Macho! by Victor Villaseñor
"Macho!" by Victor Villaseñor is a novel that follows the journey of Roberto, a young Mexican who immigrates illegally to the United States. The narrative explores themes of identity and belonging, particularly emphasizing the connection between people and the land they cultivate. Villaseñor illustrates how Roberto derives his identity from the rich, volcanic soil of his homeland, symbolizing the deep ties between the land and its people. The novel references the Mexican Revolution of 1910, highlighting the significance of land ownership in Mexico's history and politics.
The story also addresses the complexities of the Mexican-American experience, touching upon César Chávez's efforts to unionize agricultural workers in the 1960s. Villaseñor presents a nuanced portrayal of Chávez, acknowledging the differing perceptions of his character and the challenges he faced in advocating for both undocumented immigrants and Mexican Americans. The concept of "macho" is intricately tied to the cultural landscapes of Mexico, with the narrative examining a violent code of honor that shapes societal expectations regarding masculinity and femininity. Ultimately, as Roberto returns to work the land, he embodies the idea of a "true-self hero," reflecting the journey of self-discovery and the importance of one's roots.
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Subject Terms
Macho! by Victor Villaseñor
First published: 1973
The Work
In this novel about a young Mexican who immigrates illegally into the United States, Victor Villaseñor suggests that the protagonist, Roberto, extracts his identity from the soil of the fields that he works. On the first and last pages of the novel, Villaseñor describes how volcanic ash has enriched the soil of a Mexican valley. At the end of the novel, Roberto has returned to this valley to work the land, applying what he has learned in the United States.
These homages to volcanic ash suggest that soil is not just the earth’s outer covering but also its soul. Likewise, the soil is the soul of the people who work it. The novel refers to the Mexican Revolution of 1910, which was a popular movement to redistribute the ownership of land. In other words, land is fundamental to understanding not only the Mexican people but also the country’s politics and history.
According to Villaseñor, Mexico’s geography dictates the country’s indigenous law. Mexico is mountainous, so villages are very isolated. As a result of their isolation, these villages develop their own systems of justice and never appeal to a higher authority. This law of the land is a violent code of honor, and the novel documents how this code places a premium on a woman’s virginity and on a man’s ability to fight. The definition of “macho” must necessarily emanate from an understanding of this law of the land.
The novel makes frequent references to César Chávez’s movement in the 1960’s to unionize agricultural workers in the United States. Villaseñor offers a complex portrait of Chávez, not allowing him to become a cardboard cutout representative of Mexicans who identify themselves with the soil. In the first place, one cannot make simplifications about Chávez because his movement distinguishes between the illegal Mexican immigrants, whom Chávez wants deported, and the Mexican Americans, whose rights Chávez seeks to protect through unionization. Furthermore, Chávez’s identity is not simple because, while he is a hero to some, to others he is not macho because he is not a drinker or a womanizer.
Villaseñor concludes that Chávez is a “true-self hero,” one who is not labeled readily as macho, but who trusts his own conscience and is not afraid to have enemies. In this respect, according to Villaseñor, Chávez is like Abraham Lincoln, Benito Juárez, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. On the novel’s final page, Villaseñor qualifies Roberto also as a true-self hero when the protagonist returns to his native valley to work the fields.
Bibliography
Barbato, Joseph. “Latino Writers in the American Market.” Publishers Weekly 238 (February 1, 1991): 17-21. Discusses the obstacles facing Chicano authors and the troubled publishing of Villaseñor’s Rain of Gold. Also includes an interview with Villaseñor, who gives his side of the publishing debate.
Guilbault, Rose Del Castillo. “Americanization Is Tough on Macho.’ ” In American Voices: Multicultural Literacy and Critical Thinking, edited by Dolores LaGuardia and Hans P. Guth. Mountain View, Calif.: Mayfield, 1992. Guilbault provides a sociolinguistic framework and a more complete understanding of the original Hispanic meaning of macho. (This book also contains an interview with Victor Villaseñor originally printed in the San Jose News.)
Hartman, Steven Lee. “On the History of Spanish macho.” Hispanic Linguistics 1, no. 1 (1984): 97-114. Deals with one of the most misunderstood loan words in contemporary American society. The transmogrification of macho from positive to negative ideal is chronicled, with reasons for the change outlined.
Kelsey, Verlene. “Mining for a Usable Past: Acts of Recovery, Resistance and Continuity in Victor Villaseñor’s Rain of Gold.” Bilingual Review 18 (January-April, 1993): 79-85. In this critical study of Rain of Gold, Kelsey briefly mentions Macho! as a transition novel in Villaseñor’s literary career. Both novels share similar characteristics: “epigraphs that refer to natural cycles and mythic phenomena, chapter prologues/epilogues that set a historical context, and chapters that reveal the characters’ personal experiences.”
Lewis, Marvin A. Introduction to the Chicano Novel. Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin, Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute, 1982.
Rocard, Marcienne. The Children of the Sun: Mexican-Americans in the Literature of the United States. Translated by Edward G. Brown, Jr. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1989. A general literary history that discusses works by Anglo and Mexican American writers. The descriptions of stock type characters are helpful in understanding Villaseñor’s work. A good introduction to the subject.
Sandoval, Ralph, and Alleen P. Nilsen. “The Mexican-American Experience.” English Journal 63 (January, 1974): 61. Sandoval suggests that while verisimilitude may be strained in parts of this first book by Villaseñor, the drama portrays empathetic characters who may have real-life counterparts. Moreover, the novel is compelling and powerful, told in language the reader will recognize as realistic and direct.
Shirley, Carl R., and Paula W. Shirley. Understanding Chicano Literature. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1988.
Tatum, Charles M. Chicano Literature. Boston: Twayne, 1982.