THE REPRESENTATION OF MEXICAN-AMERICANS’
LIFE STAGES THROUGH THE MODELS IN LUIS VALDEZ’S
LOS
VENDIDOS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ADI PRASATYA CHRISTIANTO
Student number: 07 4214 007
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
THE REPRESENTATION OF MEXICAN-AMERICANS’
LIFE STAGES THROUGH THE MODELS IN LUIS VALDEZ’S
LOS VENDIDOS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ADI PRASATYA CHRISTIANTO
Student number: 07 4214 007
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
ASarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis
THE REPRESENTATION OF MEXICAN-AMERICANS’
LIFE STAGES THROUGH THE MODELS IN LUIS VALDEZ’S
LOS VENDIDOS
By
ADI PRASATYA CHRISTIANTO
Student Number: 07 4214 007
Approved by
Dewi Widyastuti S.Pd., M. Hum.
Advisor July 14, 2011.
Tatang Iskarna S.S., M. Hum.
iii
ASarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis
THE REPRESENTATION OF MEXICAN-AMERICANS’
LIFE STAGES THROUGH THE MODELS IN LUIS VALDEZ’S
LOS VENDIDOS
By
ADI PRASATYA CHRISTIANTO
Student Number: 07 4214 007
Defended before the Board of Examiners On July 26, 2011
And Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Name Signature
Chairman : Dr. Fr. B. Alip, M.Pd,. M.A. __________________
Secretary : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum. __________________
Member 1 : Drs. Fx. Siswadi, M.A. __________________
Member 2 : Dewi Widyastuti S.Pd., M. Hum. __________________
Member 3 : Tatang Iskarna S.S., M. Hum. __________________
Yogyakarta, July 29, 2011 Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University Dean
iv
Anyone who thinks the sky is the limit,
has limited imagination
(Anonymous)
What is the use of book’, thought Alice, ‘without pictures and
conversations
v
This Undergraduate Thesis is dedicated to :
Manis Ramchand
Irene Theresia
Rian Egi Andrianto
vi
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Adi Prasatya Christianto NIM : 074214007
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul: “THE REPRESENTATION OF MEXICAN-AMERICANS’ LIFE STAGES THROUGH THE MODELS IN LUIS VALDEZ’S LOS VENDIDOS” beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, dan mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lainnya untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 29 Juli 2011
Yang menyatakan
vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I believe in every great success, there will be many people who support
it. Therefore, I would like to appreciate mine. First, I would like to thank Jesus
Christ for the unseen present and support in every rough moment. You are my
ultimate support, I thank you, Lord.
I would like to thank my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti S.Pd., M. Hum. for
the entire patience in guiding me until the end and for the enlightenment. I thank
my co-advisor, Tatang Iskarna S.S., M. Hum. for the valuable corrections and
suggestions. I would like to thank also all my lecturers in English Letters
Department for every single knowledge I received in Sanata Dharma University
that made me who I am now.
I would like to thank my family for the love and support. I thank my
Mom for yelling at me when time was dull and unfriendly. I thank my Dad for the
pray. I would like to thank also my sister for every joke and spirit to light me up.
I would also like to appreaciate my brother who is always there for me ever since
the first semester.
Last but not least, I would like to thank also all my friends in English
Letters Department for the friendship. I will treasure every moment I had with you
all forever.
viii
A. Background of the Study... 1
B. Problem Formulation... 4
C. Objective of the Study... 4
D. Definition of Terms... 5
CHAPTER II : THEORETICAL REVIEW... 8
A. Review of Related Studies... 8
B. Review of Related Theories... 12
1. Theory of Character, Characteristic and Characterization... 12
2. Theory of Acculturation... 13
3. Theory of Race Interaction... 17
C. Review of Mexican-American History... 19
D. Theoretical Framework... 23
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY... 25
A. Object of the Study... 25
B. Approach of the Study... 25
C. Method of the Study... 27
CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS... 29
A. Characteristic of the Models... 30
1. The Farm Worker... 30
2. The Revolucionario... 34
ix
a. The Mix Feature... 36
b. The Ability to Adjust with American Life... 40
B. The Representation of Mexican-Americans’ Life Stages from the Characteristics of the Models... 42 1. Early Period : The Migration 1900s... 42
2. Second Period : Revolution and Movement After the 1940s ... 54
3. Final Period : Acculturation of Mexican and American... 59
a. Social Integrity... 61
b. Social Structure... 68
c. Marital Acculturation... 72
CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION... 75
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 78
x ABSTRACT
ADI PRASATYA CHRISTIANTO. The Representation of Mexican
Americans’ Life Stages through the Models in Luis Valdez’s Los Vendidos.
Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011.
Literature and history is interrelated. Literature, which commonly speaks about society and its life, can also reveal events in certain period of time that is the history of certain society in certain time. Thus, Los Vendidos, a work of literature by Luis Valdez, is an interesting example. The play talks about chronological history of Mexican-American, yet in the form of literature because of the satire element. Thus, this undergraduate thesis raises a topic on the representation of Mexican-Americans’ life stages through the models in the play.
The aim of this research is to reveal the characteristics of the Models in the play. Then, these characteristics are significant to analyze the life stages or history of Mexican-Americans. It is particularly crucial in revealing what happened to Mexican-American in the New World, their relation with Americans and their struggles as being represented by the Models of the play. It is expected that this research can contribute to the issue of Mexican-American’s life, identity and culture.
The research is conducted through socio-cultural historical approach because this approach is able to examine the close relation of society, culture and history, especially in literary work. The method of study conducted in this research was library research. All the materials were gathered from books, essays, journals, glossaries and information from the internet.
This research examines the life of Mexican-Americans and classified it into three sequential stages: The Migration period, The Revolution and Movement period and The Acculturation period. The Mexican-Americans’ journey started when they migrated to America and tried to interact with the Americans. The first period reveals the general occupation and life condition of Mexican workers at that time. Then, the second period reveals how these people began to fight for their rights in many events. This is the period when Mexican workers began to realize their rights and actually struggled to achieve that. However, the third period shows how these immigrants tried to be accepted in the new surroundings through many ways like involved in politics and adopted American values. This is the period of acculturation, a process where different cultures become similar and these people had consciously done that. These historical descriptions are described vividly through the models in Los Vendidos, and thus, it makes these models into the representation of actual historical events.
xi
ABSTRAK
ADI PRASATYA CHRISTIANTO. The Representation of Mexican
Americans’ Life Stages through the Models in Luis Valdez’s Los Vendidos.
Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.
Sastra dan sejarah memiliki hubungan yang erat karena sastra, yang umumnya membicarakan masyarakat dan kehidupan masyarakat itu, dapat juga memaparkan peristiwa di periode tertentu yang merupakan sejarah dari suatu masyarakat di waktu tertentu. Maka, Los Vendidos, sebuah karya sastra oleh Luis Valdez, menjadi sebuah contoh yang menarik. Drama ini membicarakan sejarah runtut dari masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika, akan tetapi dalam bentuk sastra karena adanya elemen majas sindiran. Oleh karena itu, skripsi ini mengangkat topik tentang representasi tahapan-tahapan kehidupan masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika yang dicermati dari model-model dalam drama tersebut.
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk memaparkan sifat-sifat dari model-model dalam drama yang merupakan elemen penting dalam menganalisa tahapan-tahapan kehidupan atau sejarah dari masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika seperti masalah yang mereka hadapi di “Dunia Baru”, hubungan mereka dengan orang-orang Amerika dan perjuangan mereka yang direpresentasikan oleh model-model di dalam drama tersebut. Diharapkan bahwa penelitian ini dapat memberikan kontribusi dalam masalah-masalah yang berkaitan dengan kehidupan, identitas dan budaya masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika.
Penelitian ini dilakukan melalui pendekatan sejarah dan sosial budaya karena pendekatan ini dapat menelaah hubungan erat antara masyarakat, budaya dan sejarah, khususnya di dalam karya sastra. Metode dalam penelitian ini adalah studi pustaka yang mencakup buku, essai, jurnal, glosarium dan berbagai sumber informasi dari internet.
Penelitian ini menelaah kehidupan masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika melalui penjabaran tiga tahapan yaitu periode migrasi, periode revolusi dan pergerakan, serta periode akulturasi. Perjalanan masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika dimulai ketika mereka bermigrasi ke Amerika. Periode pertama memaparkan pekerjaan umum dan gambaran kehidupan pada waktu itu. Kemudian, Periode kedua memaparkan bagaimana orang-orang ini mulai berjuang dan melakukan perlawanan demi hak asasi mereka. Akan tetapi, periode ketiga menunjukkan bagaimana para imigran ini mencoba untuk diterima di lingkungan baru tersebut melalui berbagai cara seperti terjun ke dalam politik dan mengadopsi nilai-nilai Amerika melalui proses akulturasi. Pemaparan sejarah nyata dari masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika ini direpresentasi oleh model-model dalamLos Vendidos.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
There is an obvious line that connects literature and history. History is a
record of human’s past experiences, but beyond that, history can also be the
written proof of what happened on certain time and place. The same idea also
exists in literature. Literature also talks about what happened in certain society on
certain period, for example what happened in the black community in the Great
Depression. This is because literature often examines certain social condition as
its background. It also portrays specific society within it, but not as a mere
description but it can also be a reaction within those society like what happened
on that society and how that society lived. Moreover, Sartre argued that:
As he is already on the outside, he considers words as a trap to catch a fleeing reality rather than as indicators which throw him out of himself into the midst of things. In short, all language is for him the mirror of the world. As a result, important changes take place in the internal economy of the word. Its sonority, its length, its masculine or feminine endings, its visual aspect, compose for him a face of flesh which represents rather than expressesmeanings (Sartre, 1988: 30).
It can be understood that, he [author] uses language to grab reality and presents it
to the reader. Not only that, through language, people are able to see the world
because language is the mirror of what happened in real world. Sartre even
examines that actually, because language mirrored the world, it changes according
to the world itself. Therefore, the contents, as Sartre mentioned like length,
sonority, and visual aspect, will also reflect the true world itself. Sartre even
added that the language itself serves as an image of our world (1988: 31). Thus, it
is obvious that Language and Literature constitute an image and a mirror of real
world. But, the next question emerged on how this is realized through direct
literary work. An obvious example is Paradise by Toni Morrison which moved
and evolved its plot within an all-black community who refused to socialize with
Whites because of segregation. Here, Paradise tried to grab the essence and the
issue on that period that there is a discrimination and segregation experienced by
African-American. Paradise is the mirror of black community in the period of
segregation and discrimination. Therefore, it is a conclusion that Literature
should also be regarded as a historical record of certain society, “a mirror of the
world”.
Starting from that point of view, the researcher tries to extract the history
of Mexican-American by using Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez, but with a
chronological sequences, or stages. So, the researcher will evaluate how the
literary work portrays the history and what happened in each period of
Mexican-American’s history. To begin with, Mexican-American is chosen as the subject of
this research because obviously, this Hispanic descendant is an interesting figure
to discuss, especially in terms of life experiences and position in the United
States’ history. From the history, it is understood that Mexican-American faced
many obstacles living in America. Similar to the African-American people who
migrated long before them, the Mexican-American also dealt with such hardship,
suffering, oppression, discrimination and prejudice. These Aztec and Maya
descendants were also treated unfairly by the Whites. Unfairness like low
to live as the low class and low labor community in the big continent, America.
However, just like the African-American, this community shared an unusual
relationship with America. It is obvious that Mexican-American took a serious
part in making America’s history and economy. Because of these facts, the
researcher decides to use Mexican-American as the subject of this research.
Moreover, it should be realized that Mexican and Mexican-American are
different in many ways. Although both of them shared the same original culture,
Mexican-Americans have the unique feature of acculturation because they have
adapted and lived in America. So, Mexican-American is a mixture of both
cultures, American and Mexican, and this is what makes them different from the
Mexican. Thus, it is interesting to explore more on their life.
Another thing that needs to be highlighted in this research is the stages of
Mexican-American’s life. The stages are the most appropriate tool in order to
describe the development or the change of Mexican-Americans’ life from the
moment they migrated until they had settled there. It becomes an interesting issue
because the researcher will be able to determine how they began their ‘journey’ in
America and how they ended up at the end. This is the reason why the issue of
Mexican-Americans’ life stage is chosen within the research.
In order to examine those stages of Mexican-Americans’ history, the
researcher choose the model characters in the play. The models refer to the
characters that pretend to be robot in the play such as the Farm Worker, the
Revolucionario and the Mexican-American. These models are very interesting to
them, certain perception and condition can also be seen. Their characteristics are
very rich and vivid to explain each historical stage. Therefore, the models are the
most appropriate characters in the play to be used.
Therefore, Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez is chosen. Los Vendidos
becomes the best choice of play script to be used because it is real, vivid and
thoroughly in describing and portraying the condition dealt by
Mexican-American. Los Vendidos does not stick within one period of their life, but it
covers the whole life, the beginning, the middle and the end. It is revealed by
presenting them through each model with distinctive description. In short, what is
analyzed in this research is Mexican-American orChicanoswith their history, life
struggle, sufferings and national identity that are introduced through stages or
sequential periods of Mexican-American’s life.
B. Problem Formulation
In order to answer the problems presented previously systematically, the
researcher formulates them as follows.
1. How are the models characterized?
2. How do the models’ characteristics represent the life stages of
Mexican-American?
C. Objectives of the Study
This part deals with the researcher’s objective of the research. There are
life of Mexican-American in America. It will be described in the analysis on how
these immigrants generally lived and how they struggled in certain kind of
condition in America. The second objective is to construct or to classify their life
into different stages. The research will classify the Mexican-Americans’ life into
three different stages that refers to different era of their life. In short, the second
objective will reveal what happened in their early migration and what happened
after they had stayed long in America.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Representation
In the Glossary of Literary Terms by Henderson and Brown,
representation is defined as “The idea that literature reflects a reality outside itself
and that its function is to imitate that external realm of society, history, nature,
action, and life”
(http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Representation.html). This concept
reveals that actually representation deals with a reality, that this reality such as
certain society, history, or life event is reflected within this representative thing. It
can be concluded that this reality should always present because representation is
intended as an imitation of something outside the literature. In short,
representation will eventually relate itself with the image of reality outside the
literature. Therefore, a literary work which tries to represent something will
On the other hand, according to Vukcevich, representation is well
defined as “medium or channel through which meaning production happens”
(http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/representation.htm). Moreover, this
medium stands between the real and the spectators. This medium is the thing that
bridges the reality to the human who perceive them and people can understand or
see the reality through this medium that is representation. Thus, it is obvious that
representation works as a medium for the reader to approach reality or
representation applies as the manifestation of reality.
In short, it can be stated that the concept of representation actually lies on
the idea that a certain thing might contain some meanings that construct certain
image, perception, description in reality. So, actually representation is how
something constructs a certain perception of reality. The key word is reality
because representation has to have connection with reality and the presentation of
this reality is perceived through another thing.
2. Mexican-American
The word of Mexican-American refers to the people of Mexican race
who have been acculturating with or in America, resulting with a mixture of
Mexican and American identity. Mexican-American often is referred asChicanos
in general speaking, but it becomesChicanato refer a Mexican-American woman
and Chicano for the Mexican-American man
(http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Chicano/). However, Cortes
argued that the terms used to refer to Mexican descents varies into regional terms
Colorado; Tejano, Latino, and Latin American in Texas; Mexican in Arizona.
Besides that, broader terms often used Hispanics, Hispanic Americans, and
Mexicanos to refer this community. Cortes also added that the most common
terms is Chicano, which refers to a multiracial group with Spanish and Indian
roots (1980: 697).
However, the term Chicano covers beyond literal definition because it
also explains the social definition. According to Aguirre, Chicano is defined as a
Mexican-American with a non-Anglo definition of self, which ties in with the
process of self-definition other racial minorities are also experiencing (1973:122).
3. Models
Models here are the term used by Valdez that refers to robots sold in a
store called Used Mexican Lot. The models here refer to all Mexican robots with
different characteristics, like The Farm Worker, Johnny, Revolucionario and The
American. Each of them stands for different stereotype of
Mexican-American people.
In general, models are often defined as the physical figure or example
that stands for certain meaning, but in literature terminology, models shares the
same understanding like icon or iconology. Icon is defined as “a sign which refers
to the object that it denotes merely by virtue of characters of its own, and which it
possesses (...)anything whatever, be it quality, existent individual, or law, is an
icon of anything, in so far as it is like that thing and used as a sign of it”
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Los Vendidos is Luis Valdez’s reaction toward what happened in his
society, theChicanos. As what its intention, that is to highlight the prejudice and
unfairness experienced by Mexican-American in satirical way, Valdez tries to
grab the real account into these characters, especially Farm Worker, that is what
they experienced in real life were put inside the characters. As Valdez said, “The
actos rang true to the reality of the Huelga”
(http://www.chicano.ucla.edu/center/events/satirepgs31-51.html). Therefore, it is
obvious that Los Vendidos has been admitted as one of the influential literary
work that supported Chicano Movement. As a means of a movement for equal
right against prejudice, it is not a surprise that the play itself contains many
images of prejudice, discrimination and even stereotypes about
Mexican-American. The play itself is very deep in portraying the unfairness and the
harshness like how hard the job could be, how these people lived in a very rough
surroundings. Thus, it is obvious that this point becomes the main issue of many
researches, as what is implied in the following quotation.
InLos Vendidos, one of many stereotypes concerning Chicanos occurs when Honest Sancho (the salesman) is trying to sell one of the Mexican models to a customer. He uses satire, to convey humor, in describing the economic features of the farm worker model. The interaction between the salesman and the customer consisted of the following statement, in regards to the farm worker, "One plate of beans and tortillas will keep him going all day" (Vendidos 866). The stereotype refers to the traditional foods of Chicanos and their traditional work ethic (http://www.helium.com/items/229121-critique-luis-valdezs-los-vendidos-susan-glaspells-trifles-comparison).
From the quotation above, it is understood that the most prominent issue
in Los Vendidos is the stereotypes of Mexican-Americans. Mexican-Americans
were often regarded as the low class people in America because they were very
poor and uneducated. Not only that, because most of them worked as cheap labors
in plantation and mines, Mexican-Americans often got unfair treatment from the
Whites. For example, they were placed to work in a very hard occupation, such as
mining and farming, but in return, they received a very low payment. Moreover,
these immigrant workers also did not get a good life facility. They had to face
water shortage, inappropriate housing, and the heat in the plantation. Because of
those things, they were stereotyped as the cheap hard worker labor that can be
‘used’ for any job by the Whites.
However, those are not the only issues in Mexican-Americans
community as what can be considered from following quotation.
Written by Luis Valdez, "Los Vendidos" attempted to highlight Latino stereotypes and their effects on society and on those stereotyped. The Mexican characters in the play symbolized each label cast against the race, allowing readers to fully analyze and comprehend the prejudices they may very well hold against the race. By showcasing how Mexicans were treated by society through the Secretary's rejection of each representative, people might realize their own prejudices and understand how Latinos feel (http://hubpages.com/hub/Los-Vendidos-Using-stereotypes-to-end-racism).
It can be understood clearly that besides the treatment and the prejudice they
received and the hardship they had to cope, social labeling was also a problem for
them. Society labeled them as a different class of people with a segregated life
from the common people of America. This is very obvious inLos Vendidoswhere
Mexican-American. Both have different labels like Mexican-American is labeled
as the educated and civilized version or Farm Worker. While, Farm Worker is
labeled generally as the model with outstanding power to work in any field and
condition with less cost.
These points are what often highlighted in many researches that
Mexican-American had to face a great deal of suffering as an immigrant worker.
From Los Vendidos, most research evaluated the general life condition and
stereotypes of Mexican America that are full of discrimination, prejudice, and
extreme hard work. However, fortunately, there is another point that can be
regarded as crucial in Los Vendidos as what is suggested in the following
quotation.
InLos Vendidos, the play's setting is located in the East side of Los Angeles, California (Vendidos 864). The East Los Angeles setting fits historically, as many Chicanos inhabited that area in the late 20th Century. Also, in both plays the social injustices fit historically in their respective eras as women were oppressed in the early 20th Century and Chicanos were oppressed in the late 20th Century (http://www.helium.com/items/229121-critique-luis-valdezs-los-vendidos-susan-glaspells-trifles-comparison).
History is the aspect that cannot be excluded from Los Vendidos, that
this Hispanic literary work contains valuable and precise historical events of
Mexican-American life. Thus, this history value is evaluated in this research.
Apart from the prejudice and stereotype, this research will describe the
Mexican-Americans’ life history, how they migrated for the first time until they were
accepted in America as part of the society. Unlike any other researches, this
research tries to capture the whole life of the Mexican-American. After all, this is
acto is thus a social reality” (Valdez, 1994: 1413). Valdez stated that Chicanosis
the idea about unity and group identity, and therefore “the usefulness of the acto
extended well beyond the huelga into the Chicano movement, because Chicanos
in general want to identify themselves as a group” (Valdez, 1994: 1413). Thus, it
can be understood that there is a sense of group identity and this play tries to
capture, not only movement or stereotypes but also the group’s life, identity and
culture as whole. A more sufficient explanation comes from Valdez in the
following quotation.
One character can thus represent the entire Raza, and the Chicano audience will gladly respond to his triumphs or defeats. What to a non-Chicano audience may seem like oversimplification in an acto, is to the Chicano a true expression of his social state and therefore reality (Valdez, 1994: 1413).
This quotation gives the researcher the true reason of using Los Vendidos to
represents the history of Chicanos. This is because one character does not speak
for a certain specific type of people but as a whole race identity, as what can be
seen in Los Vendidos. Moreover the acto itself is the true reality of the group
social states.
In short, the research will describe the early life of this
Mexican-American community, the struggles in the form of riots and movements to gain
equality and at the end, the acculturation. These are the focus of the research that
is the whole stages of their life as a complete history as seen from characters in
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character, Characteristic and Characterization
In a very simple definition, Character is “A brief descriptive sketch of a
personage who typifies some definite quality” (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81).
Giving a broader idea, Holman and Harmon, in their book A Handbook to
Literature, added that a character includes the idea of the moral constitution of
human personality, the presence of moral uprightness, and the simpler notion of
the presence of creature in art that seem to be human beings of one sort or another
(1986: 81). Thus, the researcher may conclude that a character is the figure in a
literary work that possesses certain virtue, value, personalities and trait. It can be
inferred also that this character employs certain description or image that can be in
the form of physical or psychological description. These physical and
psychological descriptions are what Holman and Harmon referred as “convincing
personality traits” or characteristic of a character (1986: 82).
However, in presenting these characteristics, there are three fundamental
methods of characterization in fiction: (1) the explicit presentation by the author
of the character through direct exposition, either in an introductory block or more
often piecemeal throughout the work, illustrated by action; (2) the presentation of
the character in action; (3) the representation from within a character, without
comment on the character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on
the character’s inner self (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81). Thus, it can be
understood that the characteristics of a character can be extracted from the direct
dilemma and from his or her inner thought like his or her emotions. It is possible
also to evaluate these characteristics through conversation or other character’s
opinion on other. It is also mentioned that the reaction and the emotion of a
character can also be a valuable clue of characteristics. This is particularly
interesting because it is possible that through a reaction and direct emotion, one
shows his or her honest and true characteristics, that this representation shows the
real thing of what a person felt and think. Not only that, the direct exposition from
other characters can also show more that it is said, like the relationship of each
character and their closeness from one to another.
2. Theory of Acculturation
In his book Sociology, Schaefer explained that acculturation is “the
process by which an individual forsake his or her own cultural tradition to become
part of a different culture” (1986: 232). He also said that the phenomena of
acculturation often happen in the minor culture that tries to be accepted by the
major culture. So, it can be understood that acculturation is the result of
interaction from two or more cultures in unequal condition. This definition, at the
same time, explained the situation dealt by the Mexican-American immigrants
where they had to adapt and mingle with new surroundings. In this case, the
immigrants had to adapt themselves with the new culture that is American
cultures. To conclude, acculturation is the result of the Mexican-Americans’ effort
to be accepted and to be acknowledged.
Not only that, Acculturation is noted as part of cultural diffusion as was
In each of these types of diffusion, the result is some degree of acculturation, or change in one culture as a result of contact with another culture. At one extreme, a culture may become so thoroughly acculturated that it is assimilated no longer distinguishable as having a separate identity (2006: 610).
One interesting point is that there is a contact between the cultures that
make them acculturate. It is also stated that in an extreme level, one culture might
lose its own identity, which is referred as assimilation. It can be understood that
there is a significant difference between acculturation and assimilation. While
assimilation might result in the absence of one culture because it was ‘replaced’,
acculturation might show the existence of both cultures because of their mixture.
So, in acculturation, each feature in one culture that is still exist and it might be
co-exist with the other culture. That is why, to understand the phenomena in
Mexican-American’s life, the concept of acculturation are the most appropriate
one. This is because in Mexican-American’s culture, in many cases, the traditional
concepts are still used, such as kinship value together with their new American
way of life or ideology. On the other hand, another expert on culture and race
relation named Kitano argued that “Acculturation is only one of many kinds of
assimilation” (1985: 17). He argued that actually acculturation is part of
assimilation, and therefore both are similar in a way. This is because basically in
both concepts, cultures are compromising each other and which one is neglected,
mixed or transferred is another case depending on the existing society and
condition.
However, beyond the concept of culture mix and culture transfer from
process is recognized, that is how, from sociology point of view, acculturation
exists in certain society, and the parameter of people who have acculturated. The
answer to this can be extracted from Hazuda’s research on health service and
epidemiological of Mexican-American. Hazuda analyzed that Acculturation
should be recognized as a multi-dimensional process which covers language,
culture beliefs and values, and structural assimilation, that is the integration of
members of the minority group into the social structure of the majority group
(http://www.rice.edu/project/HispanicHealth/Acculturation.html).
Emphasizing the same idea, Gordon (1964) also argued that assimilation or
acculturation process can be identified from three stages. The first stage is cultural
assimilation, which allows the newcomers to function within the host society by
taking on many of its life ways without necessarily relinquishing their definitions
of themselves as a distinct ethnic group. The mastery of the host society’s
language is one of cultural assimilation where the newcomers are trying to blend
themselves with the life ways by learning the language. Not only language, the
way these people take the life way of the host society can also cover to the extent
of believing the ideology and vision of the host society. This is because to
function in the new society, one needs to understand the new society, by language,
ideology and thought. The next stage (if it occurs at all) is structural assimilation,
whereby newcomers seek entrance into cliques, clubs, and institutions of the
larger society through personal contact with dominant group members. In this
type of assimilation, Gordon stated that the form of assimilation can cover to
majority group, like certain job fields and institutions. The idea of this
assimilation is that there will be a contact between these two societies. Eventually,
it may lead to marital assimilation, whereby some members of the subculture
intermarry with members of the larger society. Gordon believes that, at this point,
the subculture has become essentially a history entity with little influence on a
person’s life. Basically, it is understood that the process of acculturation covers
the process of how this minority group attaches itself with the majority or the
mainstream. This process of attachment can be seen from language, ideology,
occupation, or even marriage so that they [Mexicans] are accepted by the society
and they have the sense as American also.
Moreover, Kitano also introduced the process of acculturation as “Anglo
Conformity” (1985: 2). The basic idea is how one society tries to become white,
or Americanized close to English ideal in manners, customs, and physical
appearance. This concept of Anglo Conformity, or to be like whites can also exist
in the form of adaptation, how this ethnic society tries to adapt with the new
society so that there will be acceptance. This is also the process of acculturation.
Kitano argued that there are many forms of acceptance in acculturation such as
ritualistic behavior, superpatriotism, and the internalization of stress (Kitano,
1985: 70). This theory is particularly interesting because it introduces wider
concept of acculturation. Kitano argued that when a society starts to go with
whatever the mainstream believes in the hope of acceptance like voting, this is
also acculturation in the form of ritualistic behavior. The patriotic attitude is also
the same vision. The sense of belonging in patriotism is very strong that these
Mexican-Americans feel that they share the same thing with American. This
process of attachment exists in Kitano’s concept of acculturation. In this part also,
the process to be like whites exists when a certain society wants to be similar or
looks like the host society. Thus, the process of acculturation has emerged.
To conclude, the process of acculturation is not only limited to a culture
change, but the parameters of a culture adaptation can also be seen from language
usage, ideology, and social structure within that society. Moreover, Acculturation,
according to Hazuda, may cover on how significant the use of English in
Mexican-American, the involvement of Mexican-American in social structure and
how far the adoption of American culture to Mexican culture.
3. Theory of Racial Interaction
When two cultures or more met in certain circumstances, it is most likely
that they will react to each other as a response. The case is particularly interesting
in America where many races and cultures live side by side. Banton and Kitano
refer this phenomenon as “Racial Interaction” and the circumstance varies in
equal or unequal power between the two races (1985: 11). It is obvious in the
relation between Mexican immigrants in the weak position and Americans in the
superior position. Discrimination and prejudice from Americans are commonly
experienced by Mexican immigrants as the way of superior figure to maintain its
power in race relation. Thus, it is obvious that discrimination and prejudice are
likely to happen to minority just like what happened in Mexican-American
Moreover, Kitano added that this minority group will also react toward
the situation and they will need to adapt. Kitano argued that this adaptation can be
in the form of conflict, acceptance, or even avoidance (1985: 65). The adaptation
in the form of acceptance is what Kitano referred as acculturation, or assimilation
process as what had been explained in the previous subchapter. This minority
group’s reaction exists in the effort to be accepted by the society although they
live in the dominated status. However, this is not only the case in minority
adaptation because the reaction can also in the form of rejection that ends in
conflict between the two races. Kitano argued that this conflict can be in the form
of aggression, race riots, strikes and boycotts (1985: 72). Race riots are responses
intended not to overthrow the existing politic order but only as spontaneous mass
disorder. However, strikes and boycotts have different intentions. This is because
they are associated with economic conflict and labor disputes (1985: 75). Thus, it
is obvious that conflicts are common reactions of the minority group toward
discrimination and prejudice they had experienced and mostly minority groups
reject the unfair situation in the form of strikes, boycotts or riots. This is also what
happened in the Mexican immigrant workers’ history that they tried to gain their
right in America by making direct conflict and aggression toward the unfair
treatment. These Mexican workers had done strikes and boycotts in their field to
gain equal right. Take a look at the following quotations.
In the 1920s farmers had boasted that Mexican-Americans were a cheap and docile labor supply. But in the 1930s Mexican-Americans belied their image by engaging in prolonged and sometimes bloody strikes...The next year labor violence was frequent in the imperial valley, where police crushed a strikes by burning the pickers’ camp to the ground. In this dispute and others, Mexican-Americans showed their determination to organize, gain strength from unity, and fight for their rights (Norton et al, 1982: 743).
By 1964 a movement arose and the union United Farm Workers Association (UFWA) was formed with 1,000 members. The farm workers wanted better wages and better working and living conditions. In August 1965, an independent walkout of Mexican and Filipino grape workers in Delano, California caught the leader and organizer of the UFW, Cesar Chavez's attention. An even larger strike led by the Filipinos against all the grape companies in the Delano area was supported by UFWA (http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/systems/agentsheets/New-Vista/grape-boycott).
It is obvious that strikes and boycotts had become Mexican workers’ way to fight
back the unfair condition, discrimination and prejudice. These people had done
strikes everywhere, but mostly in the field or plantation where they worked and
disputes between Mexican workers and Americans authorities became real
reaction toward the conditions. These clashes had been a real proof of race
relation itself between Mexican and American.
C. Review on Mexican-American History
There have been many sources that talk about Mexicans, their culture and
life history. However, there are not many of them which talk about
Mexican-American, as integrated part of Mexican history. Mexico, only separated with
small border is part of America based on geographical, historical and cultural.
From the quotation, it is understood that the first contact of both culture
happened during the war with the United States. Ever since, the racial prejudice
emerged toward the Mexicans. However, the terms of Mexican-Americanhas not
been widely used at that time because there were not many contacts among them.
The situation was completely different in the migration era, forty years after
Mexican War when there is an immense Mexican migration coming to United
States. This is the time when the term of Mexican-American is widely used.
This immense Mexican immigration, which had risen to 90.000 legal arrivals a year by 1925, created large pools in America of unorganized, cheap labor and sizable barrios (Mexican-American residential areas (Kelley, 1986: 553).
However, the termChicanois not yet to be used before the spreading demand for
equality among the Mexican-American. These immigrants refused to be addressed
as Mexican-American as the reaction of two major things that are the failure of
Political Association and the assimilation of Mexican-American. It can be seen in
the following quotation.
Younger Mexican-Americans quickly grew impatient with MAPA, however. The barrios of Los Angeles and other western cities produced the militant Brown berets, modeled on the Black Panthers (who wore black berets). Rejecting the assimilationist approach of their elder, 1,500 Mexican-American students met in Denver in 1969 to hammer out a new nationalist political and cultural agenda. They proclaimed a new term, Chicano, to replace Mexican-American, and later organized a new political party, La Raza Unida (“The United Race”), to promote Chicano interests and candidates (Henretta et al, 1999: 826).
As what has been mentioned before about the migration period, this
period is the moment where high wave of Mexican people came to America as
immigrant workers or labors. Thus, in order to understand these people, it is
three factors that triggered the massive wave of Mexican immigrant. These factors
can be seen in the following quotation.
A combination of factors contributed to sequential pronounced rises in Mexican migration to the United States during the first three decades of the twentieth century. The Reclamation Act of 1902, which expanded acreage for farming through new irrigation projects, spurred the need for more agricultural laborers. The Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the aftermath of political instability and social violence caused many to flee northward across the border for their safety, and the growth of the U.S. economy in the 1920s attracted additional numbers of immigrants. Though the wages received by most Mexican migrants in these decades were quite low, they were considerably higher than the salaries paid for comparable work in Mexico. Most importantly, the number of jobs for foreign laborers seemed unlimited, especially during World War I and on into the early 1920s (http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Mexican-Americans.html).
It is clear that there were two main factors that contributed to this new wave of
immigrant that is internal factors, which involve in the instability of economic and
political situation in Mexico, and external factor which is the rapid growth of
technology, agricultural and economic area in America that demanded new
worker. Those Mexican immigrants, as a result of desperate condition in their
original land, sought for a new hope and a better living in the New World. They
believed that job opportunities was unlimited and they might get a better situation,
which means better salary and better facilities than when they stayed in Mexico.
Kitano even argued that “In the United States even low-level jobs are often better
paying than high-level jobs in Mexico” (1985: 165). This is exactly the reason
why those immigrants came to the New World, to have a better payment thus
having a better living condition. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what happened
when these immigrants mingled with new culture and new society, the Whites or
These immigrants lived among Americans and become the low labor and
low class society of America. They had undergone so much in this new life, like
oppression, prejudice, harsh life, cheap payment and inappropriate life condition
due to the treatment of Whites. Kitano in Race Relations even argued that these
inequalities in the United States can exist in many form and there are social
indicators to recognize these inequalities like education, occupation, income and
household facilities (1985: 36). Thus, it is clear that the inequalities experienced
by Mexican workers cover from job opportunities, income, and facilities to social
class they had in America. It can be seen from the following quotations.
In return they received bare subsistence wages, housing like given slaves a hundred years before, no education, prejudicial treatment in social relations, and the status of America’s most pitifully exploited workers- the migrant farm labor (Kelley, 1986: 553).
Totally unable to appeal to the authorities for aids against their employers, since they were illegally in the United States, they were paid the lowest wages of any manual laborers, lived in the worst housing, and were preyed on by everyone (Kelley, 1986: 719).
Here, it can be seen clearly the form of those discriminations and inequalities. In
terms of job opportunity, Mexican workers were excluded and exploited with the
lowest payment ever. They were not given either better job or better payment.
Moreover, it can be concluded also that these discriminations also had led them to
the worst housing facilities along with social pressure. They had to bear
oppression and segregation. These were what these Mexican workers had to deal
as the result of discrimination.
However, these experiences were what brought them to be
learned about American culture, identity and mindset. Thus, it is clear that
Mexican-Americans is the community, which shared the culture of both Mexican
and American because they have lived among the Whites and shared the culture
and identity due to the immigration. As being stated by Kelley inThe Shaping of
The American past, “Therefore, the Mexican barrio became much more than just
a community of labors. It became a fragment of Mexico itself, or perhaps more
accurately, a kind of half-way house suspended between Mexican and American
culture” (1986: 553).
D. Theoretical Framework
The part of theoretical framework is meant to explain the contribution of
the theories and the approach in answering the problems presented earlier. In the
previous subchapter, the researcher has put the theory of character, characteristic
and characterization, and also the theory of acculturation. It is hoped that these
theories will support in answering the problems and help the readers to
comprehend the issues that are represented uniquely in Los Vendidos by Luis
Valdez. Here,Los Vendidosis used as the first source of Mexican-Americans’ life
stages representation.
The theories of character, characteristics and characterization are put to
explain the significance of the models as the characters involved in the play. Thus,
the theory of characteristic are needed to identify the models’ true self like
physical appearance, mental and life condition of each model. Using these
each figure vividly by analyzing the description of the models, both from a direct
description and from what other characters think about the models. Moreover,
through these theories, the researcher is able to generate the real image of each
character regardless the little direct description of each character.
The second theory used in this research is the theory of acculturation.
The researcher particularly believes that the significance of this theory comes in
the effort of analyzing and identifying acculturation itself as a process. This
covers to the necessity of this research to understand the process of culture
acculturation and how one culture can be compromised in contact with superior
one. This theory helps the researcher to comprehend the idea of human and
culture interaction as the root of acculturation. Not only analyzing acculturation,
this theory is crucial on determining and recognizing whether acculturation has
been experienced by certain society. These become an integral part of the research
itself because at the end, this research tries to evaluate the result of
Mexican-American contact with other culture as part of their history. This means this
theory of acculturation is significant to answer the question: Suppose if
acculturation does exist, what factors the researcher can use to measure and
recognize the process.
The third theory which is important in the research itself is the theory of
race relation. This theory is particularly important in explaining how each race
and culture will react to each other when they meet. This theory is also significant
to explain and to understand the phenomena of race and culture diversity and
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Los Vendidos, a play written by Luis Valdez in 1994, is published by
Arte Publico Press in 1990. The play script was published and compiled in a book
entitled Luis Valdez, early works: Actos, Bernabe, and Pensamiento serpentino.
Los Vendidos is often regarded as one of the influential contemporary Chicano
theatrical movement from Luis Valdez. As the father of Chicano theatre, Luis
Valdez founded the El Teatro Campesino, a theater of farm workers in California
that produced many works related to Hispanic issues and one of them is Los
Vendidos.
The central issues in Los Vendidos are the inequality that Hispanic
people often received, the prejudice from other majority culture towards this
minor community and the stereotypes in Hispanic culture, especially in
Mexican-American community. Los Vendidos also depicted how Mexican-American often
treated unlike human with heavy work, yet without any proper payment and life
facilities. In short, Los Vendidos depicted what kind of life that
Mexican-American had undergone.
B. Approach of the Study
The approach used to support the research is Socio-Cultural Historical
criticism. This type of criticism deals with the social, cultural and historical
background of a certain literature. According to Durisin in Theory of Literary
Comparatistics, “Those phenomena which reflect the individual forms of social
consciousness and which find a specific application in literature” is the focus of
Socio Cultural Historical Criticism (1984:197).
It is very clear that this criticism tries to evoke the essence of particular
culture, history or general environment within the literary work. It will make the
relation and the representation of certain literary work with its social condition,
cultures and the history of certain community.
Moreover, to make it even clearer and obvious, it is stated “Culture is the
product of the old leisure classes who seek now to defend it against new and
destructive forces” (Easthope and McGowan, 1993: 224). By this quotation, it is
implied that to analyze one culture is to analyze human activity and society
product and experiences, which, often clashed with other cultures as well. So,
when the issue is related it to the Socio Cultural and Historical criticism, this
criticism does not only identify the social condition and the history at that time,
but it also focused on the human (it can be activities, thought, belief, experience)
and their relation to society (it can be in form of inferiority as well as superiority)
and its history throughout the world.
Moreover, in Reading and Writing about Literature, it is stated “critics
whose major interest is the socio-cultural historical approach insists that the only
way to locate the real work is in references to the civilization that produced it”
(Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 9). Thus, this means that this criticism will
eventually tried to relate and to represent what is presented in the literary work to
From those points, the researcher believes that the socio-culture historical
approach is suitable for this research because, at the end, the objective of this
research is to evaluate the life of Mexican-American as whole community and
group, its social and cultural aspect from the history point of view just like the
approach itself. This means that this research will talk about or examine much
about their culture, their history and their social condition from time to time and
these features can be analyzed from Luis Valdez’s Los Vendidos. In short, what
the researcher’s intention is to analyzed the life history of Mexican-American, but
within this history, the social condition and cultural identity from certain period of
Mexican-American’s life will also be revealed as well. Therefore, this approach is
very crucial and appropriate to be used in the research.
C. Method of the Study
The research is conducted through books and library research. Data were
gathered from glossaries, books, articles, essays and encyclopedias. As the
primary sources, the researcher uses the play script by Luis Valdez,Los Vendidos.
The primary sources also cover the concept of human anthropology likeSociology
by Richard Schaefer and Anthropology by Barbara D. Miller and Bernard Wood
to explain the acculturation process of Mexican-Americans. These books are
particularly helpful to the studies because it helps the researcher understand
thoroughly about the process of human interaction. The sources on
analysis. Whereas, the secondary sources cover the literary theories used in the
research such asA Handbook to Literatureby Holman and Harmon.
The first step in conducting the research is to read and analyze Los
Vendidos. It is done by examining thoroughly the issues being revealed in the
play. Then, the researcher begins to look for the essential stages of
Mexican-American’s life in general taken from the models in the play. The last step would
be presenting those stages by making a representation from the real history and
life of Mexican-American people. Thus, at the end, the researcher will fulfill the
objective that is to represent the life stages of Mexican-American as seen in Los
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This part of analysis will be divided into two main sections that are the
characteristics of the models, and then the representation of the stages from those
characteristics as the second part analysis. In the first part, the researcher will
reveal the specific descriptions of the three models that made them different from
one to another. For example how the Farm Worker is the low and poor class while
the Mexican-American is categorized as middle class, or how one model is
described as uneducated while others is highly educated and bilingual or even
how one character is depicted as pure Mexican while the other is no longer like
that.
Moreover, in the analysis part, the sense of Mexican-American’s life
stages or steps is already revealed. For example the description of the models’
English mastery. It begins with Farm Worker which does not understand English
at all to Mexican-American which can speak English properly. Not only that, the
sense of these stages also realized with the food choice. For example, the Farm
Worker which only consume Mexican food, the Revolucionario which consume
more Mexican food and less American food, and Mexican-American which
preferred American food. Thus, the reader can really feel the stages or the
developments from one character to another. Kitano also stated in his book about
this familiar immigrant story that “first generation parents with strong ties to
Mexico and with minimal acculturation, followed by subsequent generations of
Americanized youth” (1985: 164). Thus, it is obvious that there is a sense of what
the researcher referred as development from a pure Mexican to a more
Americanized type which Kitano called as generation. These people came from
different generation, therefore they had different descriptions.
A. Characteristic of the Models
1. The Farm Worker
Farm Worker was the first model to be introduced in the play. Farm
Worker is described as the model which is able to work really hard and it is also
durable, which means Farm Worker can be used for excessive duty. It is stated
clearly in the following dialogue between Secretary Jimenez and Sancho, the store
owner.
SECRETARY. One more thing. He must be hard working
SANCHO. That could only be one model. Step right over here to the center of the shop, lady. (They cross to the Farm Worker.) This is our standard farm worker model. As you can see, in the words of our beloved Senator George Murphy, he is “built close to ground”. (Valdez, 1994: 1404)
Farm Worker is not only described as a hard working model, but it is also
said to be durable. Luis Valdez chose the word “durable” in order to highlight the
fact that this model is able to work really long in any condition and any weather as
what is implied in the following line.
SANCHO. (…)Also take special notice of his four-ply Goodyear huaraches, made from the rain tire. This wide-brimmed sombrero is an extra added feature-keeps off the sun, rain, and dust.
SECRETARY. Yes, it does look durable. (Valdez, 1994: 1404)
As what stated in the line, Farm Worker also includes additional features which
Mexican hat, sombrero. The durability of this model covers the whole seasons,
from hot to rainy season. Thus, it can be concluded that Farm Worker will be able
to work the whole year because of these features. Not only that, Farm Worker is
also described to be useful and used to work in agricultural area. Besides it has
been obviously implied in the name itself, it is also mentioned in the following
dialogue.
FARM WORKER. El jale! (He begins to work.) SANCHO. As you can see, he is cutting grapes. SECRETARY. Oh, I wouldn’t know.
SANCHO. He also picks cotton. (Snap. Farm Worker begins to pick cotton.)
SECRETARY. Versatile isn’t he?
SANCHO. He also picks melons. (Snap. Farm Worker picks melons.) That’s his slow speed for late in the season. Here’s his fast speed. (Snap. Farm Worker picks faster).
(Valdez, 1994: 1405)
As what mentioned in the line, Farm Worker is referred as a versatile
models. Valdez chose the word “versatile” on Farm Worker to highlight that this
model is able to work in any field, especially Agricultural. It is also mentioned
that Farm Worker can pick any crops from fruits, like melon and grape, to other
crop like cotton. This model is described particularly by Valdez as having no
difficulties of harvesting those fruit. With just a snap of finger, Farm Worker will
be able to do it. Moreover, this model also has a speed mode that allows it to
change how fast it can work during certain season.
Aside from this model’s capabilities, another interesting thing from Farm
Worker also comes from its economical features. This model is described as the
cheapest model that will not cost much, regardless the job and the other abilities.
SECRETARY. Wonderful. But is he economical?
SANCHO. Economical? Senorita, you are looking at the Volkswagen of Mexicans. Pennies a day is all it takes. One plate of beans and tortillas will keep him going all day. That, and chile. Plenty of chile. Chile jalapenos, chile verde, chile colorado. But, of course, if you do give him chile (Snap. Farm Worker turns left face. Snap. Farm Worker bends over.) Then you have to change his oil filer once a week.
(Valdez, 1994: 1405)
This economical feature of the model refers to the fact that Farm Worker is very
cheap to run and it only consumes little and simple food. Luis Valdez even added
the feature with satire that Farm Worker is worth pennies a day and it only needed
one plate of beans and tortillas and a lot of chile. Thus, it can be understood that to
run this model, the owner do not need to spend a lot of money for its ‘food’ and
cost. This is because Farm Worker can consume very cheap and perhaps even a
non-nutritious diet because it only consists of a plate oftortillas, bean with a lot of
chile. This is why Farm Worker is very economical.
Moreover, Farm Worker is also mentioned to be very ‘portable’ and need
less care or even need no care at all. The model is described to be easily stored
away after work in any place without any problem. The word portable here
referred to the fact that Farm Worker does not even need a place to be stored.
Those characteristics can be seen directly in the following dialogue.
SECRETARY. What about storage?
SANCHO. No Problem. You know these new farm labor camps our Honorable Governor Reagan has built out by Parlier or Raisin city? They were designed with our model in mind. Five, six, seven, even ten in one of those shacks will give you no trouble at all. You can also put him in old barns, old cars, river banks. You can even leave him out in the field overnight with no worry!
It is stated clearly that Farm Worker has no problem in storage because it can be
put in any spare place like old barns, old cars and river banks. It does not require
comfortable and special place. It even does not need any place because it can be
left out in the field. Valdez also adds that this model had inspired the making of
new farm labor camps where this camp can hold even ten people inside without
any problem. Farm Worker is compatible with this camp and it can also be treated
like that as well. So, this model is definitely very portable and compact in terms of
storage.
The last characteristic of Farm Worker comes as an additional feature
that this model will go home automatically to Mexico once every year and come
back in the next year. This is revealed when Sancho, the seller, said “And here’s
an added feature: Every year at the end of the season, this model goes back to
Mexico and doesn’t return, automatically, until next Spring” (1994: 1405).
To conclude, Farm Worker can be categorized as the perfect labor model.
This is because this model is made especially for an excessive work of harvesting
any agricultural fields yet it only needs little cost and ‘fuels’ regardless the heavy
and hard work they are capable to do. Not only that, what makes this model very
outstanding in terms of labor work is in the fact that this model does not need any
place to be stored, and it can be even stored with other thing in one place. Valdez
used the term “built close to the ground” in order to highlight the fact that this
model is naturally ‘made’ for this kind of job, that Farm Worker is, by nature,
perfect for the job in agriculture. Not only that, Farm Worker also described as a
SANCHO. (Pulls the Farm Worker to his feet). And that isn’t the half of it. Do you see these little holes on his arms that appears to be pores? During those hot sluggish days in the field, when the vines or the branches get so entangled, it’s almost impossible to move; these holes emit a certain grease that allow our model to slip and slide right through the crop with no trouble at all.
(Valdez, 1994: 1405)
From Sancho’s description on Farm Worker, it is understood that this
model has a special intact feature that is a pore-liked holes that produces grease.
This liquid allows Farm Worker to work efficiently on hot temperature. Not only
have that, the grease also enabled it to move smoothly between the crops. The
researcher can say that this model has certain mechanism that allows it to work
naturally in such condition. Thus, It is obvious that Farm Worker is built and
made especially for agricultural labor.
2. The Revolucionario
The second type of Sancho’s model is called the Revolucionario. As
what the name implies, this model resembles the characteristic of a true
revolutionary. It is stated in the line:
SACHO. Ah, a lover. (He smiles meaningfully.) Step right over here, senorita. Introducing our standard Revolucionario and/or Early California Bandit type. As you can see he is well-built, sturdy, durable. This is the International Harvester of Mexicans.
SECRETARY. What does he do?
SANCHO. You name it, he does it. he rides horses, stays in the mountains, crosses deserts, plains, rivers, leads revolutions, follows revolutions, kills, can be killed, serves as a martyr, hero, movie star-did I say movie star? Did you ever see Viva Zapata? Viva Villa? Villa Rides? Pancho Villa Returns? Pancho Villa Goes Back? Pancho Villa Meets Abbott and
Costello-(Valdez, 1994: 1407)
Revolucionario is portrayed as a strong and rough model which
