Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza
"Barrio Boy" is an autobiographical work by Ernesto Galarza that chronicles his early life in a small Mexican village and his family's subsequent migration to the United States. Born in an isolated adobe structure in Jalco, Mexico, Ernesto grows up amid poverty and the realities of rural life, learning the value of hard work from a young age. His childhood is marked by family dynamics, as he lives with his mother and various relatives, and he is responsible for tending to several pets.
The narrative takes a significant turn during the Mexican Revolution, prompting his mother to lead the family on a perilous journey north to escape the violence. Settling in Tepic and later moving to various towns such as Acaponeta and Leandro Valle, Ernesto gradually adapts to life in the U.S., where he encounters diverse cultures and begins his education. As he navigates his new environment, he faces challenges including homesickness and the responsibility of caring for his siblings. The story highlights themes of resilience, identity, and the immigrant experience, illustrating Ernesto's growth from a boy in a small village to a young man in a bustling, multicultural society.
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Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza
First published: 1971
Type of work: Autobiography
Type of plot: Historical
Time of plot: 1910-1920
Locale: Mexico and California
Principal personages
Ernesto Galarza , the narratorHenriqueta , his motherAunt Esther , his guardianUncle José , his closest companionUncle Gustavo , another guardian
The Story:
Ernesto is born in an adobe in a small Mexican village that is hidden away in a mountainous region. It is so small that the town has only one street, no police, no fire department, and no mayor. The village belongs to everyone.
Ernesto’s parents are divorced, so Ernesto lives with his mother, Henriqueta, as part of the property settlement. He also is reared by his Uncle Gustavo, his aunt Esther, and his Uncle José. Part of his daily chores is to watch over his pets: Coronel, his rooster; Nerón, his watchdog; and Relámpago, a burro who really does not belong to anyone.
Ernesto does not attend school so he does not know how to read or write well. Having a career is not as important as being able to prove his manhood through hard manual labor. Beginning at age seven, Ernesto learns that being a man means working day and night without pay.
One summer day, a great hurricane showers the village. The street is flooded, and everyone works together to save what is left of houses and corrals. Before the stories of the flood can be talked about, the rurales, special government police, enter the town looking for young men to be drafted in the army for the revolution. They do not allow anyone to leave. Fearing the worst, Henriqueta decides the family must escape. The night before the family slips away north, Halley’s comet appears in the sky. According to Don Cleofas, the oldest person in the village, this is an omen of something serious.
After a day and a half traveling on horseback, Ernesto and his family arrive in Tepic and settle in their new home. Life is different. Uncle Gustavo and José now work for pay, and the marketplace becomes an adventure for Ernesto. He even begins to be educated at home. The problems of the revolution his mother thought she left behind at the old village (which people called Jalco) follow them to Tepic. Good news, however, arrives in the form of jobs on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The family again travels north to Acaponeta. Living there, close to the railroad station, means that revolutionaries often come to the family’s door. With every grace, Henriqueta serves the men. Soon, a letter from Uncle Gustavo orders them to leave Tepic for Urias to get away from the violence. The stay in Urias does not last long, as the revolution soon enters Urias.
Ernesto and his family move farther north to Leandro Valle, Mazatlán. Living there, Ernesto soon begins to work, to earn money, and to become part of a gang. He also starts first grade. However, life in Leandro Valle does not last long either, and they leave for the United States.
After many weeks in Tucson, Ernesto and his mother travel by train to Sacramento to meet with Uncle Gustavo and José. With his limited English, Ernesto and his mother find their way in Sacramento, where they live in an apartment at 418 L Street. Ernesto encounters many nationalities, including Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino. The stay in the United States is to remain permanent. Whether it be by season or not, José finds work. Their homes in run-down places are always temporary.
Life in the United States is different for Ernesto. There are no marketplaces, no plazas, no close neighbors. Living in the United States also changes the way some Mexicans behave. For Ernesto, who enters first grade and works odd jobs, his English becomes better. Still, Ernesto and his family remain a Mexican family. Pocho, the unflattering name for an Americanized Mexican, is what Henriqueta jokingly calls Ernesto.
With the remarriage of his mother, the family decides to move into a new house in Oak Park, a house outside the barrio surrounded by English-speaking neighbors. Ernesto makes friends with a neighborhood boy, Roy, and soon buys a secondhand bicycle. He explores his new neighborhood and gets a job as a carrier for the city’s newspaper. Enrolled at Bret Harte School, Ernesto’s knowledge of English develops quickly. His family is impressed by his education and a phone is installed for his use.
Homesickness becomes a problem for his family, but for Ernesto the problem is his responsibility of taking care of his younger sisters. This ordinary daily routine ends when an influenza epidemic spreads into the city. Uncle Gustavo dies, then Ernesto’s mother.
With the advice of Mrs. Dodson, the landlady, José and Ernesto look toward the future. They move to a rented basement room on O Street, on the edge of the barrio. Ernesto continues his education and works odd jobs with José. He is hired as a farmhand, and he learns how to drive a tractor. He works as a drugstore clerk, then finds a job as a delivery boy and later as a Christmas card decorator.
During his summer vacation, Ernesto works with other barrio people in the labor camps. He sees how the laborers are mistreated by the contractors, and he goes to the state authorities for help. The laborers do not appreciate his efforts. Summer ends, so Ernesto returns home, bikes his way to the high school, and thinks of his future.
Bibliography
Flores, Lauro. “Chicano Autobiography: Culture, Ideology and the Self.” The Americas Review 18, no. 2 (Summer, 1990): 80-91. Explores the style, characterization, and structure of the autobiography. Asserts that Barrio Boy shows how society influences the individual.
King, Rosemary A. “Barrio Boy: Ernesto Galarza.” In Border Confluences: Borderland Narratives from the Mexican War to the Present. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2004. King’s examination of works set on the border between the United States and Mexico includes an analysis of Barrio Boy. She focuses on the way Galarza and other writers describe their characters’ reactions to cultural differences.
Márquez, Antonio C. “Self and Culture: Autobiography as Cultural Narrative.” Bilingual Review 14, no. 3 (September-December, 1987/1988): 57-63. Focusing on the theme of acculturation and adaptability, Márquez examines Barrio Boy as a celebration of individuality and culture. The themes of self-motivation and cultural pride are emphasized.
Pitti, Stephen J. “Ernesto Galarza, Mexican Immigration, and Farm Labor Organizing in Postwar California.” In The Countryside in the Age of the Modern State: Political Histories of Rural America, edited by Catherine McNicol Stock and Robert D. Johnston. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2001. Galarza was a professor and labor organizer, as well as a writer. Pitti’s essay focuses on Galarza’s attempts to organize Mexican farm workers.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. “Ernesto Galarza Remembered: A Reflection of Graduate Studies in Chicano History.” In Voices of a New Chicana/o History, edited by Refugio I. Rochín and Dennis N. Valdés. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2000. Focuses on Galarza’s scholarly activities.
Robinson, Cecil. Mexico and the Hispanic Southwest in American Literature. Rev. ed. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1977. Offers an analysis of Barrio Boy as an autobiography and social commentary. The place and contribution of Barrio Boy to the Hispanic literary tradition also is examined.
Rocard, Marcienne. The Children of the Sun: Mexican-Americans in the Literature of the United States. Translated by Edward G. Brown, Jr. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1989. Analyzes the internal struggles and conflicts in Barrio Boy, as well as other Hispanic novels and autobiographies. Barrio Boy is examined as the portrayal of acculturation from the immigrant’s point of view. Also examines the politics of acculturation.
Saldîvar, Ramón. “Ideologies of the Self: Chicano Autobiography.” Diacritics 15, no. 3 (Fall, 1985): 25-34. Analyzes the language and characterization of Barrio Boy. Examines individuality and the problems associated with moving from one culture to another. Compares Barrio Boy to other Chicano autobiographies.