Luis Valdez's Los Vendidos Essay

Within the Mexican community, competing notions of racial identity has long existed. Aware to gradations of color in race and their shading of white and non white identity, Haney Lopez introduces the

The immigration experience as a Latino-American is as diverse as the manifold cultures that the pan-ethnic identity, Latino, aims to subsume. With regards to the immigration experience, Zavella (1991) lays an emphasis on the notion of social location. The difference among Latinos in American society is embedded in their “social location within the social structure”, in which identity, or one’s sense of self, is emergent from the intersected social spaces formed by class, race/ethnicity, gender, and culture. In order to gain a sufficient understanding of the identity of the Latino-American immigrant, it is necessary to consider the subjective conditions under which individual experiences have shaped behaviors and attitudes. Through

In this paper, I will use the sociological imagination to connect my personal experiences of being a second-generation immigrant to the theory of racialization and self-identity. My experience of looking for racial identity associates with the process of classifying others by their physical characteristics, as well as my own self-identification. This affected my unique identity by others perceiving me differently based on the social roles.

Munoz brings up the Mexican identity in his first personal experience of the story. He hears an airport agent over the intercom pronouncing a name in a Mexican accent. The first paragraph Munoz goes on saying “identity politics rarely deepen into exacting terms,

To start with in the essay “Like Mexicans” by Gary Soto he tells us his story about how he fell in love with a woman who was different from him. Soto’s mother and grandmother always gave him the same advice “marry a Mexican girl” (Soto). Soto soon realized what his mother and grandmother meant by their advice, “But then one afternoon while I was hitchhiking home from school, it struck me like a baseball in the

Although his research is not fully based in the Mexican immigrants, it is rather based in a small community of immigrants from Tucuani, this is a work that helps people to understand the transnational life of migrants in general. In fact, being an international student and coming from a country market by immigration, this book also provides an explanation of some for some of my personal experience. For example, when he notices how the first generation and second generation is treated differently when returning home. The first generation is well received and praised when the second generation is treated as arrogant. My country was also greatly impacted by civil war which forced a number of people to immigrate. This book analysis presented several explanations for the reason why first generation keeps the image of their country of origin as “home” that they would always come back and the second not so much. Like Julia, many second generation returning to my country feel happy to return home, but they make people unhappy since they would not let go of the values they learned growing up in a foreign country. I didn’t understand much and I confess that before moving to the US I also consider many of them arrogant. In fact, these views may influence how both generations are treated when returning to their home

Los Vendidos was written by Luis Valdez the play tells us issues that Mexican Americans faced throughout history. “Los Vendidos” translates to “The Sold Ones.” Which interpreters Valdez’s opinion on Mexican’s conformity to the American culture. Luis Valdez addresses, through humor the historical struggles, stereotypes and challenges that Mexican Americans face. Although the play was written in 1967 I believe it’s still relevant

The big and the little screens have presented us with the picture of the funny Hispanic maid, mispronouncing words and cooking up a storm in a shiny California kitchen" (Ortiz Cofer, par. 11). Media representation of Latin women as maids gives that as the only idea some people have of Latin women. This kind of character seen on film and other media extends to any other group in

“Their eyes say, ‘You may speak Spanish but you`re not like me’” shows how even though she might look Mexican and speak Spanish, she still doesn’t belong (Nye,

The secretary asks for a Mexican who is dark, but not too dark and a hard worker. The farmworker is the right complexion, hardworking, friendly and economical. The farmworker represents hard working Mexicans who work in American fields and factories, and jobs that require low-skills. Honest Sancho exults that the Farmworker can go with little food, sleep out in the field and returns to Mexico after the harvest season. Eventually, he is not purchased because he does not speak English. The second Mexican model is Johnny Pachuco the “urban model.” He represents the “Lazy Thug.” Pachuco steals rather than works, uses drugs and is violent, runs on fast food, and can be beaten and bruised. The secretary rejects Pachuco. The third Mexican model is the “Early California Bandit Type.” This Mexican is most popularly seen in movies, traditional and romantic who rides horses, leads revolutions and lives out in the mountains. Revolucionario is a rougher version of a Mexican who has a romantic side. Miss Jimenez rejects the

In his play, "Los Vendidos," Luis Valdez addresses, through humor and stereotypes, the issues faced by Mexicans in America throughout history. Although a "White Washed Mexican" woman is supposedly looking for a Mexican, what she is actually looking for is an American with darker skin. The key word here is American, as she is looking for someone who has denied his or her Mexican roots and become acculturated to the American way of life. This woman does not want a Mexican for any other reason than the fact that he is Mexican, and she has no respect for his heritage.

I am the youngest of six siblings; three currently live in Mexico and four of us live here in California. Those in Durango along with my parents with no doubt identity as Mexican, those of us that live here in California also identity as Mexican; however we acknowledge that for at least the past seven years our experiences have being very different. Due to this different experiences we identity as Mexican living in the exterior. Our ancestral roots and our childhood are Mexican, but we cannot ignore the obvious difference between living here vs living in Mexico. There are also strong motives behind our immigration that make us more critical of the Mexican government and economy. Immigration causes an inevitable and irreparable change that needs to be acknowledged. As Mexicans living in the exterior we are more critical of the way of life back in Mexico just as we are critical of the way of life here in the U.S. The living in between two worlds, liminality, allows us to be critical of both and to see possible ways in with our life should be easier. My identity due to our recent difference of living experience and geographical locations slightly differences from my family living in

In the play, “Los Vendidos” by Luis Valdez, portrays a woman, Mrs. Jimenez, walking into Honest Sancho’s Used Mexican Lot and Mexican Curio Shop. Mrs. Jimenez is trying to find a Mexican “model” who they can manipulate with just a snap of their fingers. The conflict of the play “Los Vendidos” is Mrs. Jimenez not able to find the adequate Mexican, because of the flaws Honest Sancho’s “models” have; which correlates to the same issues of being stereotyped.

Ernesto Rosado is a 7 year old Peruvian-American male who is an only child. He is in second grade and was brought to counseling by his adoptive parents. He appears to be his stated age. He is approximately 4’ tall and weighs 55 lbs., and he appears to be in good health. He is a handsome, bright-eyed, young male with two front teeth missing. He lives with his adoptive parents (John and Grace), which includes the original adoptive father and his new wife from remarrying. There is little known about Ernesto’s biological parents and his first adoptive mother (Lynn), who was married to John, passed away from Leukemia.

Miss. Jimenez is the protagonist in the play. She is the secretary that works for Governor Reagan’s office. She oversees finding a Mexican American for the administration. The Mexican American is needed to help promote business and votes from the Hispanic population. The secretary is Hispanic herself, but tries to hide her identity. This is shown when the salesman, Honest Sancho, pronounces her name the correct way and she has a quick response, “Don’t you speak English? What’s wrong with you?” (Vendidos) She doesn’t want her name associated with the Mexican culture. Stereotype is shown when the secretary only wants the Mexican American. She has difficulty with social identity by rejecting her own culture.