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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 of Sarjana 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 YOGYAKARTA 2011 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 of Sarjana 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 YOGYAKARTA 2011
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A Sarjana 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. Co-Advisor July 14, 2011.
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A Sarjana 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
Dr. I. Praptomo Baryadi, M.Hum.
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Anyone who thinks the sky is the limit, has limited imagination (Anonymous)
What is the use of book’, thought Alice, ‘without pictures and conversations (“Alice in Wonderland”, Lewis Caroll)
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This Undergraduate Thesis is dedicated to :
Manis Ramchand
Irene Theresia
Rian Egi Andrianto
Fiola Felinsia Putri
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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
Adi Prasatya Christianto
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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.
Adi Prasatya Christianto
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE...... i APPROVAL PAGE...... ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE...... iii MOTTO PAGE...... iv DEDICATION PAGE...... v STATEMENT PAGE...... vi ACKNOWLEDMENTS...... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS...... viii ABSTRACT...... x ABSTRAK...... xi
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION...... 1 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 3. The Mexican-American...... 36
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a. The Mix Feature...... 36 b. The Ability to Adjust with American Life...... 40
B. The Representation of Mexican-Americans’ Life Stages from the 42 Characteristics of the Models...... 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
APPENDIX ...... 81
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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. Therefore, through this research, it is obvious that there are three stages of life experienced by Mexican-American which are immigration, revolution and acculturation. Moreover, it is also obvious how Mexican-American is an important part of America in terms of history, economy and culture.
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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 dalam Los Vendidos. Oleh karena itu, melalui penelitian ini, sangatlah jelas bahwa ada tiga tahapan hidup yang dialami masyarakat Meksiko-Amerika yaitu migrasi, revolusi dan akulturasi. Lebih lanjut lagi, menjadi jelas pula bahwa masyarakat Meksiko- Amerika adalah bagian yang penting dari Amerika dalam hal sejarah, ekonomi dan budaya.
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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 expresses meanings (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
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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 payment, poor life condition, physical abuse and even social isolation forced them 3 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 be evaluated because they do not only describe certain characteristics but within 4 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 or Chicanos with 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 two points of objective here. The first objective of this research is to describe the 5 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 portray what happened in the real society, real history and real event or action. 6 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 as Chicanos in general speaking, but it becomes Chicana to 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 like Hispano and Spanish American in northern New Mexico and southern 7 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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
Mexican-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”
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Los Vendidos is Luis Valdez’s reaction toward what happened in his society, the Chicanos. 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.
In Los 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).
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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 in Los Vendidos where social labeling is presented through the models in the play, like Farm Worker and 10 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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.
In Los 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 what Valdez actually tries to show his reader that “these reality reflected in an 11 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
acto is thus a social reality” (Valdez, 1994: 1413). Valdez stated that Chicanos is 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
Los Vendidos. 12 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 description of the character, from how he or she reacted on certain problem or 13 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 described in Anthropology by Barbara D. Miller and Bernard Wood. 14 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 the superior to the lower one, the analysis of acculturation reach on how such 15 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 social acceptance that is the effort to be accepted in the social structure of the 16 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 sign of acculturation, either in an extreme level or just in the level of believing 17 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 community. 18 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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.
Viva la Huelga! is the battle cry of the Delano strikers. It has been heard on picket lines in the cold of the winter and in the summer’s harvest sun, in front of supermarkets, in union halls, and at demonstrations and rallies throughout the nation. It will be heard across the land as long as farm workers lack the basic necessities to make life livable and enjoyable (Day, 1971: 24). 19 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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.
Then came the war between the United States and Mexico (1846 – 1848). U.S attitudes toward Mexico and Mexicans were highly derogatory, even racist- especially after the war with Texas (Black, 1984: 267). 20 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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-American has 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 term Chicano is 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 necessary to reveal first, their reason to come to America. Basically, there are 21 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 the Americans 22 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 Mexican-
American itself. This is because through these treatments, Mexican-American 23 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 in The 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 Vendidos is 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 theories also, the researcher will be able to depict the image and life condition of 24 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 possible result of their interaction 25 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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
25 26 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 its social, cultural and historical condition. 27 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 like Sociology 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 Mexican-
American life and history from many networks are also used as part of the 28 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
analysis. Whereas, the secondary sources cover the literary theories used in the research such as A Handbook to Literature by 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
Vendidos by looking its relevancies with the real world 29 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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
29 30 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 are the rain tire huaraches, special for wet season and the anti sun, rain and dust 31 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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.
It is stated in the following line. 32 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 of tortillas, 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! (Valdez, 1994: 1405) 33 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 true farm labor model in the following line. 34 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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 accustomed with wild life. It is able to live in mountains and travels in the dessert, 35 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
plains, and even rivers. But beyond that, the most appealing description come in the line “leads revolutions, follows revolutions, kills, can be killed, serves as a martyr, hero...” Through the line, it is clear that Revolucionario is the brave and courageous type of model which suite for a revolution. It can be the leader of the revolution as well as it can support a revolution.
Not only that, the most appealing characteristic of Revolucionario is that it is also a movie star. It has played in many movie titles, but in particularly,
Revolucionario has played in Mexican movies, like Viva Villa and Viva Zapata.
Moreover, this model is also depicted as the only model which has a volume control. This button is used to adjust its sound from loud to soft and vice versa. It can be seen from the following line.
SANCHO. Well, he was in all of them. Listen to this. (Snap.) REVOLUCIONARIO. (Scream). VIVA VILLAAAA! SECRETARY. That’s awfully loud. SANCHO. He has a volume control. (He adjusts volume. Snap.) REVOLUCIONARIO. (Mousey voice). Viva Villa! (Valdez, 1994: 1407)
The last unique characteristic of Revolucionario is that this model is the only one which is classified as a genuine Mexican product. This is also why it becomes problematic for Secretary Jimenez to hire this model because it is a
Mexican product, and therefore, it is not an American at the end.
SANCHO. And finally, there is one outstanding feature about this model I KNOW the ladies are going to love: He’s a GENUINE antique! He was made in Mexico in 1910! SECRETARY. Made in Mexico? SANCHO. That’s right. Once in Tijuana, twice in Guadalajara, three times in Cuernavaca. SECRETARY. Mr. Sancho, I thought he was an American product. SANCHO. No, but- (Valdez, 1994: 1408) 36 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
It can be understood that Revolucionario is genuinely made in Mexico, and therefore it is a Mexican product. Moreover, it also stated that this model is specifically made in 1910, a year which is very prominent in Mexican history.
Thus, it can be concluded that Revolucionario can be depicted as the true Mexican with the spirit of Mexican revolutionary.
3. The Mexican-American
The Mexican-American is the last model introduced to Secretary Jimenez in the play. Compared to the previous models, Mexican-American, by far, is the one which almost fulfilled the Secretary’s need and interest. However, at the end, none of these models are hired by the Secretary.
Basically, the characteristics of Mexican-American model exists in two major points, that are the mix feature of Mexican and American and its ability to engaged with the America’s environment.
a. The Mix Feature
By mix feature here, the researcher means that Mexican-American model has the characteristics of Mexican as well as American, that this model resembles
Mexican, but American at the same time. So, there is a mix feature of Mexican characteristics and American characteristics. It can be seen from the following quotation.
SECRETARY. I don’t care. You still don’t understand what we need. It’s true we need Mexican models such as these, but it’s more importantly that he be American. SANCHO. American? SECRETARY. That’s right, and judging from what you’ve shown me, I don’t think you have what we want. Well, my lunch hour’s almost over; I better – 37 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
SANCHO. Wait a minute! Mexican but American? SECRETARY. That’s correct. SANCHO. Mexican but... (A sudden flash) AMERICAN! Yeah, I think we’ve got exactly what you want. He just came in today! Give me a minute. (He exits. Talks from backstage.) Here he is in the shop. Let me just get some papers off. There, introducing our new 1970 Mexican-American! Ta-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-RA-RAAA! (Valdez, 1994: 1408)
From Secretary Jimenez’s explanation, it is clear that the model has to be like Mexican, but at the end, he is American. What the Secretary demanded is that the model needs to look like a Mexican, but its nationality, its ability and tastes need to resemble much of an American. The idea of this mix feature is best explained in the following dialogue also.
(Sancho brings out the Mexican-American model, a clean-shaven middle- class type in a business suit, with glasses.)
SECRETARY. (Impressed). Where have you been hiding this one? SANCHO. He just came in this morning. Ain’t he a beauty? Feast your eyes on him! Sturdy US STEEL frame, streamlined, modern. As a matter of fact, he is built exactly like our Anglo models except that he comes in a variety of darker shades: naughyde, leather, or leatherette. (Valdez, 1994: 1408)
To begin with, the model’s first descriptions are “clean-shaven middle class type in a business suit, with glasses”. Compared to the previous models which are always in a dirty, rough appearance, the Mexican-American is the
Mexican model which uses the American look. It is clean-shaven with a formal and neat outfit, and these are the things that cannot be seen from the previous
Mexican models. Not only having the American look, Mexican-American is also classified as the middle class society which is completely different from the low labor Farm Worker. It has a different class position from the previous models. 38 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
Besides those things, this model is made from sturdy and modern US steel frame which is built based on Anglo models. Thus, it can be understood that basically this Mexican-American model is made of US materials and manufactures and it also follows the pattern of Anglo (American) models, like the height and weight but it has a darker skin as what Mexican supposed to be. This is how the mix feature exists in Mexican-American characteristics that it is Mexican in one thing but it is also American in another thing like appearance and mindset.
This fact can also be seen in the following Mexican-American’s patriotic speech.
MEXICAN-AMERICAN. Mr. Congressman, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. (Sancho and Secretary applaud.) Please, please. I come before you as a Mexican-American to tell you about the problems of the Mexican. The problems of the Mexican stem from one thing and one thing alone: He’s stupid. He’s uneducated. He needs to stay in school. He needs to be ambitious, forward-looking, harder-working. He needs to think American, American, American, AMERICAN, AMERICAN, AMERICAN. GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! (He goes out of control.) (Sancho snaps frantically and the Mexican-American finally slumps forward, bending at the waist.) SECRETARY. Oh my, he’s patriotic too! (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
Thus, it becomes very obvious how this model, although resembles Mexican in a way, also shows the trait and thought of American in general. From this speech, it can be seen clearly the way it thinks about Mexican that they are lazy, uneducated and poor unlike American. The American side of this model is clearly shown in its behavior and the way of thinking.
This mix feature of Mexican and American can also be seen from its tastes of ‘perfume’ and foods. Of course, because, in the play, the Mexican- 39 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
American is depicted as a robot model, it is not really using perfume or has certain food preferences, but its descriptions reveal those things.
SANCHO. (...)He is intelligent, clean- did I say clean? (snap. Mexican- American raises his arm.) Smell. SECRETARY. (Smells). Old Sobaco, my favorite. (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
SECRETARY. What about upkeep? Is he economical? SANCHO. Well, no, I won’t lie to you. The Mexican-American costs a little bit more, but you get what you pay for. He’s worth every extra cent. You can keep him running on dry Martinis, Langerdorf bread. SECRETARY. Apple pie? SANCHO. Only Mom’s. Of course, he’s also programmed to eat Mexican food on ceremonial functions, but I must warn you: an overdose of beans will plug up his exhaust. (1994: 1409)
These two quotations reveal to us that the Mexican-American model also shows its side as a Mexican as well as an American indirectly. This model, although is made from US manufacturing and follows the Anglo model, clean and neat
(unlike the previous genuine-Mexican models), it still has the impression as
Mexican that is its scent. Mexican-American smells like Old Sobaco, a typical smell for Mexican. Not only that, this model is also said to have dry martinis and langerdorf bread, a very unusual mix of food that is a Mexican drink and
American bread. Although it is also programmed to eat Mexican foods, it is limited only to ceremonial events, not as daily foods. Compared to the previous models which need a rather Mexican genuine food and drink like Tortillas, Taco and Tequila, the Mexican-American is rather complex and tend to be able to go for both Mexican and American product. It likes Martini as well as apple pie.
Thus, from these feature that are completely different from other models, the mix 40 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
feature of Mexican-American model is revealed that this model resembles both
Mexican and American.
b. The Ability to Adjust with American Life
Apart from its distinct characteristics of a mix feature that makes it different from the previous models, the other thing that makes the Mexican-
American unique is its ability or feature that allows it to adjust and mingle among
Americans. It can be understood that the Mexican-American has been accustomed to American life and it has adjusted itself to live among American. This is what makes it completely different from the Farm Worker, Revolucionario or even
Johnny. It can be seen from the following quotation.
SANCHO. (...)Yes, senorita, this model represents the apex of American engineering! He is bilingual, college educated, ambitious! Say the word “acculturate” and he accelerates.
SANCHO. (Snap. Mexican-American turns toward Sancho).Eric! (To Secretary.) We call him Eric Garcia. (To Eric.)I want you to meet Miss JIM-enez, Eric. MEXICAN-AMERICAN. Miss JIM-enez, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. (He kisses her hand.) (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
There are two interesting point that can be understood about the
Mexican-American from those quotations. First, it is bilingual and it understands
English perfectly. Unlike Johnny Pachuco which understand only rude and bad words in English, Eric Garcia, the Mexican-American, understands proper
English, both language and manner. Its politeness in greeting the Secretary shows how well-mannered it is. As what has been mentioned in the quotations, its perfect bilingual feature is received from a proper education because Eric Garcia is described as an ambitious, college educated model. So, the second point is that it 41 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
receives education as its American side. This is what makes the model very distinct because the previous models never have a proper and good educational background.
Moreover, unlike the other models which are accustomed to rough and low class life, Eric Garcia-The Mexican-American is able to work on boards or the representative assembly. This can be seen in the following quotation.
SECRETARY. How about boards? Does he function on boards? SANCHO. You name them, he is on them. Parole boards, draft boards, school boards, taco quality control boards, surf boards, two-by- fours. (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
Not only that, the Mexican-American is also depicted to have a good ability in politics and it can deliver a speech. This model is able to involve in politics unlike the other models. Not only that, the Mexican-American is depicted to be very patriotic toward America. it can be seen in the following quotation.
MEXICAN-AMERICAN. Mr. Congressman, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. (Sancho and Secretary applaud.) Please, please. I come before you as a Mexican-American to tell you about the problems of the Mexican. The problems of the Mexican stem from one thing and one thing alone: He’s stupid. He’s uneducated. He needs to stay in school. He needs to be ambitious, forward-looking, harder-working. He needs to think American, American, American, AMERICAN, AMERICAN, AMERICAN. GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! (He goes out of control.) (Sancho snaps frantically and the Mexican-American finally slumps forward, bending at the waist.) SECRETARY. Oh my, he’s patriotic too! (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
From this speech, it can be seen that the Mexican-American is very proud to be
American. Its sense of closeness and belonging to America can obviously be seen 42 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
from its political speech that the model is very proud to be American. Moreover, this pride grows into patriotism toward America and its value. Thus, it is obvious that the model is patriotic and its patriotism is what makes it different with the other models.
B. The Representation of Mexican-American Life Stages from the
Characteristics of the Models
1. Early Period: The Migration 1900s
The Migration period came to its peak in the twentieth century, or the
1900s onward. However, this does not mean that Mexican-American migrated to the New World only in those years. This is because the previous migration was not that significant and the biggest and the most prominent wave of migration in the Mexican-American’s history only occurred during the 20th century. This fact can be seen from the following quotation.
When compared to various periods of the twentieth century, Mexican immigration to the United States between 1850 and 1900 was relatively low. The discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada of California in 1849 was an initial stimulus for this migration, as was the expansion of copper mining in Arizona beginning in the 1860s. During this same period and on into the twentieth century, ranching and agriculture lured many inhabitants of the northern and central states of Mexico to Texas. By 1900 approximately 500,000 people of Mexican ancestry lived in the United States, principally in the areas originally populated by Spaniards and Mexicans prior to 1848. Roughly 100,000 of these residents were born in Mexico; the remainders were second-generation inhabitants of these regions and their offspring (http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Mexican-Americans.html).
It is very obvious that the year of the 1900s became very significant in the period of migration because this was when massive number of immigrant came and actually stayed in America. These people did not just visit the New 43 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
World temporarily for sudden gold rush like the previous wave but these people is actually making America as their new home and new hope for a better living.
This Migration period as the very first beginning of the Mexican-
American’s life in America is best represented by the Farm Worker model. The
Farm Worker will reveal the general occupation of that period, the general life and social condition of Chicano community. But before that, it is necessary to understand what Valdez’s intention to put the Farm Worker in the play. Although the Farm Worker was described positively as the perfect labor which meant it could work hard in any field, paid less, put anywhere and even needed less care, these were actually a satire toward the real condition. Valdez’s intention was to ridicule the actual negative conditions into something that can be laughed at.
Thus, it is obvious that the condition for these immigrant workers as labor was actually horrible with a lot of social and life pressure. Examine the following quotation.
Bitter to many, therefore, is the knowledge that in this huge area Mexican- Americans have been consigned to second-class status in the ghettolike residential called barrios, where housing has been deficient, jobs ill paid, and public services often inadequate at best (Kelley, 1986: 721).
In return they received bare subsistence wages, housing like that 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 laborers (1986: 553).
Thus, it can be revealed that the condition of these immigrants in this period was devastating. These newcomers were dealing with many hardship of life, starting from the available jobs as labor to the treatment of the American towards them.
All of those had put a lot of pressures to them and forced them to be the lowest 44 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
class of people in the New World. The life condition was not even better than the slaves’ long time ago. These are the common facts of the period, the Migration period.
Basically, the most common occupation, or the most reliable and most possible jobs for the immigrants is in agriculture. These Mexican immigrants worked mostly as labors. These field jobs could vary from cotton pickers in the plantation or fruit harvesters for melon and grapes. Examine the following quotation.
The immigrants came from the Ilocos Islands under the servitude system. Their passage was paid by banks and rich families in the Philippines. The men had to pay back their fares as they worked in the vineyards—at 50 per cent interest. This required two to three years of hard labor for some of the men. “Many of them existed on a handful of rice and a few cents pay each day,” a farmer told me (Day, 1971: 16).
Here, it can be understood that most immigrants chose to work in agricultural fields, especially vineyard or any other fruit fields. This is because agriculture was at the peak of development at that time. Thus, it brought the huge demand and need of farm worker and labor. Besides, these landowners also thought that
Mexican worker were more skilled and experienced than any other workers like blacks or Japanese. This was because originally in their own land, Mexicans were accustomed to work in fields and farms. Examine the following quotations.
Jack Zaninovich, a grape grower and a member of the Delano Historical Society, told me that conditions were favorable for a rapid expansion of the grape business in a relatively brief period of time. “Relatives made loans or the Slavs would borrow from other sources and buy land on a shoestring,” he said. “Several Slavs like my uncle, Martin Gutunich, started in the restaurant business in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The land was very cheap and was bought on thirty-year terms at as little as 4 per cent interest. With only a little capital, one could develop a lot of acreage.” Zaninovich 45 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
added that the price of land fluctuates according to the demands of the market. “In 1922 through 1925, the land was worth almost $3,000 an acre. By 1929, it dropped to $150 an acre (Day, 1971: 17).
All along the southwest borderlands economic activity was picking up in the late nineteenth century. Railroads were being built, copper mines were opening in Arizona, cotton and vegetable agriculture was developing in south Texas, and fruit growing was being introduced in southern California. In Texas the Hispanic population increased from about 20,000 in 1850 to 165,000 in 1900. Some Mexicans came as contract workers for railway track gangs and harvest crew; virtually all were relegated to the lowest- paying and most backbreaking work; and everywhere they were discriminated against and reviled by higher-status Anglo worker (Henretta et al, 1999: 467).
There were many reasons why the Mexicans were included in the south- western economy, albeit at the lower part of the structure, whereas the Indians were not. The Mexicans were experienced in farming, ranching, and mining; most Indians tribes were not (Kitano, 1985: 158).
Thus, it is clear that, at that time, there was a huge and rapid progress in
America’s agriculture. Moreover, there were also huge expansions of land which supported the growth of vineyards and at the end, increased the demands of worker even more. The price of land dropped very low, and this made the opportunity of many landowners to have more land and more fields. These situations were also supported by the fact that Mexicans were more experienced and advanced in this job field compared to the other worker. Thus, this is why agriculture was closely related to Mexican immigrants.
This job availability as farm worker is represented by Valdez through the
Farm Worker model. This model is depicted as the “versatile” robot which can work in any kind of harvesting occupations. This Farm Worker is accustomed in picking cottons, harvesting grapes and melon as mentioned in the following dialogue. 46 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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)
Then, it is obvious that the Farm Worker is the most suitable model for field working. It can be seen from how it is able to harvest in any fields.
Moreover, this model is depicted to be able to adjust its speed in different harvest seasons. This model can work fast or slow depending on the harvest season. Here, it can be understood that this model is the true representation of real farm worker for its ability to adapt in farm and field works. Thus, this model represents the idea of how Mexican farm worker in reality is accustomed to work in agriculture.
However, although this kind of job was highly available for Mexican immigrants and they were suitable for the job itself, it did not mean that it improved their condition at the end. This was because, regardless the heavy and burdening job as farm worker, they did not get equal payment. In fact, they were underpaid. Examine the following quotation.
Mexican nationals are particularly susceptible to exploitation and abuse because they fear being apprehended and returned to Mexico, or fired. Employers often short-change the alien workers by paying them less than the federal minimum wage, by not providing them with over-time pay, and by short-counting the hours they work (Light et al, 1989: 370).
The job itself had only offered them with little payment, but the landowner forced them to accept an even lower payment than usual. This was mainly because their 47 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
insecure position in the New World so that they had to accept whatever was offered to them. Kitano even added that “it is reasonable to assume that the undocumented worker has very little power and can be the victim of abuse and exploitation” (1985: 166). This exploitation could reach to unreasonable level that they were paid unreasonably. Examine the following quotation.
As a result, Hispanics, on average, earn only half to two-thirds of the average American income. The Spanish median income is $17, 465; the national median income is $23, 618. Many Hispanics make up an underclass of workers who take jobs no one else wants at wages no one else will accept (Light et al, 1989: 90).
Delano and Earlimart [a nearby town] were in the heart of the Grapes of Wrath country. “People were so impoverished that they would undercut one another for a job. If a grower offered a man 25 cents an hour, another man would take the job for as little as 15 cents. Life was miserable, and people were starving.” The dust-bowlers lived in Hooverville-type camps. Residents tell how the migrants would dismantle the old homesteaders’ shacks in the foothills, in orderto fuel their fires and keep warm (Day, 1971: 16).
The payment was so unreasonable that it had made this worker into the poorest worker in America. Because the situation was not beneficial for them, Mexican immigrant had to accept this low payment as compensation for their excessive duty. Kelley even added that the Mexican-American families could only make up
$7,000 a year (1986: 721).
This fact is tried to be represented by Valdez through satire in the Farm
Worker. This model is depicted as a very economical worker which only needs little food and a very low payment. Take a look at the following dialogue.
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 48 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
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)
Here, it is stated that the Farm Worker only needs one plate of beans, tortillas and lots of chile, and all of these are enough to run this model over an excessive, heavy work in the farm. This food is enough for a whole day of work. Not only does this model need simple and little food, but it can also be paid very low.
Compared to the other models which need a considerably higher payment, this model takes an extreme level, a penny a day. This is where the satire starts to represent the actual payment of real Mexican farm worker that it was extremely low. This satritical description represents the actual exploitation in payment experienced by Mexican workers.
The reason why this unreasonable payment had occurred was because of the Mexican workers’ weak and insecure position in the society. This was basically because most of the immigrant workers were “alien” or undocumented immigrants where deportation was their biggest fear. These Mexican workers were unprotected by the law because they were illegal and unregistered officially, and thus, there were no guarantee of fair and equal treatments. Aware of their position and afraid of being deported, these Mexican workers had to accept anything given including unreasonable payment. Take a look at the following quotations.
The Mexican-American experience of the depression differed from that of the Dust Bowl refugees. In the depths of the depression, with fear of competition from foreign workers at a peak, perhaps a third of the Mexican- American population, most of them immigrants, returned to Mexico.A formal deportation policy instituted by the federal government was partly 49 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
responsible for the exodus, but many more Mexicans left “voluntarily” when work ran out and local relief agencies refused to assist them. Racism, coupled with the proximity of Mexico, made Mexicans the only immigrants targeted for deportation during the depression (Henretta et al, 1999: 685). But Los Angeles lost approximately one-third of its Mexican population during the deportations of the 1930s, which separated families, disrupted children education, and caused extreme financial hardship during the worst years of depression. For those who remained in America, deportation was a constant threat, an unmistakable reminder of their fragile status in the United States (1999: 686).
It is obvious that deportation, for Mexican workers, had been the biggest threat.
This is because there were many deportation policies for immigrant workers and
Mexican workers, as the result of prejudice, became the main target to be deported. Not only because of deportation, these Mexican workers also went back to their homeland as a voluntarily action due to the high competition in seeking for jobs. Thus, it is clear that during the immigrant period, not only did these people come to America massively but these people also went back in a great number to their homeland. This huge exodus of going back to Mexico was caused by the high rate of deportation and tight competition in job. This reality is also represented by Valdez in the play. The Farm Worker is depicted as the model which will go back automatically to Mexico. Valdez included this as a special feature because the model will not burden Secretary Jimenez and it will go back by itself for good. This is obvious when Sancho said “And here’s an added features: Every year at the end of the season, this model goes back to Mexico and doesn’t return, automatically, until next Spring” (Valdez, 1994: 1405). Here, it can be concluded that the problem of deportation and massive exodus of Mexican worker to Mexico is represented by the Farm Worker with its tendency to home 50 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
every year automatically. How the Farm Worker has the special feature of going back home automatically reveals the threat of deportation in Mexican immigrants’ real life.
The hardship on life faced by Mexican immigrant did not only happen in terms of job and payment, but it was also in terms of life condition, facilities and challenges in the fields. These people, besides they had to compete for jobs and payments, they also had to face the actual challenges in the field that is the weather. They were forced to work in any kind of condition in any season.
Examine the following quotation.
East of this line, annual rainfall averaged about twenty-eight inches, enough for most crops. West of the line, life-giving rain was never certain; farmers, heartened by adequate water one year, gagged on dust and broke their plows on hardened limestone soil the nest. Weather seldom followed predictable cycles on either side of the line. In summer, weeks of torrid heat and parching winds would suddenly give way to violent storms and flash floods that washed away crops and property. Winter blizzards piled up mountainous snowdrifts that halted all outdoors movement. Severe cold waves and howling winds plunged the temperature below zero. Spring and fall, supposedly temperate seasons, brought their own dangers. In March and April, melting snow swelled streams, and flood waters threatened millions of acres. In the fall, a week without rain could turn dry grasslands into tinder, and the slightest spark could ignite a raging prairie fire (Norton et al, 1982: 453).
As the labors who worked in the open field, nature and weather were another problem for farm worker. The unfriendly weather was what they needed to handle during their work of cultivating and harvesting the field. The weather changed all the seasons, from rainy to hot dry, even snowy to windy. These were the things that the labors needed to adjust themselves, to work in any weather and any condition. They also had to prepare themselves with any possibilities, like long drought and flood. Moreover, the challenges grew as the season changed. 51 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
The Spring gave different condition and fluidity than the fall which tended to be dry hot. Their preparation and adaptation were needed to handle the field along with life threatening condition they had to bear also. This was what Mexican immigrant had to face in reality, the weather.
Valdez also tried to express this reality through the Farm Worker that the
Farm Worker is a “durable” robot with additional features like Sombrero and rain tyres that help it survives the whole years. The Farm Worker is described to have a special feature called Sombrero, a typical wide Mexican hat. This hat is very helpful for the model in the field as the protection. Examine the following dialogue.
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)
From the dialogue, it is understood that the Sombrero can be used to protect the model from the sun, rain, and dust, the most common problem in the open field.
This Sombrero is an added feature of the Farm Worker so that this model is perfectly suitable in field because it can overcome any condition and can work optimal with the Sombrero. Another interesting thing from the Farm Worker is the
“four-ply Goodyear huaraches, made from the rain tire”. This is also another feature of Farm Worker that helps it in the field. This feature is a slip prevention tire to be used in slippery and watery condition. Thus, it means the Farm Worker can work effectively and efficiently in any condition and in any weather, from dry, rainy to dusty and windy condition because of the features it has. Those 52 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
features were best satirized by Valdez with the word “Durable” that the Farm
Worker is able to work in any condition and in any season throughout the year and it can also survive in an excessive works. From these descriptions, it is obvious that it represents the conditions that have to be faced by Mexican farm workers in actual situation. The nature and the unfriendly weather, as what the model has to prepare itself with, is the biggest and most severe obstacles in the real daily activities of Mexican farm workers.
The last would be the facilities like housing and sanitary condition which also troubled them along with their life in the field. These farm workers had to live near the plantation or the field itself because they needed to take care the fruits there intensively. However, this burden was not supported with sufficient housing and facilities. The housing provided for them was horrible. In one camp or house, more than ten workers had to squeeze themselves to make enough place.
Not only that, the sanitation was as bad as the camp itself. Examine the following quotation.
Sometimes, whole families of "braceros" would only get paid twenty cents for three hours of work. Working families lived in small run down shacks or tents in crowded camps. If there wasn't enough room, some family members would sleep under bridges nearby. In order to survive, families were forced to move to where work was available (http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/systems/agentsheets/New-Vista/grape-boycott)
The payment was bad, the job was hard, and now the facilities were also insufficient for the whole families of farm workers. It can be understood that the housing provided was in a form of camp for living with other Mexican families.
But this did not mean that the camp was made for many people. The camp was not 53 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
made specifically for many families but it was forced to hold many people. This was what these workers had to deal. They even had to move to other places if the camp was too crowded, like bridges. Not only that, they even had to be mobile so that they would be ready to move wherever the job was available for them.
This uncertainty in life facilities is also represented by the Farm Worker.
To represent it, Valdez depicted the Farm Worker as the model which is easily stored away or portable. How “portable” the Farm Worker is, like no need a place to store it, represents the housing problems in the real life of Mexican workers. It can be put in shacks along with ten people with no trouble just like what those workers had to bear. This model is even the inspiration for such shacks because of its ability to live in such crowded place. Moreover, the Farm Worker also depicted to be able to stay in old barns, old cars, river banks, or even in the open field. This model does not even need a place to stay. This model is said to be very portable and can be put anywhere or even nowhere at all. These are obvious 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! (Valdez, 1994: 1405)
Thus, it can be concluded that the way Valdez described the Farm Worker as cheap labor with excessive works, the way it prepared itself for unfriendly weather, and the way this model need no care at all are the actual representation of 54 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
what Mexican farm workers had to deal in real life, in real oppressive work condition and in real pressure of life in the field during the immigrant period.
2. Second Period: Revolution and Movement After the 1940s
After the period of migration, the next period is the period of revolution and movement. This period occurs as the reaction of Mexican for the unfair treatment, prejudice and discrimination. Their awareness and consciousness for equal condition grew even more in this period and they realized it through real action, the revolution. This period is best represented by the Revolucionario. Take a look at the following quotation.
In the years 1940-1960 they had agitated for civil rights for Mexicans, for desegregated schools (many from Texas to California were set aside only for Mexican-Americans), for better jobs and political representation. It was simply that the style and objective of the older generation had been different. It had believed in integration into the larger American culture, and the validity of the American system (Kelley, 1986: 720).
The effort of civil right movement increased in the 1940s, where many Mexican thought that they deserved a better life condition, education and political aspiration for their community. These were what they fought for in the period of revolution, a movement for equal right. Moreover, in this subchapter, the researcher will evaluate the common condition and phenomena in this revolution including mindset of people toward Mexican revolutionary.
The first one is the general condition of revolution period. Basically, according to Kitano (1985), the reaction of minority group toward unequal condition can be aggression, race riots, rebellions, strikes and boycotts and all of these concluded the effort to revolt against the oppressive group. Thus, the 55 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
condition according to Kitano would be a condition where riots and strikes of the worker are common. Examine the following quotation.
But in the 1930s Mexican-Americans belied their image by engaging in prolonged and sometimes bloody strikes. During one protest in the strawberry fields of El Monte, California, workers established their own union, the Confederacion de Uniones de Campesino y Obreros Mexicanos (CUCOM0, which waged a couple of dozen strikes from 1933 to 1936. In united action in the San Joaquin valley in October 1933, eighteen thousand cotton pickers walked off their jobs and set up “strike city” after being evicted from the growers’ camp. Shortly after, their union hall was riddled with bullets and two strikes died. The nest year labor violence was frequent in the imperial valley, where police crushed a strike by burning the pickers’ camp to the ground. In this dispute and others, Mexican-Americans showed their determination to organized, gain strength from unity, and fight for their rights (Norton et al 1982: 743).
This quotation has described thoroughly the actual chaotic condition at that time.
Abuse was used against these protests, and the protest often ended in death or brutal clash between Mexican and the authority. Violence done by the police was often experienced by the Mexican. Moreover, during the revolution itself, strikes were very common and often happened in the workfield, like camps, farms, cotton fields, etc. These strikes were often in the form of protest where Mexican aspired their voice and their demand of equality. This is basically the idea of strikes and protests, a great number of people gathered and aspired their voice loudly.
Apparently, this condition is cleverly represented by Valdez through the
Revolucionario model. The Revolucionario is described as the rough and strong type of model. Examine the following dialogue.
SANCHO. 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. (Valdez, 1994: 1407) 56 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
Here, the Revolucionario is described as a well-built and sturdy model, a typical fighter and survivor. This is significant in representing what the true revolutionary had to be and had to have in the effort of gaining equal right in America. As what has been explained before, riots and protests were very common in the period of revolution. These people fought against the unfair treatment, but on the other hand, America’s authorities also reacted back to stop their struggle in the form of aggression, brutal and violence. Therefore, in order to survive and to succeed in gaining the equal right, the true revolutionary needed to have a strong and tough self-determination, the determination to be treated equally. They also needed to be well-prepared with rough life condition because aggression and conflict were common at that time. So, these revolutionaries needed to have strong determination and preparation in the rough condition. Not only that, they had to be physically strong because these revolutionaries were not only protesting but they also had physical and brutal fight with the Americans. These common images regarding what a true revolutionary should look like and should have, were represented vividly by Valdez through the Revolucionario. The model is sturdy and well-built unlike the other models. It is also strong and rough in general.
These descriptions represent the actual image of a true revolutionary at the period of revolution because Mexican workers needed to fight back and struggled. These descriptions also represent the actual condition of that period, and therefore, it needs to be sturdy, well-built, strong and rough. 57 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
Moreover, these real condition faced by the Mexican workers who tried to revolt are also represented by the Revolucionario through its features, the volume control. Examine the following dialogue.
SANCHO. Well, he was in all of them. Listen to this. (Snap.) REVOLUCIONARIO. (Scream). VIVA VILLAAAA! SECRETARY. That’s awfully loud. SANCHO. He has a volume control. (He adjust volume. Snap.) REVOLUCIONARIO. (Mousey voice). Viva Villa! (Valdez, 1994: 1407)
In the dialogue between Sancho and the Secretary, Valdez satirized and even exaggerated the fact of the strikes done in revolution period by describing the
Revolucionario of having volume control. This is to emphasize that the
Revolucionario is the perfect model for doing the strikes because it is inheritably made for that, unlike the other models. This model is able to make a really loud voice when necessary and on the other hand, lower its voice into squeaky sound when it is not needed. This is actually to satirize and represent the phenomena of strikes commonly happened during the revolution that in every strikes, people yelled many inspiring and protesting words aloud so that the effect would be paramount toward the protester and the government protested. This feature of volume control represents the idea how in actual strikes, it will end up like huge demonstration in work field, where people yelled each other either as support or as protest. The condition of the protest in which the Mexican workers yelled and scream aloud is represented by the Revolucionario with the volume control feature. This is a very specific feature owned only by the Revolucionario model.
Moreover, another significant point besides the loudness of the voice is the words yelled by the Revolucionario. It keeps saying “Viva Villa” that literally means 58 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
long live the country, a common utterance during the strikes. So, this actually emphasizes the image of true revolutionary in the Revolucionario.
The second part is the mindset during the revolution period. It is said that these struggles were regarded very negative by American. Take a look at the following quotation by Daniels and Kitano.
The Caucasian [and] especially the Anglo-Saxon, when engaged in fighting...resort[s] to fisticuffs...;but this Mexican element considers [good sportsmanship] to be a sign of weakness, and all he knows and feels is a desire to use a knife or some lethal weapon. In other words, his desire is to kill, or at least let blood (1985: 161).
It can be concluded that the mindset of American toward Mexican during the revolution was that they [Mexican] were bloodthirsty and they would justify anything to gain their purpose. It can also be understood that American saw
Mexican as a savage people who actually enjoyed and loved to shed blood in war.
This was the typical stereotypes of people toward these fighters which are also represented by Valdez through the Revolucionario. Examine the following dialogue.
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)
Here, it is obvious that the Revolucionario did not only serve as the leader of revolutions, but Valdez also depicted it with the image of killer and a victims at the same time. This was to reveal the real mindset at that time that when Mexican stood still and did nothing, they were the victims of prejudice and violence. 59 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
However, when these people actually fight back, they were regarded as the savage, blood thirsty people or killers. This is how society put Mexican in an unfair condition and stereotypes, and it was represented through the
Revolucionario.
To conclude, in the period of revolution and equal movement which is represented by the Revolucionario, it is understood that ethnical and labor strikes commonly happened as the form of revolt. The condition was very chaotic with a lot of strikes and boycotts happened. People were fighting each other and killing each other. This is the period where violence, demonstration and revolution fro equality commonly happened. Moreover, there was also prejudice and stereotype on Mexican workers as savage people. These facts can be seen directly through the Revolucionario model.
3. Final Period: Acculturation of Mexican and American
When acculturation is the case, then it means culture and race relation are the issues. This is because the concept of acculturation covers to the idea on how one culture mingled, reacted, interacted or responded with another culture. As mentioned by Kitano, Acculturation is defined as “a one-way process: one group discards its culture in order to become more like the group in power” (1985: 17).
It can be understood that when one culture meets another culture particularly superior one, the minor culture will be neglected and replaced with the new and superior one. This is the common concept of acculturation.
However, beyond those things, the process acculturation, by far, is simply how one society tried to be accepted by the new and superior society, and 60 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
in particular, how Mexican with its culture tried to be accepted by American society. According to Hraba and Kitano, acculturation occurs when different racial and ethnic groups become similar in their thinking, feeling, and acting
(1979: 29). It can be concluded that there is an effort to be accepted by the new society. The effort itself is the proof of undergoing process of acculturation. As what has been mentioned before, there are many parameters to recognize acculturation process. Hazuda argued that acculturation as the effort to be accepted, can be seen from the integration of language, culture beliefs and social structure (http://www.rice.edu/project/HispanicHealth/Acculturation.html).
Meanwhile, Gordon is even able to classify this process of acceptance into three stages that are cultural assimilation, structural assimilation, and marital assimilation (Gordon, 1964).
On the other hand, Kitano in Race Relations argued that in minority adaptation, the forms of acceptance can be ritualistic behavior, superpatriotism and internalization of stress (1985: 70). It can be concluded that at the end, the process of acculturation can be recognized in the effort of the minority group to be similar with the majority group and then, accepted. This effort can be evaluated from many factors as what have been explained by Hazuda, Gordon, and Kitano like language, culture and social condition. Thus, basically, there are three major points to show that acculturation has existed in Mexican-American: Social
Integrity, Social Structure and Marital Acculturation. These are the parameters that will be used in this subchapter to analyze that the period of acculturation has existed in Mexican-American. However, because acculturation is an ongoing 61 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
process and occurred step-by-step, there will be no exact trace on when it starts.
Therefore, it even can be concluded that this ongoing process had happened from the moment these two cultures had their first contact.
a. Social Integrity
The first point is the social integrity. By social integrity here, it means how Mexican-Americans tried to be socially similar to American in many sides, or this is how the idea of Americanized Mexican exists according to Kitano (1985:
184). Related to social integrity, Kitano also argued that what happened is actually minority group discarded or neglected their native cultures, and have acquired the ways of mainstream (1985: 27).
The first one is language mastery or English mastery in particular.
Examine the following quotation.
SECRETARY. That’s much better, but you didn’t answer my question. Does he speak English? SANCHO. Bueno...no, pero he has other— SECRETARY. No. SANCHO. Other features. SECRETARY. NO! He just won’t do! (Valdez, 1994: 1405)
It is very clear that to be bilingual or to master English is a prerequisition and a crucial part to be accepted in America. This is exactly why Farm Worker was rejected by the Secretary, simply because no one will understand it, or it will never understand other people due to language difference. The situation is completely different in the Mexican-American model. This is because this model was bilingual, and comprehends English. It speaks proper and fluent English which pleased the Secretary. Not only through language, the Secretary could also 62 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
see its manner and politeness from the way it express things. Here, it strengthens the idea of language as a crucial part in the process of acculturation, and the model Mexican-American has that. Not only that, the process of acculturation through language adaptation and mastery is represented by the fact that the
Mexican-American model is bilingual unlike the other models. The model is able to adjust and engage with the American life through language mastery. It means the model is able to live among Americans because it can understand each other.
It can be seen in the following dialogue.
SANCHO. Well, we’ll just write that down. Yes, senorita, this model represents the apex of American engineering! He is bilingual, college educated, ambitious! Say the word “acculturate” and he accelerates. He is intelligent, well-mannered, clean– did I say clean? (Snap. Mexican-American raises his arm.) Smell SECRETARY. (Smells). Old Sobaco, my favorite. SANCHO. (Snap. Mexican-American turns toward Sancho).Eric! (To Secretary.) We call him Eric Garcia. (To Eric.) I want you to meet Miss JIM-enez, Eric. MEXICAN-AMERICAN. Miss JIM-enez, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. (He kisses her hand.) (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
The importance of English mastery in the play as the way it adjusts itself with American life represents the actual society’s tendency in America that
Mexican have to master English to be accepted in many fields in America as seen in the following quotation.
In contrast, the norms and the values of some Hispanic Americans have been profoundly challenged by the need to interact with the pervasive Anglo world. One example can be seen in language. Hispanics have had to make their way in a “foreign” society in which English is the language of workplace, the marketplace, the school, and the political arena (Light et al, 1989: 91). 63 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
It is obvious that there was an effort and a need of the Mexican-American to understand English so that they would eventually be accepted. Moreover, actually, this was what the new society demanded because English was the official language used in daily life, like in job, communication, education etc. This is what
Hazuda also emphasizes “Assimilation of one cultural group into another may be evidenced by changes in language preference, adoption of common attitudes and values” (http://www.rice.edu/projects/HispanicHealth/Acculturation.html).
Hazuda even added the boundaries of how far English is mastered, the preferences in daily conversation of a Mexican-American and the process of the learning itself. Thus, it shows how language mastery, English in particular, has been a crucial part in Mexican-American’s acculturation because Mexican-Americans had adapted themselves with the language of the mainstream and with what the mainstream demanded in life.People who maintain that way, thus, have acculturated. Moreover, it can be concluded also that language is one of the wayof the Mexican to acculturate and Mexican immigrants had done that because of the need to interact and to be accepted. All of these are represented by the Mexican-
American model’s bilingual feature.
Not only through language, social integrity can also exist in patriotic behavior. This is what Kitano proposed as “Superpatriotism” (1985: 71). Examine the following quotation.
Another means of adapting to the problems of isolation from a system is to over identifying with it. The rituals of belonging—learning the anthems and slogans, copying the slang, adopting the dress and the styles—are an important part of the acculturation of nonwhite group (Kitano, 1985: 71) 64 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
It can be understood that in the process of acculturation, these Mexican-
Americans also attached themselves to the new culture and society. There was a sense of belonging as American inside the Mexican’s mind that they wanted to be similar in thoughts and way of thinking. By adopting the American way and by performing the rituals, it was hoped that they would show to the larger world that they too were Americans (1985: 71). Thus, it is obvious that this is one of the efforts to have the sense of belonging as American even if they are from different ethnics.
This is also what the Mexican-American model tried to show us, that it comes from a different level of Mexican. The Mexican-American, through its political speech, gives us the idea that even if it is Mexican in some part, but it is, at the end, American as whole and there is more part of American in it than
Mexican. The attachment Kitano argued before can be seen clearly through the
Mexican-American’s speech. This is where the idea of mix feature and ability to adjust through patriotic acts exist that the Mexican-American has both Mexican ideology and American’s mindset as well. This model also tried to discard the old stereotype of Mexican in itself that “yet in the minds of the majority, there remains a simple stereotype of a lazy, stoic peasant, or its opposite, a ruthless, cruel bandito” (Kitano, 1985: 158) by denying it and attaching itself as American not Mexican. Look at the following dialogue.
MEXICAN-AMERICAN. Mr. Congressman, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen.(Sancho and Secretary applaud.) Please, please. I come before you as a Mexican-American to tell you about the problems of the Mexican. The problems of the Mexican stem from one thing and one thing alone: He’s stupid. He’s uneducated. He needs to stay in school. He 65 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
needs to be ambitious, forward-looking, harder-working. He needs to think American, American, American, AMERICAN, AMERICAN, AMERICAN. GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! (He goes out of control.) (Sancho snaps frantically and the Mexican-American finally slumps forward, bending at the waist.) SECRETARY. Oh my, he’s patriotic too! (Valdez, 1994: 1409)
From that speech, it can be understood that the Mexican-American model wants to have and needs to have the same thought as Americans in general. In order to be successful, Mexican needs to be similar like American in many ways. In the speech also, it can be seen clearly how the model’s close attachment to American that it did not ‘defend’ or has self-pride about its own culture, the Mexican culture. Yet, the Mexican-American model actually agreed on the mainstream, mindset and stereotype from American to Mexican that they are lazy, poor, and uneducated. Thus, it can be concluded that there is an effort to let go its own identity and replace it with the new culture as what Mexican-American had done in general. This is how acculturation exists because Mexican-American tries to neglect its own culture and goes with the mainstream of American culture so that they will have the sense of acceptance from the American society (Kitano, 1985:
27). Therefore, how Mexican-American tried to compromise their own cultures as the process of acculturation is represented by the Mexican-American model’s characteristics in the form of ability to adjust with American life.
However, the process of acculturation does not stop in the phenomena of letting go certain culture but it also reaches to the level of one individual actually embraces or glorifies the new culture, American culture. These Mexicans, as the 66 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
result of acculturation with American will have a high pride over their American identity and they actually live by that and no longer refer themselves as Mexican.
This high esteem as American can be shown in the over patriotism action of these people as the result of adaptation of American life. It can be seen in the following quotation.
Racial ethnic groups have also gone through the same process, and some have successfully acculturated. They have learned English and the American way; They have fought and died for America and have subscribed to the tenets of patriotism and love of country (Kitano, 1985: 27).
Thus, it is obvious that the action of loving and embracing the American culture is one of the ways acculturation exists. This can also mean that patriotism to the majority culture is also one of the efforts to be accepted in the society. Not only that, these people also had loyalty toward the American government and they loved the country as if they were part of it naturally. This is also what is revealed by the Mexican-American model in the play that it is patriotic, it loves the country more than its original land and it is also proud to be American. This is how the idea of acculturation is represented indirectly by the model through its patriotic action.
The social integrity in Mexican-American also occurs within cultural boundary, that their culture is also compromised by the new and dominant culture,
American. It can be seen from the change of ideology of this people. In the genuine Mexican culture, “the family remains the most important unit; close relationships outside the family are mostly with age peers” (Kitano, 1985: 172).
Kitano even added that this friendship and kinship pattern were very common 67 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
among Mexicans but before World War II (Kitano, 1985: 163). Thus, it can be concluded, at the very first beginning, Mexican were very concern and close in terms of kinship and age hierarchy, that they always tried to maintain this closeness with relatives. Relation among Mexican people in the community was very strong and would be remain preserved. However, this was no longer the case when acculturation was in the process. Through acculturation and as the result of social attachment to America, Mexicans started to disattached themselves with their own value, community and their people. This is very obvious in the
Mexican-American model’s speech. From the speech, it can be revealed that ethnic pride and close kinship within this ethnic community had disappeared as the result of acculturation. The model does not feel proud to be Mexican, and it kept stating bad things about Mexican as lazy, uneducated and poor people. Here, the sense of close kinship as one ethnic preserved in Mexican ideology is neglected or even discarded by the model. It does not have the sense to protect and to embrace own community and family as what suppose to exist in Mexican.
This is how close kinship of Mexican is compromised by the individualistic life of
American and the personal and individual gain of the Mexican-American model is more prominent. Examine the following quotation.
Hispanic traditions also face challenges in the realm of values. The realities of American life often force Hispanics into a highly individualistic and competitive environment that in many respects is hostile to their ideals of human interaction (Light et al, 1989: 91).
Thus, it can be concluded that Individualistic and ambition is not the trait of Mexican, but American in general. Mexican prioritized community than individual interest while American is not. However, the image Valdez depicted to 68 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
us through the Mexican-American is completely different. The model is very ambitious and very individualistic at the end, that there has been a shift in tradition of Mexican. Thus, it is obvious that the model has attached themselves and has gone with American mainstream as the result of aculturation. The mexican tradition and ideology has been challenged in acculturation and it is depicted by the Mexican-American model.
b. Social Structure
The second type of acculturation process is the acceptance within social structure of American society. By social structure here, it refers to the acceptance of Mexican-American inside the institution, job field or governmental area of
American society. Their presence there actually shows the acceptance to the majority society consciously or not. Hazuda explained this phenomenon as
“structural assimilation” which defined as “the integration of members of the minority group into the social structure of the majority group”
(http://www.rice.edu/project/HispanicHealth/Acculturation.html). The same term also proposed by Gordon which explained that this newcomers entered this job institution, cliques, or clubs and there is a personal contact with the dominant society (Gordon, 1964). However, this does not exist before the period of
Mexican-American. This is because at first Mexican immigrant had different class and position in the society. Examine the following quotations.
Although there have been improvements over time, the average Mexican- American remains marginal in the job market. Mexicans hold the low- paying, less desirable jobs in most occupations. Those in the managerial category are usually self-employed in marginal occupations. They are excluded, except in token number, from civil service jobs such as those in 69 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
fire and police departments, are not found in larger numbers in higher paying, unionized jobs (Kitano, 1985: 168).
The average working Latino is more likely to hold a blue-collar job than his Anglo counterpart. A large proportion are in service work, such as janitors, cooks, and dental assistants (1985: 169).
It can be concluded that there were constant discriminations even in job opportunities experienced by Mexican. Commonly, the job opportunities available for them was only in blue-collar job at the highest, while others were forced to do lower job like labor, farm worker and other field work. Even this blue-collar job was also put them in a lower position compared to the Americans. Kitano explained further that this people would not be accepted in official job like police or fire department, and they were excluded in the governmental service area.
However, the characteristics of the Mexican-American model show different perspective. It can be understood that this model is accepted in job field commonly not for any other Mexican like society representative and political figure. It can be said that the Mexican-American model has adapted itself with the political condition and the society’s progress. Take a look at the following quotation.
SECRETARY. How about boards? Does he function on boards? SANCHO. You name them, he is on them. Parole boards, draft boards, school boards, taco quality control boards, surf boards, two-by- fours. SECRETARY. Does he function in politics? SANCHO. Senorita, you are looking at a political MACHINE. Have you ever heard of the OEO, EOC, COD, WAR ON POVERTY? That’s our model! Not only that, he makes political speeches. (Valdez, 1994: 1409) 70 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
Valdez emphasized that this model can work in board or as society representative school, company and legislative. This is a very significant position for Mexican-American in America because working at boards means they are trusted by society to aspire their voice and needs, like in school. In school boards, for example, these people are the one who have authority to change the school policy. Not only that, working at boards also shows how Mexican-American is actually accepted by the society. Society have acknowledged their existence and allowed them to join them by working as their representative.
Not only that, the presence of Mexican-American in political area is also significant in the process of acculturation. This was because Mexican immigrants were actually excluded in any governmental area, and they were not allowed to join any political activities. However, as the situation changes in Mexican-
American community, more and more political figures or political parties emerged as the result of acculturation. It can be seen that through politics, Mexican-
Americans actually wanted to be accepted in the mainstream and they actually wanted to be acknowledge. Examine the following quotations.
Indeed, between 1900 and 1930, Mexicans in America participated primarily in Mexican politics. Many of the political refugees formed organizations which were active in support of various political factions in Mexico during revolution (Kelley, 1986: 554).
After 1945 Mexican-American veterans formed a number of organizations, notably the GI Forum, which was strongly political in its tactics, and also the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) (1986: 720).
The GI Forum, composed of the World War II veterans was active in the 1950s: the Mexican American Political Organization (MAPA) and the Political Association of Spanish-speaking Organizations (PASO) were concerned with equal employment, voter registration, and the election of Mexican-American politicians (Kitano, 1985: 163). 71 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
It is obvious then, that at first, the awareness on politics did not exist in Mexican life. The opportunities also did exist because of the prejudice, discrimination and poverty. However, this consciousness grew along with the emergence of small political movements like MAPA and PASO. Mexican-Americans started to gain self-awareness to fight for equality and fight for better life condition through politics. Thus, more and more Mexican-American were eligible and active in politics both as figures or party member. This ethnic group kept growing in terms of political position among the American as the more political figure joined the election process. Examine the following quotations.
Despite the large undocumented population, Chicanos are also beginning to wield more electoral power. Chicano mayors and city council members have been elected in several south-western cities, most prominently San Antonio (Light et al, 1989: 371)
However, even as Mexican Americans began to adapt to the political and social traditions of the United States they were still viewed as "foreigners" by the larger society. Thus, they set out to demonstrate that they were true Americans. This orientation was reflected in the goals of the emerging organizations of the early twentieth century. The Orden Hijos de América (Order of the Sons of America), established in 1921 in San Antonio, Texas, by members of a small emerging middle class, restricted its goals to that of "training members for citizenship." (http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Mexican-Americans.html).
Here, it is obvious that there were efforts by these Mexican-Americans to be accepted in the American politics because they believed that acceptance in politics meant they were part of America as well. Their intention to be like American in politics is another way of acculturation and the fact that they were part of
American politics is an obvious proof of society acceptance in their social structure. 72 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
This is also what the model Mexican-American tried to show the reader that it is very active in American politics like War on poverty, EOC, etc. Valdez even regarded the Mexican-American model as the political machine to emphasize that this model is very influential in politics. Thus, its presence in politics is the representation of acculturation and the proof of how it needed to be accepted in the mainstream of American politics.
c. Marital Acculturation
According to Gordon (1964), this marital acculturation means that “some members of the subculture intermarry with members of the larger society”. This means that the process of acculturation happens through marriage between two different ethnic, Mexican with American resulting a generation with a mix of
Mexican and American in physical appearance. This marriage, at the end, is one of acculturation process in Mexican-American. This is very obvious in the description of the Mexican-American model when it is described to have mix feature, a Mexican as well as an American. Take a look at the following dialogue.
SANCHO. He just came in this morning. Ain’t he a beauty? Feast your eyes on him! Sturdy US STEL frame, streamlined, modern. As a matter of fact, he is built exactly like our Anglo models except that he comes in a variety of darker shades: naugahyde, leather, or leatherette. (Valdez, 1994: 1408)
Acculturation by marriage is the most obvious one compared to the other one. This is because it is the easiest one to examine from the mixture of physical feature of Mexican and American. This is exactly what the Mexican-American model portrays from its appearances. This model is made of steel from America
(US), and it is also made according to the Anglo pattern and model. However, this 73 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
Anglo appearance is also completed with the dark skin color, like a Mexican suppose to be. This is where the mix feature of the Mexican-American is presented. Thus, it can be concluded that this model looked like an American in height, face shape, and hair but it is darker in color. This is a very significant part in acculturation according to Kitano.
Mexican-Americans exhibit a wide range of skin colors—from light Caucasian to dark Indian, and all shades in between. Color was an important stratification variable within the group even before contact with the United States (Kitano, 1985: 175).
Here, it is obvious that color becomes a significant trait to differentiate Mexican-
American from any other ethnic, even to Mexican itself because they are not white or dark, but something in between, a mix of both color. Not only that, skin color is also an important proof that acculturation has existed in Mexican-
American. Valdez even satirized this fact by describing that “this is a Mexican-
AMERICAN! We had to melt down two pachucos, a farm worker and three gabachos to make this model” (Valdez, 1994: 1410). So, it is obvious that
Mexican-American is the mixture of Mexicans and Americans, or whites
(gabachos) and the model represents this acculturation directly through its mix physical appearances of Anglo pattern and Mexican skin color and smell.
Thus, it can be concluded that acculturation, as the process of acceptance from and of the new culture, can cover to how these Mexican-
Americans attached themselves to America. This process includes how Mexican-
American follows the social mainstream like English mastery, American mindsets, being patriotic, involved deeply in politics and society representative. 74 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
These acceptances can also in a form of cross ethnic marriage so that at the end,
Mexican-American emerges both physically and mentally. 75 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
Los Vendidos captures many issues about Mexican-American’s life such as prejudice, discrimination and struggle. However, beyond that, this literary work also grabs the whole life experiences of Mexican-American in America as the new community. Valdez reveals to the reader the record of Mexican-American’s experiences like life condition, struggle, adaptation and effort in the new land of
America. These are exactly what exist in the phenomena of cross-culture and race relation that is when two cultures that are Mexican and American, interact, there will be reaction toward each other. This is what Valdez pointed out in Los
Vendidos through each model that is the record of life experience and history of
Mexican-American community through the three life stages.
It all began when Mexican-American migrated to the New World as their effort for a better life condition. The need of better income and the huge demand of worker as the result of rapid development in America had been the factors that supported the massive immigration of Mexican-American in 1the 900s. As immigrant workers, particularly in Agricultural sector, their life in the new society were not better than in their homeland. Mexican-American, in the period of migration, was classified as the lowest class of society, and thus they were excluded from the mainstream job field and the white-collar job. Limited by the discrimination and language incapability, they were forced to take the jobs which were unlikely done by Americans themselves and paid less regardless the heavy
75 76 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
demand like farm worker, plantation labors and cotton pickers. Payments became a significant issue in this period because these immigrant workers had to accept any amount of money for their work without protest because their unstable and unsecure position in America. Thus, Mexican farm workers were often regarded as the cheapest labor in America. Housing facilities were no better than their payment because they were left with option to live together with ten other workers in a small camp or stayed in other place. The pressure from the society, job discrimination, unfair payment and facilities are commonly experienced by
Mexican workers. Thus, these conditions introduce the first stage: the period of migration represented by the Farm Worker model.
However, these people did not accept this condition just the way it was because they showed their responses and reactions toward the unfair condition at the end. This is particularly the essence of the second stage: The period of revolution and movement where Mexican worker reacted aggressively toward the pressure and discrimination. They fought back and they tried to have an equal right among the community. Thus, during this period of revolution, aggression was commonly shown. Mexican worker began to have strikes and boycott in the field. Clashes between Mexican and American were inevitable and the clashes were indicated by direct violence, riots, and oppression toward the protester. Not only that, the mindset about Mexican as savage and brutal people grew uncontrolled during the period. Thus, this is the common situation in the period of revolution and movement as represented by the Revolucionario model. 77 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
The last life stage of Mexican-American would be in the form of adaptation in order to be accepted by the mainstream of America. It can be seen that Mexican-American showed their efforts to be accepted by Americans. This is called as the period of acculturation where Mexican-American compromised and mixed their culture so that they would be part of America. This process could be seen from many aspects of Mexican-American life like political involvement, cross-ethnic marriage and ideological borrowing where many Mexican-Americans started to act, think and live like American in order to have the sense as one. This is the last period in which Mexican-American tried to be accepted by adapting themselves, or commonly known as “Anglo Conformity”: the period of acculturation.
From those three stages, it can be seen that there is a progress or development of Mexican into Mexican-American. This is due to the culture and race relation when they “met” each other and had a contact. Not only that, from these stages also, it can be understood the contribution of Mexican toward the
American society as whole that these people are not just labors but they are also part of America itself. From the stages, it is obvious how the existence of
Mexican-American had contributed to America’s economic condition and progress, to their history and to their divers culture and ideology. 78 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aguirre, Lydia. “The Meaning of the Chicano Movement” in We are Chicanos. ed. Phillip Ortega. New York: Pocket Books, 1973.
Alchura, Jakarta. “A Critique of Luis Valdez’s Los Vendidos and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles: Using Comparison and Contrast”, 2007
Black, Jan Knippers. Latin America, Its Problems and Its Promise: A Multidisciplinary Introduction. London: Westview Press, 1984.
Cortes, Carlos. Mexicans. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Group. Eds. Stephan Thernstrom, Ann Orlov, and Oscar Handlin. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1980.
Day, Mark. Forty Acres. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1971.
Durisin, Dionyz. Theory of Literary Comparatistics. Bratislava: Veda Publishing house of the Slovak academy of science, 1984.
Easthope, Antony and Kate McGowan. A Critical and Cultural Theory Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993.
Englekirk, Allan and Marguirite Marin. “Mexican Americans Overview”.
Gordon, Milton. Assimilation in American Life. New York: Oxford University Press, 1964.
Hazuda, H.P., Stern, M.P., and Haffner, S.M. Acculturation and Assimilation among Mexican Americans : Scales and Population-based Data. Social Science Quarterly 69, 1988.
Henderson, Greig E. And Christoper Brown. Glossary of Literary Theory. University of Toronto.
78 79 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
Henretta, James A, David Brody, Lynn Dumenil. America A Concise History Volume 2 since 1865. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.
Holman, C. Hugh and William Harmon. A Handbook to Literature. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986.
Kelley, Robert. The Shaping of the American Past fourth edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1986.
Kitano, Harry H.L. Race Relations Third Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall inc, 1985.
Light, Donald, Suzanne Keller and Craig Calhoun. Sociology Fifth Edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.
Makaryk, Irena R. Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993.
Miller, Barbara. D and Bernard Wood. Anthropology. Boston: Pearson Education inc, 2006.
Norton, Mary Beth, David M.Katzman, Paul D. Escott, Howard P. Chudacofi, Thomas G. Paterson, William M. Tuttle, Jr. A People and A Nation A History of The United States. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982.
Peterson, Claire and Susana Diaz. “Exploring the United Farm Workers’ History”.
Rohrberger, Mary and Samuel H. Woods. Jr. Reading and Writing about Literature. New York: Random House, 1971.
Sartre, Jean-Paul. What is Literature? And other essays. Massachusetts: Harvard University press, 1988.
Schaefer, Richard. T. Sociology Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill inc, 1986.
Valdez, Luis. Los Vendidos. An Introduction to Literature Expanded Edition. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, Morton Berman, and William Burto. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1994. 80 PLAGIATPLAGIAT MERUPAKANMERUPAKAN TINDAKANTINDAKAN TIDAKTIDAK TERPUJITERPUJI
______. Early Works: Actos, Bernabe, and Pensamiento Serpentino. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1990.
Vukcevich, Mai. “Representation”. The Chicago School of Media Theory, 2002.
APPENDIX
Los Vendidos, a Hispanic literary work by Luis Valdez, develops its plot in a store called Used Mexican Lot and Mexican Curio Shop during the Reagan government. The store owned by Honest Sancho provides various Mexican robot models for various functions and purposes such as Farm Worker, Johnny Pachuco,
Revolucionario and Mexican-American models. The story arouse when Secretary
Jimenez comes to the store looking for the suitable model to work in the office administration. Sancho as the owner tries to sell these Mexican models that fulfill the Secretary’s demand. Each model is introduced to the Secretary but none of them is suitable for the Secretary.
The first one is Farm Worker model which is cheap, hard worker, and resembles much of a Mexican, but it is directly rejected because it does not speak
English at all. The second one is Johnny Pachuco model. It is a type of urban model who speaks little English. However, The Secretary also rejected the model because it is rude, criminal and uncontrolled.
Then, Sancho offers the Secretary the third model, Revolucionario. The model is strong and well-built but it is not an American product at the end.
Therefore, it is rejected. The Secretary is actually looking for a Mexican robot which also resembles American at the same time. Sancho, then, introduces
Mexican-American, the last model. In general, this model is almost suitable for her demand except for the high price. At the end, the story is ended with the fact that the robot models are actually real human while Sancho is the real robot.
81