The Theme Of Individualism In Jose Antonio Villarreal's Pocho?

José Antonio Villarreal’s Pocho does a superb job of dealing with both the common coming of age narrative and the tensions faced by Latino Americans. Richard Rubio attempts to remain individualistic throughout his life but struggles with what that means within the confines that his heritage and society structure him into. Characters ebb and flow through his life, each having certain standards, expectations or ideals predetermined about him. Richard attempts to cast off and ignore the pressures they place on him, and instead forage his own path for what his future is to look like. I believe that the conflict between his family’s Mexican heritage and his American home is what forces Richard to actively pursue, and even fight, for his individuality.

When Richard is arrested with his friends, the cop immediately lump them into the same category as the zootsuiters who they all suspected of raping women. This altercation was the final blow Richard’s innocence sustained before it crumpled completely. Richard realized how much his skin color mattered to other’s perceptions of him. The cop, upon recognizing his mistake and Richard’s potential, attempts to recruit him into another job that the cop believes is the best job a Mexican could get. Richard once again rejects the job offer and society’s vision for

Thomas sees himself as an American and has fully embraced that title, yet the bombing of Pearl Harbor causes him to be discriminated against by the nation to which he is loyal. His only similarity to the Japanese that bombed Pearl Harbor was a shared cultural heritage, and yet he is uprooted and blamed for the actions taken by others who look similar to him. This difference in how he views himself and how others view him creates a sad foil to Richard’s conflicts. Even if Richard fully embraced the title of an American, others would still view him differently because of his skin color. This ties into Pocho’s theme of identity and the limbo that multicultural people face in their new homes. They are fully accepted by neither of the cultures to which they belong, and even if they were, they would still not feel at home in either one. They are instead forced to blend their various cultures into