Chicano

by Richard Vasquez, Rubén Martínez (Foreword)

A bestseller when it was published in 1970 at the height of the Mexican-American civil rights movement, Chicano unfolds the fates and fortunes of the Sandoval family, who flee the chaos and poverty of the Mexican Revolution and begin life anew in the United States.

Patriarch Hector Sandoval works the fields and struggles to provide for his family even as he faces discrimination and injustice. Of his children, only Pete Sandoval is able to create a brighter existence, at least for a time. But when Pete's daughter Mariana falls in love with David, an Anglo student, it sets in motion a clash of cultures. David refuses to marry Mariana, fearing the reaction of his family and friends. Mariana, pregnant with David's child, is trapped between two worlds and shunned by both because of the man she loves. The complications of their relationship speak volumes -- even today -- about the shifting sands of racial politics in America.

In his foreword, award-winning author Rubén Martínez reflects on the historical significance of Chicano's initial publication and explores how cultural perceptions have changed since the story of the Sandoval family first appeared in print.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Latinx, Historical, Adult

437 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1972

About the author

In 1970, when Chicano hit the bookshelves, there was just one similarly themed novel published by a major U.S. imprint: José Antonio Villareal’s Pocho.
The author of Chicano, Richard Vásquez (1923-1990), was a third-generation Angelino who worked in the fields, in construction, and as a taxi driver before turning to journalism. His seminal book recreates the life of four generations of the Sandoval family, from when the patriarch Héctor fled the Mexican Revolution and established himself in California, to the tragic love story of Hector’s daughter-in-law and her non-Latino lover. In the best tradition of American social realism, the novel vividly portrays half-a-century of collective Mexican-American experience.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this book on kindle during the Amazon banned books sale 2015. I had not previously heard of it but I was particularly interested in learning a little about racial/ethnic cultures other than my own. I think on this level at least superficially, this book succeeds in exposing me to differences...as well as surprisingly many similarities.

The novel itself is pretty generic. It spans 4 generations of the Sandoval family. In my head I have casually characterized it as a Mexican Peyton Place. Very episodic and dramatic with tragedy affecting all of the characters in one way or another as they try to rise above American social and cultural stigmas and stereotypes. Even those that manage to climb the ladder of "success" and have their obstacles as do their siblings and children. Just as their lives take a turn for the better; society and/or cultural norms turns around and clobbers them. One has to take into account that this book was published in 1970. A few of the events that were illegal in the novel are now legal Obviously abortion and legalization of marijuana and a lot of legal transgressions are illegal today Housing discrimination, segregated schools, environmental destruction of neighborhoods. Also I think (my perception) there is a lot more pride in cultural identity than there was back then because I think there is more economic opportunity now or rather less opportunity to be blatantly discriminated against. Frankly, in California it's pretty common to know and have been friends with, live next door to Americans of Hispanic descent. The "otherness" in the 1960's has significantly diminished (at least in California).

But the "otherness" or attempted explanation of the "otherness" is what I found to be special about this novel. I read the forward (which goes a long way towards my understanding of the importance of the novel) twice. Once at the beginning and after I finished. It was interesting that there was praise for the novel because there were no novels about Mexican-Americans prior to this. What was also interesting was that the novel was viewed somewhat as a miss. Some of the ideas presented as cultural it would seem were on the extreme. Some stereotypes a little too pat. The explanations a little too simplistic. etc. As an African American, I found familiarity in the stereotypes and in the treatment/representation of culture and in the points of views: mistrust of police/authority, "gringos" in general, middle/upper class lifestyles, class structures, cultural norms, the perceived requirement to assimilate to become respectable, upward mobility, perceptions of gender, male/female relationships etc.

In short, if I viewed this purely on the literary merits, it wouldn't be rated quite so highly. But I am viewing it more broadly as a brief tour into a different culture. I learned some things and it did prompt me to think. And honestly, the more I think about the book, the more I appreciate it.

3.5 Stars

[Licha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the story of the first three generations of the Sandoval family. The first half of this book would get 5+ stars. The struggles each generation went through to give each of their families a new life, better than the one they themselves had had, was fantastic. We start with Hector, who starts out in a city in Mexico named Trainwreck. When his 11 yr. old son, Neftali, is forced to join the Revolutionary War, the family is devastated. Neftali is gone for a day before he goes AWOL, returning to his family. Hector then makes the decision to go to California, both to try a new life and also because he knows the soldiers will be back very shortly to kill Neftali and the rest of the family.

The Sandoval family discovers that life in California is no easier than it was back in Mexico. They have to suffer the abuses and prejudices of land owners who take advantage them and cheat them of wages.

Neftali grows to be a man and decides to try a new life in Irwindale. He buys his own home, has a good job, starts his own family. His kids also grow up and start forging their own destinies, each branching out, away from Neftali. One of his sons, Pete, becomes successful in the construction business, but is blind to the problems his own kids, Mariana and Sammy, have.

This is where the book went downhill for me. I wish we could have stopped at the third generation. Once we got to Mariana's and Sammy's stories, the author went into listing every stereotype he could think of, some that I felt were either exaggerated or untrue. David, a white college student who is doing a study on Sammy about underprivileged kids dropping out of highschool, starts to fall for Sammy's sister Mariana. Mariana starts exposing David to the Mexican culture, but in doing so, she spews so many inaccurate and counterproductive statements to David about what her people and culture are about. I was so mad while reading this. This part almost seemed like I was reading a different book and author from what I first started. The white people in the book see the Mexicans as their personal special project all the while thinking of them as inferior people and rude in their ways. I wanted to yell at the author for painting such a horrible picture of Mexicans and passing it off as common stereotypes. What happened? Vasquez started telling us a wonderful story but seemed like once David entered the story he had to make apologies for how his people are. The ending was horrible and only made me even more mad that the book had gone in such a downhill direction.

I'm not quite sure how to rate this book. For the first half, I was loving this, wanting to recommend it to everyone. The second half (or at least once we enter the David/Mariana story) was a struggle to finish. It was a struggle to not be furious at the author. I wanted to throw the book at the wall every time a stereotype was mentioned or every time the Mexican teenaged girl was going to open the eyes of the college-aged white boy, but instead was only an opportunity to create more stereotypes. In the end, the fact that Mariana was okay with becoming the sacrificial lamb so that the white boy's life would not be tainted by scandal and bad choices, was so disheartening for me as a reader. I wish I could pretend this second half of the book did not exist. I don't know what to rate this. I think everyone should read the first half of this. The second half I'd have to give 2 stars, and that being on the generous side. Overall, I'll have to give this 3.5 stars.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some complain about the melodramatic plot twists and, particularly, the ending... but it seems to me that the over the top, brown versus white characterizations actually pay homage to narrative structures in Mexican popular culture rather than fitting the plot to the demands of the Anglo reading public of the day.

This is the story of a Mexican family that escapes the violence of the Mexican Revolution in the beginning of the 20th century but, as Mexican-Americans, the successive generations find their access to earning "the American dream" limited by overt and structural racism. As the title suggests, this novel was written with an explicit political message against the idea that Latinos can (or should) simply assimilate into Anglo-America. Putting aside the historical place of the novel, there is quite a bit that I did enjoy reading.

[S.W. Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick and painless read. The prose was straight forward and simple. Since this was a multigenerational story, many characters were briefly sketched, then left in the proverbial dust as the story moved onto the next generation. The book opens with the metaphorical train of progress rolling down the tracks through the dangerous canyons of the ignorant past and hopelessly wrecking. Every character suffers the same fate as the train and all the plot lines end in tragedy---no one escapes unharmed. In Part One, the omniscient narrator tells the story from the Mexican's POV as they struggle to escape poverty and attempt to assimilate into America; in Part Two, the POV shifts to include the stereotypical gringo attitudes and misconceptions about Mexican immigrants. The aborted baby is a metaphor for the inability of mainstream "white" America to accept and appreciate their "brown" brothers and sisters. And Mariana is a martyr of sorts for all the wonderful, true and pure "Chicano" people whose dreams are sacrificed so that the mainstream "white" culture can remain in power and not be inconvenienced by the struggles of the lower classes. Mariana asks not just Stiver, but all "gringos" to search their feelings, be honest with themselves and uncover their racial biases so that they can open their hearts to the inner beauty of the "Chicano" people. America is a melting pot, made up of immigrants and native Americans, every culture adds something new and necessary. There is truth in diversity; there is beauty in truth.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the history it showed thru out the family line in Los Angeles.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is, i believe, a realistic picture of the lives of an immigrant family in california. very disturbing ending, again realistic.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Part One of Chicano by Richard Vasquez was both an informative and somewhat humbling experience for me. As someone who lived in Colorado for nearly a decade and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado – situated in Greeley, a city with an established multigenerational Hispanic population – I thought of myself as someone who is reasonably well aware of Hispanic issues, needs, and concerns for a white guy. I was vaguely aware of the term “Chicano” as a variant of Hispanic or Latino, but learned that I hadn’t really understood the term when I read the excellent Forward to Chicano by Ruben Martinez. The context that Martinez provided in the Forward to Chicano helped me to conceptualize the book and ultimately made Vasquez’s work much more meaningful to me.
Chicano is set mostly in LA and follows four generations of a fictitious Mexican-American family as they struggle to find success in California. The social issues that Vasquez raised in Chicano remained unresolved forty-three years after the publication of his work. Chicanos are at the heart of present-day political arguments over immigration policy, potential amnesty for some undocumented immigrants, border security, access to government services such as health care and public education, and the expression of nativist sentiments by anti-immigrant individuals and organizations.
In Part Two of Chicano, Richard Vasquez continues his narrative of the Sandoval / Mendez / Salazar family. This second half of the novel opens in the 1940s. As in the earlier chapters, Vasquez tells hard truths about race, gender, and labor in the United States through the vehicle of the narrative that he crafts, which has some parallels to his own life experiences and family history.
Sociology major David Stiver, an “Anglo” from Illinois, receives an assignment from his professor to approach a “hard case” dropout, Mexican-American Samuel Sandoval of East L.A. When Stiver visits their home, Sammy’s parents, Pedro (Pete) and Minerva welcome him, but the culture clash simmers under the surface. It soon becomes evident that Sammy is not interested in David’s idealistic academic rehabilitation project and that David is more interested in developing a relationship with Sammy’s twin sister Mariana. The interactions between the two become a window on racial interactions at the time that still feel authentic forty-three years after the novel’s publication.
As David and Mariana get to know each other, she repeatedly prods him to “be more honest” while he inadvertently offends people even though (and perhaps because) he is preoccupied with avoiding potentially embarrassing situations. Mariana explains the Spanish translations of the nicknames assigned to friends and relatives, including Poca Luz (“little light”), a club-footed cousin Cojo (someone who limps), an uncle called Cacarizo (scar-face) because of the disfiguration caused by smallpox, and a deformed friend called Jorobado (hunchback). David is initially horrified that these people are addressed by these nicknames to their face, but Marianna insists that they know the truth of their condition and thus this honesty is respectful rather than demeaning.
The climax of the novel is heart-rending. Although I realize that it probably could not have been any other way – as the author was trying to accurately convey the reality of the time – it was still painful to read. I had developed a real affinity for David and Marianna but the relationship was doomed to failure by the social conventions that existed within their communities. Marianna’s loyalty to the bitter end was ultimately unrequited, and David realizes that he had better options that he could have chosen only after the die is cast. Beauty is corrupted by love while a young white man in a relative position of privilege is free to live his life unfettered by the scandal that he feared. The reader never learns whether David is haunted by the unintended consequences of the decisions that he made to avoid the scandal or if the loss of his lover became more of a burden than their biracial marriage would have been within his family’s “tennis set” social circle back in Illinois.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poignant, compelling novel that paints a history of Chicanos in the US by following one family through the decades. Vasquez, himself a descendant of Mexican immigrants, shows us the dignity of migrant laborers without romanticizing their struggle.

Prior to writing, Vazquez held myriad odd jobs--including fruit picking and other field work. Eventually he found his way into journalism and spent many years documenting Latino issues for Anglo publications. This life experience and journalism background seeped into his works of fiction. The prose of Chicano is simple and fast-moving, and the novel itself is a quick-read. However, the simple prose is deceptive. I flew through hundreds of pages in a day, only to be hit by the profundity of the tale as soon as I put the book down. The story line is not complex, but the message is. Vazquez does not shy away from charged topics such as class warfare, racism (on the part of Anglos and Mexicans), or sexual violence. He makes the book easy to read so it is possible to visit all of these heady topics without detracting from plot, character development, or entertainment value.

This is a terrific novel for nearly any reader. Lovers of fiction will appreciate Vazquez's lovely prose and superb character development. History buffs and armchair-sociologists will get lost in the sweeping story of indigenous struggle, conquest, colonization, immigration, migrant labor and, finally, assimilation. The writing is easy to follow, so young readers would not be overwhelmed. However, the story is compelling enough to hold the attention mystery-lovers and other plotcentric readers.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the longest books I've read in Spanish, but it was so gripping that I got through it quicker than I would have expected. (The original is actually in English, but I like reading novels in Spanish translation just for some Spanish practice.) The prose style is absolutely dazzling; this guy can REALLY write. His writing is that rare prize: spare and elegant yet full. His descriptions of the southern California countryside are so vivid, you can not only picture it but smell it, taste it and touch it. Yet he "shows, not tells."

So you may wonder: Why only two stars, instead of four or five? Because it is unremittingly, unforgivingly grim. This has to be one of the most depressing books I've ever read. The father character who's the main focus of the book is, to my taste at least, not likeable in the least, and one of the few characters whom I did actually like ends up doing something awful (even if understandable) and meets a tragic end. Augh! Yeah, yeah, I know the author's making a statement, but by the end of the book, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, knocked down and then run over by a Mack truck. I felt like I'd been punished and abused -- which is, perhaps, what the Chicano author wanted to achieve. I can see the reasons for his rage and fury, but to me, it all felt so over-the-top hopeless by the end, I felt so pounded and battered, that instead of inducing me to share his righteous indignation, it just made me want to go numb, to go away somewhere and wash the bad taste out of my mouth.

[Ms. Wayne]

From the Publisher

A bestseller when it was published in 1970 at the height of the Mexican-American civil rights movement, Chicano unfolds the fates and fortunes of the Sandoval family, who flee the chaos and poverty of the Mexican Revolution and begin life anew in the United States.

Patriarch Hector Sandoval works the fields and struggles to provide for his family even as he faces discrimination and injustice. Of his children, only Pete Sandoval is able to create a brighter existence, at least for a time. But when Pete's daughter Mariana falls in love with David, an Anglo student, it sets in motion a clash of cultures. David refuses to marry Mariana, fearing the reaction of his family and friends. Mariana, pregnant with David's child, is trapped between two worlds and shunned by both because of the man she loves. The complications of their relationship speak volumes -- even today -- about the shifting sands of racial politics in America.

In his foreword, award-winning author Rubén Martínez reflects on the historical significance of Chicano's initial publication and explores how cultural perceptions have changed since the story of the Sandoval family first appeared in print.

[Laura Cáceres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estuvo bien, ya que son las explicaciones de los mexicanos que emigraron a Estados Unidos, y de cómo las primeras, segundas y terceras generaciones se van adaptando. Aunque pasan por muertes, parientes que vienen, que van, que se desarman, que hacen sus lugares, todavía deja claro que en los setentas había muchos mexicanos que no sabían de sus orígenes. En el caso de Richad Vasquez lo quiere hacer un poco sociologico y otro poco antropológico al mostrar la historia de la familia Sandoval, o al menos así lo venden en otras reseñas, sin embargo el valor que podemos darle como mexicanos es incluso una advertencia para quienes quieren vivir el modo de vida norteamericano, si estan dispuestos a soportar el racismo que permea en el territorio del norte. Aunque se trata de una historia que se puede ver desde la lejanía, los que estan en Estados Unidos se ven reflejados en la novela, y el único camino que queda es adaptarse, pese a la lucha interna en cuanto a la cultura. Vale la pena, pues sigue siendo lamentablemente actual.

[Brandon Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

En la parte en que yo leí se trataba en la familia Sandoval y sus gemelos y como su hija era mucho más inteligente que su hermano. Para que su hijo no se tuviera en problemas en la ciudad de los angeles su mudan a una comunidad blanco que causa mas problemas. Luego que sigue la historia, el hijo se mete en drogas con su tío meintra hay un muchacho blanca que quería investigar las diferencias de los gemelos y se enamora con la gemela, mariana, y la historia se enfoca como las diferentes razas ven cosas diferentes. Luego se embaraza mariana con David, el que investiga, y ella no le dice por sabe que no puede arruinar su vida y como mexican ella no lo puede abortar pero sabe que es lo mejor. Con todo la infección del aborta mariana su muero muy rápido después del aborto. En la parte que yo leí hay mucha atención en la cultura mexican contra la Américana y las diferencias en que cada una se enfocan.

[Gemma Avalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chicano... An authentic, breathtaking novel that tells of the struggles and effects when to worlds try to unite into one. The novel gracefully travels from a town named Trainwreck, to a ghetto barrio by Watts in East L.A. This story is told from different generations as they slowly progress north of the United States. It travels from crop picking in South California, to a racist all-white neighborhood in L.A. where a Mexican-American Family struggles to fit in. Story comes to a real twist when oldest daughter of Mr. Sandoval, falls in love with a white boy from Michigan. Both having plenty on knowledge on the struggles they will have to overcome, they take the risk and let their love be. Mariana is willing to do anything to be with David, at any cost even if she has to put her life on the line.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bestseller when first written in 1970. It is apparently a "classic of Chicano literature". So, I looked forward to reading it. It didn't inspire me as much as I thought, however.

It's the story of family who left Mexico for the US to find a better life. It seemed to be a true accounting of what some of these migrants from Mexico lived through when coming to the US. For that I am grateful.

The book, however, mentions only the negative aspects of this migration: the women who ended up in prostitution, the men who ended up in trouble with the law, and the teenagers who got into drugs. In addition, the ending was sad. A white young man had fallen in love with a young Mexican woman. The young man leaves the woman stranded when she becomes pregnant.

Why weren't any of the happy endings mentioned?

[Maritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this book, I appreciated the amount of family history and how their lives interact with others. The way the community is united was also memorable. With economical advances, their family continued to be ostracized and rejected and the end result does not surprise you, you kinda expected it. This opened my eyes to a novel that addressed the social justice issues I had to go to college to find out about; I was disappointed it'd been the first time I'd actually read the novel in it's entirety. However, there were some parts I did not like such as the lack of continuity in the life stories of the characters as well as the loose ends that resulted from it. It also made me kind of depressed for leaving it off at such a vulnerable part of their history. It made me feel like it was illustrating the norm instead of challenging the misconception.

[Dros_skinnybigballs · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Chicano" items the story of a Mexican man,who is a hardworking man who becomes stranded in small village. I recommend anybody to this book who is interested in struggle. This book contains not only murder and rape, but child prostitution.

Wanting nothing more than to leave the country, he becomes troubled and needs help. This book contains how real the struggle to live , wanting nothing more than to live in the United States.

The problem with with this book is it shows how easily a life can be taken from another human being.It all adds up too a tell of all ages which that nobody should trust one ain't her unless its your familia.

All in all I would definitely recommend this book to any reader or anybody interested in Mexican heritage. This is my review in the book Chicano.

[Joe Montemayor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Vasquez in my opinion has painted the life of Latino in California during the 60 and 70 in bright colors that you may not be aware of.

As a product of this generation I too was a victim racial profiling by the police, had our neighbor trying to force us out of our predominantly white neighborhoods, had educators place me in bilingual classes even though I DIDN'T SPEAK SPANISH and loss family and friends to drug addiction, the justice system and lack of medical care.

Because of these memories it took me awhile to finish this novel however, I believe that it should be read in order to teach how racism begins and how it affect all of us.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for learning more about the lives of migrant farm workers. It shows how the cycle of poverty can be perpetuated and/or broken, and the discrimation faced by Mexican-Americans that helps to perpetuate. There are so many social messages in this book. I would recommend it. One note, I found myself flipping back sometimes because there are so many characters, as it traces 4 generations of one family.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by my grandpa’s brother, this tells about the early Mexicans of Los Angeles. It’s his family heritage, and so it’s also mine! It’s fiction, but some threads of truth from our family’s experiences. Also it’s super sad, but gives an idea of the complex social and political situation that many faced then and many still face now. Seems more relevant now than ever.

[Jenaro · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far so good. It's not what I thought if would be but, still a good read. A great look at early Los Angeles and what was going on to Mexicans who were migrating in the early 50's. A good read so far.

Almost done.

J.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting perspective in the end on what Vasquez thinks Anglos need to know/understand about Chicanos, and vice versa. Its merit today is not so much in the story, but in the historical perspective it lends to its political era.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this quite a lot, but it tailed off a bit at the end——addresses lots of issues, but provides no real insights. It reads much like a less-detailed Michener, following a Mexican family in California.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book description on Goodreads is not what this book is about. It is the story of a multi-generational Mexican-American family. It describes their struggles trying to provide for their children and better their lives...another story about the Chicano experience.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d say it’s the Grapes of Wrath of the Mexican American community in CA. Really interesting book. Follows generations of the Sandoval family as they leave Mexico and adapt to the US. Very good book.

[Noelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't even finish the book. I thought it seemed to perpetuate the stereotypes of what people think of the typical "Chicano". Not what I was expecting.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite books in high school! I should probably go back and read it again. . .

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruben Martinez (Introduction). First Chicano lit published in USA.
Liked this exploratory story about 4 generations of a family originally from Mexico. Ends very sadly.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A realist's look at an immigrant family's plight in America. I enjoyed it. The ending felt rushed and bleak.

[*BookAddict* Vari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. It was very informative, and help broaden my knowledge on the Chicano community, as well as how everything developed as for the Latins migrating to the U.S.

[Abdul · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book to read