Book Review Example - Pocho

Introduction

Assimilation is the integration process either culturally, economically, politically, or socially of a minority group, often immigrants into the dominant culture. The full process of assimilation is dependent on the minority capacity and the dominant group socio-economic structure. This process has limitations, such as the people being assimilated may not enjoy all the benefits as the natives. The cost of assimilation outweighs the benefits, and immigrants are often faced with language and phenotype barriers (Rodriguez). The term Pocho in the novel ‘Pocho’ is derived during the depression era of Mexican American transition, and children born during this time were referred to by this name. Villarreal, the author with a Mexican origin, traces some similarities with his character Richard Rubio to explain to Americans of people they knew less about (Villarreal, “Pocho: The Novel”). In the novel, Richard Rubio refers to himself as a Pocho because, in California, they know the art of making Castilian words out of English words (Villarreal 165). Based on different occurrences in the narrative, the paper will indicate how the novel criticizes and also supports assimilation.

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Process of Assimilation

Villarreal does not openly criticize the process of assimilation, but he elaborates on the hardship that the Mexican immigrants had to undergo in the foreign land through his narrative (Villarreal, “Pocho: The Novel”). One example of how Villarreal presents the theme of assimilation is evaluating the oppression of Mexicans at work. The workers in Jamison farm requested a pay rise; instead, the daughter stepped out to ask them who they thought they were, and if they were the only ones having a hard time. She then asked them to leave or shoot anyone who did not leave her father’s property, and she also went ahead to call the sheriff on them (Villarreal 53-54). Such a case proofs that Villarreal feels that the process of assimilation is oppressive to the Mexican people. The discrimination that Richard underwent both in school and his neighborhood is also proof of what the minority group had to experience through the assimilation process.

Notably, Richard is some victim of assimilation since he had only heard of the Mexican culture through oral tradition when he accompanied his father on short trips around Santa Clara valley to reunite with other Mexican migrants. Villarreal states that they would sit around the campfire, and Richard would listen to the men talk about a strange place that to him was so distant and the tales to him were for a long time ago. He would find himself doze off on his father’s lap (Villarreal 43). To Juan, Richard's father, these stories were constative, and he felt the men were essential informants of the Mexican culture to the recent immigrants. However, Richard perceived the stories to be fictional, and they only made sense to him the moment it was narrated to him. He also joined the army to be free from the daily routine, and even he knew he would still be able to take care of his family since the father had left him that responsibility.

Dominant Society

The assimilation presented in this novel is partial because the Mexican immigrants did not fully get dissolved by the dominant society. For instance, Juan still goes back to his native land despite having bought a house in California. Moreover, he could not cope well with his wife’s modernized nature. The trips Juan made to visit the old Mexican men prove that he is rooted in his culture. On the other hand, Richard felt the need to learn about the lives of other Mexican migrants once his father left, and in his findings, he realized some families were deeply rooted in their old Mexican ways (Villarreal 149).

There are three assimilation models; classical and new assimilation model, the segmented assimilation model, and the ethnic disadvantage model (Brown and Bean). In Richard’s story, the most applicable theory is the ethnic or racial disadvantage model, whereby the language, discrimination, and cultural familiarity hinder complete assimilation. These factors block the process of assimilation, and it may take several generations for assimilation to ultimately occur. In the novel, Richard faces discrimination at school and during his experience with the police who associate the Mexican silence to their inability to speak fluently. During the arrest of the pachuco group and when Victor hit the deputy at Jamison’s orchard, Richard told the police, “I don’t talk English too good,” he further said, “I almost answered you in Spanish.” (Villarreal 59). His statement made the police stop questioning him further because they knew Mexican workers found it hard to express themselves in English. However, this was not the case as Richard had become fluent due to his reading habits.

Various Boundaries

Richard crosses various boundaries; he becomes knowledgeable and very popular in his town library since he would go there every day after work. His mother once mentioned that he would either become a doctor or lawyer once they moved back to Mexico since these carriers would earn him more money, but he stuck to the fact that he wanted to be a writer. His teachers encouraged his reading, but unfortunately, did not direct it, and he became increasingly elaborate in his moods (Villarreal 103). Richard's passion for reading and learning drove him to read all the books in the library, and this was outstanding as no one, including the natives, had done so.

Consuelo, the mother of Richard, crossed the cultural boundary due to modernity. She began talking back to her husband, Juan, which was against the Mexican cultural values whereby machismo and misogyny were dominant. Consuelo also started to neglect her housekeeping chores. The fights between the two became frequent, which led to Juan relocating back to Mexico since he was rooted in his traditions and could not embrace modernity.

Notably, Richard's sexuality goes overboard. Unlike other Mexicans who are brought up in the Catholic faith values, he edaciously discovered masturbation and sex to the extent that he had sexual affairs with married women despite having an affair with someone else. Villarreal states that people in the night school thought of him interesting some more, and they would show him off (176). However, they made the mistake of thinking of him as a child, and in the end, it turned out badly because one of them, a Marxist, became very middle-class when he found Richard in bed with his beautiful wife (Villarreal 176).

Conclusion

Based on the events described in the novel, we can conclude that the assimilation process cannot occur within the first generation as there are factors that may slow it down or completely block the process. The process varies greatly among individuals because some people may choose to embrace the new culture in a foreign land, while others may stick to their traditions and practice the new norms for their gains.

Works Cited

Brown, Susan K. and Bean, Frank D. “Assimilation Models, Old and New: Explaining a Long-Term Process.” Migration Information Source, 1 October 2006,
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/assimilation-models-old-and-new-explaining-long-term-process

Rodriguez, Ralph. “Changing Sides, Or, The Assimilation Blues.” Los Angeles Review of Books, 6 July 2015, https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/changing-sides-or-the-assimilation-blues/

Villarreal, Jose Antonio. Pocho. Anchor Books, 1989.

Villarreal, Jose Antonio. “Pocho: The Novel, The Author, And Their Times.” Interview by Linda Ferguson. Onda Latina, 1 Jan 1918,
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/onda_latina/program?sernum=000536942&header=Culture.