Janely Mendoza CS 135A Ray Telles Dec.

18, 2008 Zoot Suit and Crossover Dreams: Crisis of Assimilation and Identity These two films depict strong characters searching for inclusion in the American culture while reiterating the problem of the internal struggle of an identity-crisis and assimilation, issues that pull them back to their cultural roots in the midst of stereotypes and discrimination. For those Latino-Americans in the U.S., negative stereotypes tend to typify their whole culture and cause everyone else to view them a certain way, and ...that validation solidifies into norms that suggest how certain individuals and groups should be treated."1 If the individual is treated in the manner that is type-cast upon him, this is when the pressure of assimilation and questioning of identity begins. Although the individual may be American by birth, stereotypes do not allow him to be complete, causing a psychological inner conflict: "first is the 'paranoid-schizoid' phase, in which the individual fears the bad and idolizes the good...second is the 'depressive' position, filled with guilt and regret."2 This is most often what occurs in reality and transferred to the big screen in films; casting Latinos in subordinate roles fuels the truth in stereotypes, which is not the truth in these Latino communities. Because they have negative connotations, the psyche perceives the Anglo, blond, blue-eyed American as the ideal and the brown, darkhaired Latino/a tries to emulate that image to be accepted. It can cause an individual to feel

1 Berg, Charles Ramirez. Stereotypes in Films in General and of the Hispanic in Particular. Pg.106 2 Berg, Charles Ramirez. Stereotypes in Films in General and of the Hispanic in Particular. Pg.108 1

as if they are inadequate to society and they will either try to conform or rebel. These two conflicting ideals are reflected in both Zoot Suit and Crossover Dreams. Luis Valdez is truly unique in creating a film that romanticizes the negative image of the pachuco. Instead of negatively reacting against the stereotype of Mexican Americans as violent, gang members, Valdez creates a subconscious alter-ego for Henry Reyna, a teen in the U.S. during the 1940s. The beginning of the film in particular is important in understanding Henrys portrayal of all Latino youth. Henry and his friends are going out to celebrate before he goes off to join the Armed Forces, yet he dresses like a pachuco on his last night out. Valdez is showing how a young Latino is attempting to assimilate by doing the most patriotic actfighting for your country. At the same time, while Henry is trying to be accepted as more American, his clothing choice also reflects the rebellious style of teenage culture of the time. During the 1940s, WWII caused high racial tensions in the United States, and the Chicano youth consciously adopted their look and way of life as a consequence of their need for self expression3 This is precisely how Valdez opens the story; he shows the parents of the Reyna children criticizing their look, saying it will make people think badly of them, yet they dont understand that it is just a trend. This trend, however, is what causes society to view the pachuco style, and concurrently the Mexican-American, as having a violent, delinquent nature. This film shows Henry attempting to fit into his American homeland, yet he is cast back in the eyes of society because of his choice of dress, and it is because of this that the trajectory of the film leads to his being held on murder charges. Henry leads two lives; one of the Mexican-American about to fight for his country, and the alter-ego of the pachuco. Valdez utilizes this as a crucial tool to show how 3 Mythic Proportions: Creating Raza Heroes in Zoot Suit and La Bamba. READER, Pg.64 2

ridiculous the notion of a stereotype really is; "ethnic humor is when it is used by the ethnic community from its position as the outgroup as a cultural weapon against the majority culture."4 In this sense, he portrays El Pachuco character as the violent, anti-American society expects to see. This exaggeration in the film forces the audience to perceive the world as Henry does and see the injustice for themselves. Throughout the film, El Pachuco affects what Henry does, for example, he forces him to take a switch blade with him to a party just in case. Although Henry does carry the weapon, his conscience does not let him engage in a fight, telling him "not to hate your raza more than you love the gringo."5 This message is extremely important in the larger context of identity, because despite Henrys deployment the next day, he is reminded that he is a Chicano and that killing someone would only reassure the white man that he is the stereotype. This is a key point in understanding the rest of the film because Valdez wants to show exactly how internally conflicted Mexican-Americans are. Despite the fact that he is going to war and walks away from the fight, Henry and his friends are then implicated in a murder at the Sleepy Lagoon. The murder trial is the turning point of the film, and Valdez employs a series of techniques to show the identity struggle. For one, his film is a play that transitions with lighting and snapping of fingers to highlight the conflict of going back and forth between scenes, which is similar to how El Pachuco is portrayed in Henrys mind. It is the injustice of the trial that causes the portrayal of El Pachuco to become what society expects Henry to be: he is a violent, defiant, arrogant, marijuana-smoking criminal. The audience knows that Henry is innocent, and in making El Pachuco the extreme stereotype, he is ultimately "admired...because he was a rebel who made a statement against racial injustice by calling 4 Destabilizing Ethnic Stereotypes: The Early Comedies of Cheech Marin. READER, Pg. 38 5 Mythic Proportions: Creating Raza Heroes in Zoot Suit and La Bamba. READER, Pg. 64 3

attention to himself."6 The whole pachuco attitude epitomizes what society sees and why that perception is wrong in the case of Henry Reyna and so many other Latinos. Valdez also adds a white teenager into the mix as a pachuco to emphasize the point that the stereotype is incorrect, that it is a trend amongst the youth to rebel against a stigma society tries to impose on them. This idea can be transferred to the present, where the stereotypes continue despite its being discredited in films such as these. Whatever the case, Henry Reynas character is paraded around the courtroom as if he is guilty just for the simple implication that he is dressed like a pachuco. The trial is the biggest example of racial profiling, an attempt by Valdez to prove how ridiculous sticking a stigma on a whole social group. Evidence is brought forth that "testifies that Mexicans have an inborn characteristic to use knives passed down to them from their Aztec forebears"7. One must remember the beginning of the film, when Henrys alter-ego made him carry the switch-blade, only to see it come back and stab him in the back because it is being used as a symbol to blame his ancestral roots for the crime. This is yet another bias that makes the Latino-American look inside of himself and question his identity. While Zoot Suit uses the pachuco character to show the extreme stereotype, Henry does continue to pursue his American ideal while in prison. Although he was attempting to conform by being patriotic as possible, his murder trial set him back in terms of assimilation for he is being criminalized as the other. The incarceration in itself reinforces the cleanliness, sobriety, sanity, overall decency, and moral rectitude of the WASP."8 A Mexican-American youth who is dressed in a manner that is seen as criminal, in this case Henry and his friends, only serve to make the Anglo American 6 Destabilizing Ethnic Stereotypes: The Early Comedies of Cheech Marin. READER, Pg. 43 7 Mythic Proportions: Creating Raza Heroes in Zoot Suit and La Bamba. READER, Pg.65 8 Berg, Charles Ramirez. Stereotypes in Films in General and of the Hispanic in Particular. Pg. 111 4

seem more ideal and respected. It is in this regard that the character of Alice Bloomfield comes into play. As a dedicated white lawyer, she sees the injustice done to these boys and wishes to help in any way she can, although El Pachuco tries to discourage Henrys cooperation by reminding him that she too is the other. Whatever the case, Henry falls in love with what is considered to be the ideal, the white woman that would make him seem complete; in a sense it seems as if Valdez is trying to say that if a white woman also loved him, he would be accepted by society. The end of the film clearly shows Valdez motivation in using the pachuco alter-ego, for there are various endings to prove that Latino does not mean one specific stereotype. Some involve Henry going to prison for life, another has him released and happily married, while yet another places him back in prison for different charges. Ultimately, the symbol of El Pachuco portrays the internal struggle of a dual identity, of a Mexican-American trying to find a middle ground. This dual identity problem does not only pertain to Mexican-Americans, for there is a unique case most Americans do not consider. That is the case of Puerto Ricans, who are technically U.S. citizens because they remain under colonial power, yet are seen as foreigners in this country. This has caused a severe identity crisis, and makes assimilation that much more important for Puerto Ricans; it is as if there is a need to prove that they too, are American too. There is a "social imperative to choose a racial identity, and then only in purely black-and-white terms."9 This is a difficult task for an individual who has been raised under U.S. citizenship, yet is a Latino facing discrimination once in the United States. Because of the dependency of the island in the U.S., many Puerto Ricans do settle in the U.S., only to face harsh stereotypes that ultimately cause "pessimism about one's ability to change the future, self-hatred, and self-depreciation have become ingrained in too many 9 Gonzalez, Juan. Harvest of the Empire: A History of Latinos in America. Pg. 92 5

Puerto Ricans."10 This idea is defeating to a whole population of people who then searches to become accepted and assimilated. This is precisely what Leon Ichaso attempts to portray in his film Crossover Dreams. The film is set in Harlem in New York, which has a large Puerto Rican population. In this case, Rudy Veloz is the minority that seeks to become a part of mainstream American culture, but this time through music. It is an intense portrayal of a talented musician who is heavily influenced by the romanticized notion of American music and the fame that comes with it. Rudys struggle is shown in the manner in which he pursues his auditions to land a record contract. He has large "dreams of bringing his salsa music to an 'American' audience by accommodating to current taste.11 This dream is an intense desire to belong in American society, but it conflicts with his Latin roots. Rudy searches for a way out of Harlem by trying to assimilate and belong because he feels his life is not good enough unless he is famous. In this film, he is portrayed as a man who dreams of being famous and would do anything to accomplish that dream, willing to leave behind who he is just to be accepted by the majority. Typically, Puerto Ricans...were portrayed as "a loud, greasy bunch of lazy bums, welfare cases at best, addicts and criminals at worst"12, but this film seeks to show how badly an individual wants to shed that stereotype by being a musical star. A particular important scene occurs when Rudy is singing to his mentor, a salsa musician, in English and he gives Rudy some insightful advice. Ichaso is foreshadowing the harsh lesson Rudy will eventually learn in having this mentor tell him that he mustnt ignore his culture and should sing in the beauty that is 10 Gonzalez, Juan. Harvest of the Empire: A History of Latinos in America. Pg.256 11 Crossover Dreams Edith Wyschogrod Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 54, No. 3
(Autumn, 1986), pp. 543-547 (article consists of 5 pages) Published by: Oxford University Press

12 Rodriguez, Clara E. Heroes, Lovers, and Other: The Story of Latinos in Hollywood. Pg. 151 6

Puerto Rican music. However, he dies unexpectedly and Rudy is even more distraught and determined to make it. Searching for a way out, Rudy goes to a recording executive and convinces him that he is capable of creating good music that the public will like. This is a critical point in his life, for he lands the contract and changes dramatically. His longtime girlfriend senses that he will change and asks him when they will get married, to which he replies, Its inevitable. These words will come back to haunt him, for as soon as he starts making his record, promoting, and photographing, he goes out with the white, blond, female photographer and models. This is important in proving how much Rudy wants to be assimilated into the Anglo culture, to shed his Puerto Rican identity and belong. In his attempt to become an American Superstar, so to speak, Rudy breaks up with his girlfriend and fires his best friend from the band, allowing the fame to get to his head. This is crucial to the story, for not only has he succeeded in making a single, but he accepts this first step as his crossing into the Anglo world. The film portrays his cold demeanor towards his former life, shedding the culture he lived in and favoring instead to be a part of the white culture that used to reject him. His immediate success could be judged successful according to the American standards of efficiency and professionalism but, at the same time, had not lost 'the warmth, honor, love, rhythm, passion, and poetry' that is their own heritage."13 Rudys music was an English version of the salsa culture he retained, but it was his old life he wanted to grow away from; the passion and love for his music remained, but the desire to be a praised by the Puerto Rican culture did not. This transition to assimilation hurt Rudy deeply, because in choosing to let go of his culture and welcome fame, he lost everything he ever had. The foreshadowing of his 13 Rodriguez, Clara E. Heroes, Lovers, and Other: The Story of Latinos in Hollywood. Pg. 151 7

mentors death comes back when Rudys single doesnt do as well as anticipated and his career is ultimately over. The harsh realization hits hit full onhis new friends did not remain his friends because he was no longer famous. He had given up his former life because he wanted to conform to American standards, but when it came down to it, he had given up the only ones that loved him. He lost his career, he lost his money, and he lost his love, who incidentally married a white man. Rudy had given her up to be accepted into the American culture, only to lose her to a white man; which also damages his identity because she chose to marry and Anglo-American instead of a Puerto Rican. This is the harsh reality he has to face: he gave up everything that mattered for a chance to be a part of the in crowd, only to fall down and have nothing. While his identity was conflicted, he only had one ultimatumto return to his roots and his love for salsa music, accepting that he is a Puerto Rican and an American. Crossover Dreams and Zoot Suit are both films that highlight the pressures of an identity conflict within a Latino-American. Henry Reyna was a young zoot-suiter who wanted to be a patriotic American by fighting for the country during WWII, only to be defined as a criminal because of his clothes. Rudy Veloz was a Puerto Rican salsa musician who wanted to be accepted into American culture by being famous, only to fail and lose everyone who cared about him because of his dream. Both filmmakers showed how the struggle to conform and define ones self was difficult because of the stereotypes and environment these men grew up in. Yet they sought to show how ones roots are important and shouldnt be shed because society is unwilling to see things differently. These internal struggles of identity face all Latino-Americans in the United States, pressuring to assimilate or walk in the middle and be proud of who they are.

Janely Mendoza CS 135A Ray Telles Reaction: La Bamba La Bamba is a film that portrays the life of Richie Valenzuela, a seventeen year old who made it big in the 1950s era of rock and roll. What is important in the context of the class is that he was Americanized in every way possible. He spoke no Spanish and even allowed his name to be changed to Richie Valens so that he could appeal to the AngloAmerican crowd. While he did change his last name in order to fit in with rock and roll, Richies biggest hit was La Bamba, which he learned to speak in Spanish. His success as a rock and roll star at such a young age helped him to be a pioneer for Chicano and Latino rock. He successfully blended American rock culture with his Latino heritage to become a star. The film deals with his inner conflicts of fear and insecurity, including a fear of flying that ultimately leads to his death. He learns of his culture through his brother, who takes him to Mexico to be cured of fear by a healer, which is common practice in the culture. He also experiences racism even though he was born in the United States. His girlfriend, Donna, is a white, blond, blue-eyed girl, but her father disapproves of Richie simply because he is Mexican. This conflict damages his brother, but it is one in which Richie tries to overcome by being successful. While his success was about breaking barriers of discrimination, the film focuses on his fears and dreams. The fact that he went back to his Mexican roots to be healed by a witch shows that he can believe in his culture without having grown up with it. Although he did face discrimination because of his brown skin, he managed to overcome that barrier

through music. Janely Mendoza CS 135 Ray Telles Dec. 18, 2008 Reaction: Romero This film portrays the atrocities and terror that El Salvador dealt with in their civil war. The beginning highlights the problem facing the country: the influence the army has in controlling the people. In an attempt to stop voters from reaching their polling place, they stop the bus people are riding in and then shoot out the tires and windows after a defiant priest allows them to come with walking with him to the town. What is more significant is the desperation the poor population faces and the elites way of turning their cheek. Instead of evaluating the situation and trying to fix poverty and inequality, they add to the fuel by gunning down protesters and kidnapping dissidents. The clergy prefers to stay out of the situation by appointing Romero as the archbishop because he does not voice his opinion on what is happening in the country. However, once one of his close friends is gunned down, one who happens to be a priest, he begins to see the seriousness in the situation and becomes a threat to the established order. Romero becomes a voice to the poor, helping them and protecting them from the death squads, speaking out to authority figures. He causes an uproar by refusing to go to the inauguration of the President because it is a sign that he accepts their policies of repression. He interferes with the orders of the army and chooses to use his power as archbishop and God to protect the people, but he ultimately becomes a target himself. His former friends are a part of the elite, and even they tell him that he has turned against him, going as far as to say You expect me to baptize my daughter with a bunch of Indians?

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Their racism and disregard for the poor is even more incentive for Romero to continue his fight to end the civil war on the poor in El Salvador. In the end, he apparently helped too much, because he ended up getting assassinated, despite his post as a religious figure in the country.

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