Macho!: A Novel

by Victor Villaseñor

Roberto Garcia is only seventeen, but he already has big dreams of making his fortune, building a family, and gaining the respect of his community. With ambition to burn and a passion to prove his manhood, Roberto takes the dangerous journey north, crossing the Mexican border to pick fruit in the “golden fields” of California. It is said that a good man can make more money there in a week than in an entire year in the mountains of Michoacán, his home. With dreams that overshadow harsh realities, Roberto is unprepared for the jammed boxcars and bolted trucks that carry undervalued migrant workers through the searing desert to long days of harsh labor.

Raw, powerful, poetic, and heartbreaking, Macho! brings to life the brutality of migrant labor, Cesar Chavez’s efforts to unionize workers, and a vivid portrayal of the immigrant experience through the eyes of a brave young man who bids goodbye to everything he knows to follow his dreams.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Latinx, Coming Of Age, 20th Century

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Victor Villaseñor is an acclaimed Mexican-American writer, best known for the New York Times bestseller novel Rain of Gold. Villaseñor's works are often taught in American schools. He went on to write Thirteen Senses: A Memoir (2001), a continuation of Rain of Gold. His book Burro Genius: A Memoir (2004) describes his life. The author has received awards and endorsements, including an appointment to serve as the founding Steinbeck Chair at Hartnell College and the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, from February 2003 to March 2004.

Reviews

[Licha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

I started reading this about a year ago and for some reason put it aside and kept overlooking it. I really wish I hadn't done that. I saw reflections in this book of so many people I know who are trying to help out their families through their blood, sweat and tears just to make a better life for them. It breaks my heart when people can't see past their prejudices so they can better understand the immigrants' struggle and sacrifices.

Villaseñor writes beautiful words that are like poetry to my heart. I feel like he is writing stories about my family and people I know. His characters come alive as if they were real people. I will not be able to do this book the justice it deserves with whatever review I write so I won't try to make a mess by elaborating any further.

**sidenote: I was really surprised to learn that not every farm worker was on board with Cesar Chavez. In one scene, his people report the workers to immigration services because they did not join their union efforts. It was an eye-opener to see that side of the coin here. I had never heard about this.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads and Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. for a 40th Anniversary copy of Macho.

This novel by Victor Villaseñor covers the adventures and ambitions of 17-year-old Roberto Garcia as he works in the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico and dreams of a brighter future for himself and his family. Roberto's hard work in his community catches the eye of Juan Aguilar, a norteño, who offers Roberto a chance to join him working in the migrant fields of California. Norteños are mexicans who earn their riches up north in the United States and return to their communities in Mexico with money to burn. The reader experiences life as a Mexican immigrant through Roberto's eyes and soon learns that life as a migrant worker is a lot more difficult than originally envisioned.

The theme that stuck with me through this book is honor. Roberto faces many choices though his journey into California and back to Mexico, but he usually takes time to contemplate each choice and choose the more honorable path. Some labeled Roberto a coward for his choices. However, when you can stand by your beliefs in the face of persecution from others, that is a true measure of honor.

I enjoyed how Villaseñor gave opposing viewpoints to Cesar Chavez and his politics of the time. While Chavez wanted to better the conditions and wages of migrant workers at the time, many illegals resented his efforts to have them deported. Villaseñor does a good job of seeing both sides of this issue.

[LonewolfMX Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Macho. It was a great story which took place shortly after the Bracero era in the Mid 60's just a few years before my father came to the U.S. in the early 70's. The story of Roberto is that wanting to provide for his family back in Michoacan, Mexico which was describe according to the book at the time almost frozen in time which is true according to my parents that their town of Maravatio de Ocampo in Michoacan was so isolated for a long time before the highway was Morelia-Mexico City was built that there were almost no cars and no electricity until the late 1960's.

My father like Roberto came as an alambrado over the fence to work to make money, but while Roberto was providing for his family my jefe was here for adventure up north before returning to Mexico to marry my mom. This story draws many parallels with my family's history such as duty to the family, honor, respect, hard work & such. Though by time my dad came to the U.S. in 1973 Cesar Chavez's movement had achieved most of its goals to make working conditions for the campesinos better.

I would also learn that not all Raza supported Chavez because though the pay was bad according to American standards from a Mexican's point of view American money was worth more than Mexican money and like the book and my dad would say one can earn more in one week here in California than whole year in Michoacan.

Though it slightly touched on the political most campesinos for them the bottom line was to make money to provide for those back home. For those that were legalized or Chicano the fight in the fields was worth fighting for, but for the undocumented/illegal Mexican this battle only served hinder them from making money which gives them a reason to hate Chavez
which is rarely mentioned among Chicano/Raza studies Historians. I as well as other Chicanos love and respect Cesar Chavez but for those that were here in the U.S. without papers he was preventing them from making a living in the U.S. to better their lives, which shows the flip side of the farm workers struggle in the fields.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful! It's considered a classic of Chicano literature, and I can see why.

It follows the story of young Roberto, oldest son of a family in a small Mexican town, as he becomes a Norteño trying to supplement his family's meager income in the rich Estados Unidos up north.

Interspersed between each chapter of Roberto's story are pages of historical facts which explain the backdrop of the story. These included many things I didn't know about, for example, the camp at Empalme set up to process legal migration of the temporary laborers from Mexico in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

The story rings true, and Villaseñor does a good job of presenting the situation in all its complexities. The Norteños are presented neither as heroes nor victims, but as individuals trying to find their way among the various cultures they live in. And we see effects of César Chávez' movement I'd never thought about -- nothing is presented as simple black and white.

When talking about the events taking place, Villaseñor's writing is direct and clear, even crisp; but the book also includes some beautiful, lyrical descriptions of the places Roberto finds himself, as well as sensitive snapshots of Roberto's thoughtful attempts to make sense of everything that happens to him.

This book chronicles an important piece of U.S. history, and I think all U.S. citizens should read it. That it does it so beautifully is a nice bonus.

[Juan Burciaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

yea so this was a badass read! I liked tthis book a lot it reminded me of my own family in Mexico and how it is down there. If you feel like you're worth nothing and won't ever make it in life then you should read this book, because it shows you how you can and will become something if you believe in yourself. Its about an 18 year old dude named Roberto from Mexico who works hard to put food on the table for his family since his father is a drunk. One day he meets a man named Juan Aguilar and he tells him that he should go up north to the United States to make twice as much money in a week then he would in his home town in a year. If you want to find out if Roberto and Juan ever go up north you should pick this book up and read it!

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book I have read by Victor Villasenor, Rain of Gold being the first and one of my all time favorite books. He grabbed my heart with this book also. Its the story of a 17 year old, Roberto, who knew only his little village in Michoacan, and how he traveles to make an illegal entry into "Estados Unidos" to work in the fields & send money home to his family. You will love the innocense of Roberto, the commoradre of men crossing the border together, you will cry with them & laugh with them. I loved the book.

[eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved learning about the immigrants pov of cesar chavez and about mexico during the 60s and what it was like crossing the border during the time of the bracero program.
i ❤️ chicano literature sm. this book was amazing.

[Robin Gustafson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the author's note to the 1991 edition of Macho! : "In re-reading Macho!, I found out that I'm not the same person who wrote that book twenty years ago. I thought of rewriting parts of it--feeling almost ashamed of some sections. But then I got to thinking, hell, the 60's were the 60's and that's who I was then, so I'm not going to change it. It's rough and sometimes sings as badly off key as Bob Dylan -- he was no Joan Baez, believe me-- but what is says is still important."

There's a lot of violence in this novel with horrific descriptions of men crossing the border from Mexico into California to find work. First published in 1973, the novel also depicts the devastating impact of pesticides and other environmental hazards on farm workers. I found the historical aspects of the novel which included César Chávez and his efforts to unionize farm workers really interesting. Ultimately, the novel is a coming of age story, and about the spiritual awakening of its seventeen year-old protagonist Roberto Garcia.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ryan Panchana

Macho Book Review
“Macho” is a realistic fiction book written by victor villasenor. The book is about a young boy named Roberto Garcia from the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico and his mission to go to america and have a better opportunity to provide for his family. I chose to read this book because i felt a connection because i come from latin heritage and i can relate a lot to the the plot of the story
The Major character are Roberto Garcia, Juan Aguilar and , Luis Espinosa. Roberto see’s Juan as a father figure that he respects but over the course of the story he starts looking at Juan more as a crazy old man and starts respecting Luis more and more. The major conflict in the story is the major characters fear of getting caught and getting deported back to mexico. The major overarching theme of the story is being “Macho” being very masculine in latin culture is a very important thing to most people and throughout this whole book roberto fights with his inner masculinity and deciding what's the right thing to do as a person and what's the right thing to do as a man.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because its a very entertaining story that i can relate to because i have family with similar stories to this. I would recommend this book to people who want to have a better understanding of latin heritage and to see how hard latin people try to provide for there family and do anything to come to america.

[William Kirkland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macho! by Victor Villaseñor, (1973) was written almost fifty years ago, but many of its pages, could be drawn from today.  From the mountains and the plains of Mexico, for generations, men --and now women and children-- have trekked hundreds and thousands of miles to work in American agriculture. Though they spread out to almost every state of the Union, California is a major draw:  it is close, the crops are nearly year-round, and more is grown there than anywhere else.

Villaseñor, who grew up American, of Mexican immigrants -- a Pocho, as the novel, and reality, would have it-- brings a young, 17-year-old, Roberto, from high in the Jalisco mountains to the Central Valley of California, under the tutelage of a tougher, more experienced Juan Aguilar.  Roberto is the picture of innocence, never having been far from his Tarascan village, his parents and seven brothers and sisters, and their mud and stick home.  Aguilar is a road-tested migrant, a Norteño - a man who has been north and has in some sense, been cross-culturated, and so, now, outside the closer circles of trust in the villages.  He knows the shady immigration lawyers of Mexico, he knows the ways of the gringos in the north.  He is familiar with the pistol and the knife and is quick to use them.  His only law is survival.

Full review at https://www.allinoneboat.org/19442-2

[Michael Jerakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back of the cover mentions "misery" and "humor" as intertwined - think that sums up this book accurately. Melds together a narrative on what home means (in this case, machismo + natural beauty + the push and pull of tradition) and the nuanced history of the US-Mexico border. I read this a few months after "All the Pretty Horses" - southwestern US and Mexico have long had a cultural exchange, often punctuated by exploitation at the hands of white Americans (in the book, Roberto takes note of the "green sludge" pouring out of a pipe into a ravine in his home state).

Rough around the edges in some areas (Villasenor notes as such in his foreword) - the discussions and descriptions of Chavez and his cause seemed a little heavy-handed at times, but the pros and cons discussed and thought by the novel's characters were fascinating to learn about as someone with little knowledge/exposure of the SW US labor movement in the 1940s-1980s.

4/5 stars - moderately short read driven by introspection, humor, and irony, presenting a compelling narrative about the old-world melding with the new.

[Valente perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

MICHOACANO

My family is from these same areas depicted in this novel. I was raised in los angles but I have always marveled at the life my grandfather (being a bracero himself) and my ancestors lived. My mother often qouted: “there aren’t any real men any more” for much has changed with Mexico including the customs of the land, now being one of cartel money and the old men of before dying for honor changing into men dying of proliferation of drugs and violence. I was there in flesh and blood when Villasenor wrote, for although, I wasn’t raised in this same era, the stories and the sceneries I have scene in my travels to Michoacán, Zacatecas, and Jalisco, transported me to where the men fought a lo macho, a la prueba, a beautiful death as Spartans will say!

[Clinto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macho! is a story of the hopes and adventures of a young small town Mexican boy as he confronts the unending brutal realities of the US/Mexico immigration and agricultural system in the 1960's. Informative, and beautifully written. Harsh, and authentic. A snapshot in time of a history that is just as important today as when it was written.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great coming-of-age read about a Mexican boy who goes north to work the California fields and return home a man.

[Paul Tenorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorites. Just realized I never logged it here.

[Danna Flossada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi amigo, what a good book you have, a work of art.

[Arlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-packed and vividly written, full of heart and soul.

[Shelley Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, as are all of VV 📚

[Paula3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book recounts the harrowing experiences of 17-year-old Roberto Garcia as he illegally crosses the border into the United States from Mexico. Roberto’s dreams were to find success in the United States, and be able to send money back to his family. To say that his journey was difficult is an understatement. This book details the inhumane conditions that many immigrants encounter while crossing the border, as well as the violence, despair, death, hunger, filth, and threats of imprisonment every moment of every day. Many times it was difficult to read of these experiences that Roberto and his traveling companions faced on a daily basis. It helped me to appreciate the life that I have and reminded me to not take things for granted. I am very blessed.

[Tevin Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Macho!" was a very interesting book. It is one of the best books out of the three we chose to read. The reason I liked the book far better than the other two was because Macho had more of a story behind it. The main character, Roberto was on a mission to obtain money and bring it back to Mexico. I also feel this book was a journey about a young boy becoming a man. I feel I could relate more to this book. Something else I loved about this book was that they give a little history on certain words or phrases. Such as when they described nortenos and such. What I loved was that Roberto was strong right from the beginning, he never backed down from anything no matter how hard it was. His strength bled through till the end. Macho's strength is that Roberto had to become balanced between a world of violence and conflict. He had to keep his cool even though there was a lot of conflict arising. This book helped me understand what story each migrant worker had that traveled from Mexico to the United States. They think of America as this holy sacred land that you can earn a lot of money and become rich but there's more than meets the eye.
This book is a very good book and I always wanted to read more to see what will happen next to Roberto. Roberto's personification of what it means to be Macho is the perfect example of what America means through the eyes of an immigrant. I think this book helped better my understanding of my topic and my general knowledge of the world. Macho is awesome!

[Randy O · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel tells the story of Roberto García, an indio from the Mexico interior who leaves the stability and relative comfort of his pueblo in search of wealth in the United States. García meets with the usual danger, excitement, discrimination, and exhaustion that comes with this
passage, so that by the end of the novel he emerges as a norteño who understands with greater clarity the twisted relationship between his native land and el gran monstruo del norte. There are several compelling aspects to this book: its representation of the complex relationship between Cesar Chavez and the indocumentados; its dramatization of the
border crossing; and its depiction of the intimacy that emerges among strangers who endure this ordeal together. The book can also be frustrating at times, especially with its romance with machismo, a mexicano chauvinism that is by no means confined to mexicanos. Yet at the end of the novel there is a tense and powerful scene in which Roberto, back in his pueblo in Michoacan, must confront his father's murderer. What he learns at that moment causes him to redefine what it means to be a man, and challenges the reader to see the events of the
novel in a different light. I wouldn't say it's a great book, because I had a hard time identifying with Roberto as much as Villaseñor I think means the reader to. But it's a good one.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Macho, by Victor Villaseñor is a coming of age story of Roberto, a young, hardworking Mexican, that decides to come over to the United States with an older Norteño, in order to make money to support his family. When the story begins, Roberto is working as a manager of a farm crew and is the sole provider for his family because even though his dad is suppose to be working, he is out drinking at the cantina with the Norteños. This situation causes a lot of conflict between Roberto and his father, so Roberto decides to leave home and seek his fortune. Throughout his journey Roberto overcomes many obstacles, which forces him to challenge his personal beliefs about what it means to be a man.
Villaseñor presents the loss of innocence theme as Roberto goes from a naïve small town farm boy into a Norteño, who will hustle and do anything that is necessary to survive. Villaseñor also depicts the conflict within the main character, as Roberto struggles with his new values and those of his family, which he starts believing no longer applies to him because he is a Norteño. Victor Villaseñor ties his own personal values and experiences in his novels, as Macho is a life saga such as his other works that are more based on his family history. If Macho is for you then, I would also recommend Rain of Gold, and Burro Genius.

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book by Victor Villasenor he tells the story of 17 year old Roberto Garcia. Roberto lives in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico with his poor family. He soon learns from another worker about the promising fields up north, across the border, in California. His ambitions for money and respect lead him on a journey to work in the fields of California where he proves his manhood. The problem is that Roberto is crossing into the U.S. illegally or without papers, if he gets caught he is sent back to Mexico. Roberto has to face discrimination to earn the money he sends to his family. The word "macho" means male or masculinem, but also describes a hard working man who provides for his family. This book is called Macho because that is how Roberto feels when he is working and sending money to his family. Roberto soon finds out the paradise that everyone in Mexico talked about isnt that as nice as it is said to be. This book is very interesting because it shows the experiences of an illegal immigrant through his point of view and the challenges he faces just trying to provide for his family.

[carey lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Via 3rd person narrative, Villaseñor provides us with sufficient intimacy to accomplish his first goal: give insight to some Mexican code of social values : pride, unity/pride in region y pueblo, what it means to be un macho, honor of the family, respect between generations, classes, and especially between father and son.

By mode of half page chapter divides, the author allows himself judgement. These exclamations, ancedotas, and information about the political and economic situation of the Mexico and America vis-a-vis migrant labor are written in the urgency and sensitivity that italics may impart.

The story travels from Michoacan to the legalization campments at Empalme, and finally to el norte, and begins to tell the story of undocument migrant laborers during the time of the braceros. To these workers, Cesar Chavez's organizing triumphs are challenges and frustrations.

The only weakness of the story are the last few pages, but by this time Villaseñor has accomplished his aims.

[Alejandra Aguayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about Macho by Victor Villasenor is that it is a really realistic book that tells the truth about low-income people in Mexico, that come here hoping to get a better life and have all this dreams and hopes to improve their families life and their life.How they put all this ideas in their head, but when they get here they see how things really are and they suffer, but they put up with everything to give their families a better life and this book does a really good job showing us how people are treated when they are undocumented. I like everything about this book in everyway I think is a really good book and i didn't dislike anything. I think this is a really good quote and I really like it because it shows how Roberto works really hard in Mexeco every single day of his life before coming to the U.S.A "There on the mountain Roberto began his work. His work of hunting the oxen that he had put to pasture the night before."

Lever 3 question.
What is the price of glory??

[Lady Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish the book, SO TAKE EVERYTHING I SAY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. In fact, I hardly even started it-- just by reading the preface I simply couldn't continue. I first got the book because after reading the cover description, I thought it would be nice to read a good story from an illegal immigrant's point of view and learn more about the iconic Cesar Chavez and the bracero program of the time in which the novel is set. However, it's so poorly written in unnecessarily excessive use of the vernacular that it gave me a headache. Why? Why do these writers perpetuate the stereotype of illiteracy? Villasenor is an educated man, why butcher literature that way? I've read Facebook comments that are better written than that. It just didn't capture my attention. I felt like I was reading a text message from a high school kid who got an F in English. Quite sad.

[Alonzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. I like how Victor Villaseñor explains roberto, he shows that roberto is a hard working young man with big dreams, doing work to pursue what he wants out of life, going against the odds of life. i also like how roberto doesnt complain much. He has a I am here for a reason attitude.

2. I dislike how the book is divided into 3 different books, i wish it was more chapters. i dislike how he see California as the place to be, to succeed you can be any where i believe

favorite quote: "Whores are everywhere.Hell, you can buy a fifteen-year-old virgin straight out of the catholic convent if you want."

3.How does coming from a different place makes you different from the others that came from that place?

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming of age book about a Mexican immigrant who leaves his job in the fields and his home in Central Mexico with a worldly "Norteno" to make his fortune in the U.S. The book is set in the late 50s and early 60s when Cesar Chavez was organizing Latino farmers and shows the conflicted feelings that many immigrant farmers felt toward the American icon. Macho's title refers to the blood feuds which were common among the mountain men in Mexico and which Roberto, the main character, has to reckon with.

The book is not sophisticated, but I found it interesting, and my students enjoyed the frequent action in the novel.

[Adam82 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes place during the time of the brazeros. This book is written from the view of those coming over the boarder and working in the California agricultural fields. Not everyone approved of what Cesar Chavez was doing. I believe Victor Villaseñor has given good examples why certain individuals felt this way. This book is extremely personal and vivid in its portrait of those that came to this country to make a better living for their familias. It also shows the determination and spirit of a people.

[Devin Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing in this book is powerful and effective; it doesn't filter anything and you can picture the story going on in your head. It has both some strengths and weaknesses...the more you read it the more you get hooked and hit with surprises. The only weakness I can think of is that there are a lot of Spanish words and if you do not know Spanish it can be difficult. I give the book 4stars would recommend it to all of my classmates. It tells a story about a boy growing into a smart man and he goes through a lot to help his family.