Critical analysis POCHO

Pocho is a novel written by Jose Antonio Villarreal, a Mexican author. The story focuses on the development of an American-Mexican child and the imposition of a specific culture and religion upon him. The main character of this novel is Richard Rubio who was the son of Mexican parents. His parents migrated to America from Mexico during the depression-era. The Author described the experiences of a child who called himself a “Pocho”, a term Pocho used to describe children who were born during the depression era of Mexican-American transition.
Juan Rubio is the father of the main character, Juan fought in the Mexican Revolution under Pancho Villa. When Pancho Villa was killed by his rivals, Juan knew that his and his families’ lives were not safe. Having always wanting to visit California, Juan decided to leave Mexico. When he reached America, Juan made a living by picking cotton and sharecropping.
Soon after, Juan’s wife Consuelo gave birth to Richard, the only boy of many sisters. Both parents openly admit that Richard is their favorite child. Richard’s childhood was a difficult one. His biggest obstacle while growing up was that his parents were Mexican, while his peers and classmates were all American. Richard had a hard time adjusting to his new surroundings and because of this becoming educated was extremely important to him. In this way Richard is presented as a child who is interested in the American way of life. This caused conflict with his father, who believed Richard should honor and learn about his own Mexican culture, beliefs and language. The boy faces difficulties when he has to restrain himself from showing his feelings towards the American culture. He instead pretends to honor his father’s wishes to please his family. Over time however, Richard continues to take an interest in reading. He said his favorite book was about a boy and a monkey, and that “he’s read it six times” (Villarreal, 73). He learns to read and write in English. This is when