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Sang Doan03/28/2011English 1BMr. Heimler

Pocho’s Life in America

Born to a family with both parents from Mexico, Jose Antonio Villarreal grows to be a

distinctive Mexican American author. In 1959, he introduced Pocho to depict the contradicting

yet problematic life of Mexicans living in America. The main character in the novel is Richard

Rubio whose dream is to become a writer. Through the character development of Richard,

Villarreal’s thoughts and perceptions are well illustrated. Pocho perpetuates the self-evaluation

in finding one’s own identity and destiny in the battle of bicultural adaptation among the

prejudiced world.

Jose Antonio Villarreal identifies Richard as a responsible young adult in his family. As

the only son, Richard pours comfort into his mother’s heart when his father Juan Manuel Rubio

leaves the house. Though understanding his father’s feeling very well, Richard cannot

accompany him. Richard knows better that his mother needs him the most at such difficult time

during the depression. He tries to explicate his feeling to his mother:

“‘If so, why did you not go with him?’ With her it was still a matter of sides, and

he tried to explain how he felt. And now he was pitying her.

“Mama”, he said, “There is no such thing in my mind. I have not gone with my

father because you need me more-that is why. I love you both, but I do not love

one of you more than the other, and if it feel upon his lot to need me, then I would

go to him.’” (Villarreal 171)

The author pictures the main character Richard with mixed feeling. However, in the end,

Richard decides to stay with his mother because she needs him more. This brings about the

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mature thought of a young man, being both responsible and thoughtful for his family. By doing

this, Villarreal symbolizes his main character’s important role as the head in the family, in

replace for his father. Weeks after Richard’s father left the house, he grows to be more conscious

of his responsibility to the family. “After a few weeks in the role of breadwinner, Richard sensed

that a sense of duty was taking a strong hold on him. “Since his father was no longer at home,

full responsibility for the discipline of the family, as well as for its maintenance, had slowly been

pushed upon him by his mother.” (Villarreal 174) Indeed, Richard is no longer the only son in

the family. He has become the substitution for his father’s place to maintain the well-functioning

family and take care of his mother. The author purposely leads the readers to realize Richard’s

gradual changes without a husband, a father in the family to remind them of responsibility in the

family.

Furthermore, Villarreal depicts Richard as a greatly ambitious youth. Richard has a

determination to become a writer. He reads books and tries to improve his English day by day, in

devotion to his love for words. When his mother tells him that he can end his education from

secondary school and begin to work, he confidently replies that his purpose in studying is not to

make money. He wants to take his education seriously and patiently. As a child, Richard argues

to his mother about his education:

“For I do not intend to be a doctor or a lawyer or nothing like that. If I were to go

to school only to learn to work at something, then I would not do it. I would just

work in the fields or in the cannery or something like that. My father would be

disappointed in me if I did get an education, so it does not matter. When the time

comes, I will do what I have to do” (Villarreal 63)

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The author develops a strong personality for his main character. After Richard’s father

left the family, Richard unwillingly becomes the “breadwinner”. Even then, he still wants to

follow his dream. Though his mother expects him to only take care of the family, Richard

refuses; arguing that taking care of his family is not his duty. He strongly determines to continue

his education. Richard affirms this will again during the novel:

“It is not a duty, Mama,” he said. “I am doing what I am doing because I do not

want to do anything else at the moment, but please do not mistake my motives. It

would only make you hurt much later. I told you it is not my life which has been

changed, but yours and my father’s. I do not belong here any more. I do not even

belong in this town any more, and when the time comes that I want to go to

school, Mama, I will do so. I will remain until I must leave, and that is all.”

(Villarreal 172)

Villarreal reveals his support for ambition and determination to follow one’s dream; and

Richard is his greatest example. His mother tries to restrain him from studying in the University.

However, Richard doesn’t give up his hope to continue his education, in order to become a

writer. Therefore, the novel is a reminder to readers to follow their dreams and not to give up in

any circumstances.

Finally, one of the most important messages Villarreal desires to convey to readers

through Richard’s personality is the preserving of one’s original culture. The author names the

book Pocho. This is another word for Chicano or Mexican living in America. Following up with

that, the novel’s main character is also a Chicano. When Richard talks to his parents in English,

his father doesn’t show much appreciation:

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“‘Silence!’ roared Juan Rubio. ‘We will not speak the dog language in my house!’

They were at the supper table.

‘But this is America, Father,’ said Richard. ‘If we live in this country, we must

live like Americans.’

‘And next you will tell me that those are not tortillas you are eating but bread,

those are not beans but haham an’ ecks.’” (Villarreal 133)

It is true that though Richard’s family live in America, they are still Mexicans. The

author constructs Richard to be the first person in this family to argue about the lifestyle of

Chicanos. Richard is also the first Americanized Chicano in Pocho. However, Richard knows

that he is not losing the Mexican heritage either when he admits that he is a Pocho: “‘I am a

Pocho,’” he said, ‘and we speak like this because here in California we make Castilian words out

of English words. But I can read and write in Spanish, and I taught myself from the time I had

but eight years.’” (Villarreal 165) Richard affirms that he is a Pocho when he meets Pilar.

Despite the fact that he is Americanized, Richard still doesn’t want to forget that he is also a

Mexican. The author develops in Richard two conflict sentiments. He doesn’t want to lose

neither his “American” nor his “Mexican”. Villarreal describes vividly this conflict inside

Richard to reveal his real inner personality. Richard’s confusion in defining himself represents

the struggle that most Chicanos are experiencing. Only through Richard’s situation can the

readers really understand the battle of self-realization in the dissolution of a Mexican American

family.

In general, Pocho the novel describes vividly the contradicting life in America of a young

Chicano Richard Rubio. Through the novel, the author sends the message of family

responsibility, ambition and the struggle in self-realization. By doing that, Villarreal reveals the

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problem of many Mexican families after moving to the America: losing their cultural traditions

while adapting to the new culture. Pocho is the lesson of life for the American immigrants in

general, represented by the portrait of Richard Rubio and his life in America.