Play Summary Of The Play 'Los Vendidos' By Luis Valdez

During this time period worker were not getting enough pay because of their skin color or where they came from. On page 216 there is discrimination toward Isabel. “ Has a Mexican girl ever been chosen for Queen of May? She asked Josefina. Josefina face took on a disappointed look and silently shook her head no.” Esperanza felt this was completely unfair, because Isabel was the best applicant, and yet she was still not picked to be Queen of May. On page 220- 221 Esperanza is enraged that the Okies stole Miguel´s job. “ A temper that Esperanza did not recognize raged to the surface. Why didn't your boss tell the others to dig ditches. You can not work on engines because you are Mexican.” This challenge was hard on Esperanza because her own family and friends were being

At work, Ramon and the other Chicano miners are forced to take on the most dangerous jobs while working alone, while white miners were allowed to work in pairs, doing some of the less life-threatening jobs. The Chicanos become indebted to the company through high prices, as the only stores in the town are those owned by the company. Ramon and Esperanza, along with the other community members fight against verbal abuse and discriminatory practices in the working and living conditions they encounter on a daily basis.

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

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

Stereotypes are the shackles that keep masses of people unable to be free in the world. One of the main themes illustrated through the play is the basis of stereotyping in America and how it has and continues to affect chicanos. Valdez’s definition of actos is “to inspire others to take social action”, the playwright successfully fulfils his definition through the dialogues and events he describes. The dehumanizing way that Valdez introduces all of the characters in the play solidifies the pressure they feel to assimilate and why many resist assimilation. In the play Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez, the author fulfills his own unique definition of actos in the play by showcasing some of the stereotypes and prejudices held against Mexican Americans to illustrate the real social standards that are placed upon them.

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

Minorities are almost always judged based on stereotypes, that are given to them based on what people see on the outside, and they don't always see the best in the minority's. In los Vendidos, their is a white women trying to buy a Mexican so he can be in administration for the governor's office, and she wanted to know how the mexican would do on boards. The salesman says, “you name them he's on them. Parole boards, draft boards, school boards, taco quality control boards, surf boards, two by fours” (Valdez 109). What the salesman was saying was that the mexican in an almost all government board like the patrol board and school board. He even told her he is on a made up board, the taco quality control board. He said the mexican is on two by

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

When Americans meet someone new they are already sticking that person into some sort of category because of their appearance. If someone looks different than Americans are use to, they automatically stick some sort of stereotype to them. Stereotypes are strongly displayed in the media; stereotype can be based of someone’s color, culture, religion, or sex. In Black men in public spaces by Brent Staples, and in The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the authors talk about stereotypes based on their gender and ethnicity and the experiences they both encounter because of their ethnicity and gender which have many similarities and differences. Stereotypes can lead

"The Pachuco is a symbol not of the guilt of an oppressed Mexican minority, but of a cancerous growth within the majority group which is gnawing at the vitals of democracy and American way of life. The Pachuco and his feminine counterpart, the 'Cholitas,' are spawns of a neglectful society - not the products of a humble minority people who are defenseless before their enforced humiliation" (Daniels 206).

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

The story illustrates the overlapping influences of women’s status and roles in Mexican culture, and the social institutions of family, religion, economics, education, and politics. In addition, issues of physical and mental/emotional health, social deviance and crime, and social and personal identity are

“The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria”, by Cofer explains what she has been through with stereotypes and how she dealt with them. Growing up in an Hispanic culture is very different than growing up with an American family. There are certain things expected from each of those culture that are different from one another. “... for example, that of the Hispanic woman as the

Luis Valdez wrote “Los Vendidos” in order to address his view of the Mexican culture and in reference to the prejudices that surrounded him. The play defines four versions of Mexican men, shop owner Honest Sancho is trying to sell to a Secretary in Governor Reagan’s political office. The buildup of characters: The Farmworker, Johnny Pachuco, The Revolucionario, and the Mexican-American, symbolizes an evolution of what society deems the “ideal” Mexican-American should be. “Los Vendidos” translates to "The Sold Ones" or "The Sellouts” which is a solid interpretation of Valdez’s opinion on Mexican’s conformity to the American culture. Valdez creates a distinct characterization of all four models, Miss Jimenez, and Honest Sancho with snarky

The article Mojado Like Me by Joseph Tovares is about three men who go undercover to determine the legal status of Mexican workers and whether they were being exploited. Joseph Tovares is a college educated, U.S. born Latino from San Antonio Texas that lives a good life as documentary producer. Over the years after hard work he had achieved the measure of success he longed for. As a Mexican American, life was not easy at first due to dealing with “white” teachers throughout his school years and the snide remarks of co-workers. However, after Tovares success in his career he no longer had to deal with being an outcast.