stereotype she constructed in her head. She was insulted to be called Mexican and to her speaking the Spanish language translated into being poor. She had felt superior to Latino waitresses and their maid when she told them that she didn’t speak Spanish. After the shift in society Barrientos wondered where she fit it since the Spanish language was the glue that held the new Latino American community together. Barrientos then set out on a difficult awkward journey to learn the language that others would assume she would already know. She wanted to nurture the seed of pride to be called Mexican that her father planted when her father sent her on a summer trip to Mexico City. Once Barrientos had learned more Spanish and could handle the present, past and future tenses she still

They are Mexican-American. Their equality rights do not accept in America society. They and their family always spend the life by examining of American government. Henry Reyna, El Pachuco, the Navy during the World War II. He is the young Mexican-American generation. He lives in the South Central Los Angeles, California. They are a mythical figure, a rebellious, street-smart, young Chicano. They make up their hair style. He dresses a long jacket, a baggy trousers, and a lengthy watch chain. He and his people dance with their girlfriends. They wear the zoot suit, the big pride of Mexican-American about the Mexican male, they make the belief to the rebellious generation for the equality rights struggling. Henry and his gang are the antagonist characters to serve the holistic of the world. He kills the murder, help the media, and fed their headline by the police (Scene 1, Act 5, page). Luis Valdez success to create the danger of the character, El Pachuco is in to Henry and the opposite. The riots break out in the streets. the zoot suiters are targeted, the suspects stripped by sailors and marines based on the racism, the discrimination profile. The author is successful to describe the press, the media communication. The laws use the name to disguise discriminate. They create the dangerous situation for their ruse. Their

You can see how Maria’s El Salvador is empty of people, full only of romantic ideas. Jose Luis’s image of El Salvador, in contrast, totally invokes manufactured weapons; violence. Maria’s “self-projection elides Jose Luis’s difference” and illustrates “how easy it is for the North American characters, including the big-hearted María, to consume a sensationalized, romanticized, or demonized version of the Salvadoran or Chicana in their midst” (Lomas 2006, 361). Marta Caminero-Santangelo writes: “The main thrust of the narrative of Mother Tongue ... continually ... destabilize[s] the grounds for ... a fantasy of connectedness by emphasizing the ways in which [Maria’s] experience as a Mexican American and José Luis’s experiences as a Salvadoran have created fundamentally different subjects” (Caminero-Santangelo 2001, 198). Similarly, Dalia Kandiyoti points out how Maria’s interactions with José Luis present her false assumptions concerning the supposed “seamlessness of the Latino-Latin American connection” (Kandiyoti 2004, 422). So the continual misinterpretations of José Luis and who he really is and has been through on Maria’s part really show how very far away her experiences as a middle-class, U.S.-born Chicana are from those of her Salvadoran lover. This tension and resistance continues throughout their relationship.

The short play Los Vendidos portrayed by el Teatro Campesino shows the history of Mexican-Americans. It shows racist perceptions and actions towards Mexican-Americans. The title itself implies the exploitation of Chicanos. In translation from Spanish "Vendidos" can mean either those who sell-out others, or those who are sold. In the play either meaning can be applied. Those who are sold would be the eleven different characters that Sancho describes. But, the "sell-out" could be Ms. Jimenez, a main character, who is the exemplary "white-washed" Mexican-American.

In my analysis of this novel, The Adventure of Don Chipote or, When Parrots Breast-Feed by Daniel Venegas, I kept in mind that Nicolás Kanellos put great effort into getting this novel circulated in Spanish and in English. Kanellos argues that Spanish-language immigrant novels more accurately present the “evils” of American society such as oppression of the immigrant workers and deconstructs the myth of the American Dream, which permeates in English-language ethnic autobiographies. I believe Kanellos felt so passionately about circulating this particular novel was due to the fact that in Venegas’ novel we see clear representations of the three U.S. Hispanic cultures that Kanellos presents which are the native, the immigrant, and the exile cultures.

Ernesto Quinonez 's novel is very influential and gives insight into the harsh reality of being a minority in America. Quinonez also speaks on the history of the Latino culture and the life experiences. The fabricated stories based on true events, affected Latinos as well as other nationalities. This book has served its purpose and is speaking to families, friends, wives, husbands, and children on being aware and conscious of the reality that surrounds them. This novel amazed me with the political and historical content surrounding the Latino community, and it is extremely powerful as it shows independence in its own culture. The novel uses its content to bring awareness of Latino ethnic identity, their way of life, and defines social factors from within. (Barajas 2014)

However, because of the stereotype that illustrated pachucos as criminals and monsters, pachucos were treated unjustly and were regarded as the enemy of America. For some historical context, durring the Great Depression, the search for jobs was difficult, especially in Los Angeles (Chiodo 1). Los Angeles had locals, people from the Midwest, African Americans, and Mexicans all searching for jobs (Chiodo 1). This caused the white Americans to blame the economic condition on the Mexicans (Chiodo 1). After the Japanese in Los Angeles had been taken to internment camps, Mexicans because the largest Minority in Los Angeles (Chiodo 1). However their youth did not want to stay in their neighborhood, instead they went to dances and clubs in predominantly white areas of the town (Chiodo 1). These young people called themselves pachucos and wore zoot suits (Chiodo 1). Military servicemen and white American citizens saw these outfits as un-American because they used a lot of material when it was being rationed for the war effort (Daniels 101). Furthermore according to an article from Social Studies “the local press had been promoting fear by asserting that a “Mexican crime wave” had hit the city and zoot-suiters and gangsters were one and the same” (Chiodo 1). Because of these factors, Henry Reyna knew that the Pachucos were looked down on in society, as a

The story of “Like Mexicans” has several moments of irony, such as when Soto states that he was certainly going to fall in love with a Mexican girl, but he ends up falling in love with a Japanese girl. He makes a statement of his irony by saying “but the woman I married was not Mexican but Japanese” (Soto 167). Another example of irony found in the passage is when Soto’s grandmother told him not to marry a person of different descent from them, but yet Soto’s best friend is of different descent (Soto 166). The final example of irony found in the passage is when Soto’s family turns worried about him marrying someone who is not Mexican because they don’t want Soto to marry someone who is richer than they are, but it turns out that the Japanese girl’s family is in the same economic stance. The author makes a statement of his ironic discovery by stating “these people are just like Mexicans, I thought. Poor people (Soto 168). The use of irony in the passage helped the author keep the audience captivated in the story creating a sense of excitement.

The play opens with the storeowner, Amano Sancho addressing the audience. Shortly thereafter a women from the governor’s office walks in looking for a young Mexican to be placed in the audience at the governor’s press conference. Immediately the audience is made aware of some of the social differences amongst Mexicans. Amano has a very thick accent, the woman from the governor’s office introduces herself as Miss. Jiminez, but insist that it be pronounced with an American accent, when Amano tries to pronounce it the way it suppose to she retorts with "can’t you speak English?" It is somewhat apparent that Miss. Jiminez does not recognize her Latino, most likely Mexican, heritage even though it is all over her, her brown skin to be exact. Luis makes the audience aware of this at a key point near the end of the play. Miss. Jiminez wants to take her newly bought Mexican American straight to the governor’s press conference so a brown face can be seen in the audience. Amano replays, "you outta know", again pointing to the fact that this woman is Latina and completely unaware of it.

In the twentieth century, even with citizenship status, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were considered and consequentially treated as outsiders or intruders (Oboler, 32). It is not surprising that at the end of Valdez’s play, the whitest model is most desirable to the Anglo government.

Throughout the play there are underlying theme that suggest different ideas. The themes I will discuss is how Mexican American men are portrayed in relation

Sabina Berman is a notable and critically acclaimed Mexican playwright. Berman’s notable work includes her first published play, Yankee (1979). In Adam Versényi’s translation of Yankee, Berman explores the relationship between the individual and identity. Through the three main characters—Bill, Alberto, and Rosa—we see the continual conflict they face as they aspire to achieve their respective objectives: to feel nurtured and loved, to have peace and quiet, and to feel loved and acknowledged. But it is Berman’s interjection of juxtapositions that forces us to analyze the relationship between the main characters. More specifically, Berman focuses on the impact Bill has as an intruder, and how he highlights the national identity incompatibilities between North American and Mexican cultures, to expose the serious social and political problems between the nations.

Americo Paredes brings to life the struggles of the US Southwest and Mexico Border reforms that come as an effect of the Revolution. Paredes examines main characters Cuitla’s and Don Jose Marias shift between the traditional life of their heritage and the new capitalist society that is emerging through agricultural reform. The adjustment of Cuitla’s and Don Jose Marias into this new capitalist driven era shows the difficulties that the American Southwest has endured in relation to land loss, the new economy and the identity of its people. Cuitla’s role as the “presidente” or boss on the large communal farm as well as Don Jose Marias relationship with the community constantly reminds the reader of the social reform, as well as the agrarian

"Los Vendidos," which signifies "the sold out ones," is a play that was correlated by Luis Valdez and created by the Farm Workers Theater of Atzlan. They have built their theater society with respect to the old show clubs that were common in the striker 's groups of the sixties and seventies. In these groups, performing artists and performers would assume parts that would ridicule certain gatherings or people that they were opposing. Case in point, if the produce pickers were striking against a cultivator, then the play would draw out every generalization that individual put stock in or each awful quality that that individual had and would decorate it. They would make their focus out to be inept and uninformed. "Los Vendidos" finishes this errand extremely well on the grounds that it demonstrates each generalization that Anglos have against Mexican Americans, and places it in a manner that will make any Anglo be embarrassed for having accepted such falsities. Everything that was put into the play was put there for a reason, whether it is a real occurrence or a typical generalization.

Sandra Cisneros’ short story, “Never Marry a Mexican”, indirectly underlines her perspective, her interpretation, judgement, and critical evaluation of her subject, the work and its title. This perspective is evident in her use of literary devices, diction, and language structure in her narrative. The purpose of the use of these elements in the way that she does is ultimately linked to understanding her viewpoint on the subject. The author’s perspective is embedded in the meaning of the story and its theme. Her interpretations are valid, and justified in detail throughout the story to add color and vibrancy to her characters. Her judgment is lightly touched upon but only clearly and directly given at the end of the story, to allow the