Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal: An Analysis
Name: Vi Le
Department & Course number: ENGL – 381
Professor’s name: José Navarro
Assignment #1
Date: January 27th, 2015
Self-definition for integration
Richard Rubio, a protagonist in Pocho, written by José Antonio Villarreal, loves reading, and he is always looking for reasonable answers for any questions. Richard finds that the growth in his mind has not come from his Mexican family tradition and culture but from reading and thinking rationally. He has an independent look in family relations, friends, religions, teachers, and society rather than listening and accepting what his family members and other people tells him. To define himself in an alien culture, he negates the Mexican tradition of his father’s world which is insularity in a Mexican barrio, reconsiders the reassurances of religious belief, and finds independence to be assimilated into the American culture.
Being born as a man in a Mexican family means that working and supporting his family is his obligation, and Richard is no exception. One day Richard's mother, Consuelo Rubio, has a talk with him, and she tells him that he will probably have to drop out of school in a few years so that he can help support the family to improve the family’s standard of living. However, what
Richard wants is going to school, and he wants to learn only for the benefits of learning; and moreover, he loves learning. He even wants to go college and becomes a writer. Despite his mother tried to convince to change, he insists on pursuing learning. She asks Richard what he think is more important, learning and making money, if the learning does not make money. He answers, "I want to learn, and that is all. I do not want to be something - I am" (Villarreal 64).
Supporting the family is not what he wants out of life, and he does not even change his mind when their family is making a new beginning after his father’s leave. His mother feels shocked
1
about his thoughts, and she says that his ideas are against God’s will.
Department & Course number: ENGL – 381
Professor’s name: José Navarro
Assignment #1
Date: January 27th, 2015
Self-definition for integration
Richard Rubio, a protagonist in Pocho, written by José Antonio Villarreal, loves reading, and he is always looking for reasonable answers for any questions. Richard finds that the growth in his mind has not come from his Mexican family tradition and culture but from reading and thinking rationally. He has an independent look in family relations, friends, religions, teachers, and society rather than listening and accepting what his family members and other people tells him. To define himself in an alien culture, he negates the Mexican tradition of his father’s world which is insularity in a Mexican barrio, reconsiders the reassurances of religious belief, and finds independence to be assimilated into the American culture.
Being born as a man in a Mexican family means that working and supporting his family is his obligation, and Richard is no exception. One day Richard's mother, Consuelo Rubio, has a talk with him, and she tells him that he will probably have to drop out of school in a few years so that he can help support the family to improve the family’s standard of living. However, what
Richard wants is going to school, and he wants to learn only for the benefits of learning; and moreover, he loves learning. He even wants to go college and becomes a writer. Despite his mother tried to convince to change, he insists on pursuing learning. She asks Richard what he think is more important, learning and making money, if the learning does not make money. He answers, "I want to learn, and that is all. I do not want to be something - I am" (Villarreal 64).
Supporting the family is not what he wants out of life, and he does not even change his mind when their family is making a new beginning after his father’s leave. His mother feels shocked
1
about his thoughts, and she says that his ideas are against God’s will.
Cited: Villarreal, José Antonio. Pocho. New York: Anchor, 1989. Print. 4