Examples Of Stereotypes In Chicano Literature

Stereotypes are in the world all around us, in film, TV, literature and in everyday life. “A Stereotype is a conventional, formulaic and oversimplified conception, opinion, image or conforming to a set image or type” (Dictionary.com). Stereotype happens on an everyday basis, similar groups of people are categorized by such factors as race, color, what they wear, and their behavior. Stereotype are used to categorized people by such factors as race, color, what they wear and their behavior. Stereotypes chose one aspect of a person or group and link them all together. Stereotypes link one aspect of a person to one group. The Chicano and Native Americans has have been categorized by Americans based on what is seen in media and what is read in

Mexican Americans refer to other Mexican Americans of a lower class as Chicanos. Chicanos is used to identify the Mexican American as a product of a Spanish, Mexican and Indian heritage. Nowadays, the term is being used to identify the Mexican American as a product of a Spanish, Mexican, Indian heritage. Chicanos are doctors, university teachers, congressmen, and lawyers as well as farm laborers, housewives, plumbers, engineers and mailmen. Chicano literature reflects their stereotypes as boxers, school dropouts, gang leaders, revolutionaries and knife-fighters. Chicanos are bilingual. But Chicanos have not had a true representation in mass media and literature. Their racial and cultural features have been

Pepe, the oldest boy, is sent by his mother to Monterey to buy a few things she needs. Pepe kills a man there with his knife and should escape to the mountains. Some unknown men chase him and finally kill him (Steinbeck 139-156). Pepe is described as a very lazy boy whose only worry in life is playing with his knife: "All day you do foolish things with your knife, like a toy-baby", she stormed. "Get up on thy huge feet that eat up shoes. Get up!" She took him by one loose shoulder and hoisted at him. Pepe grinned sheepishly and came half-heartedly to his feet. "Look!" Mama cried. "Big lazy, you must catch the horse and put the father's saddle. You must go to Monterey" (p. 141). A further stereotype concerns the Chicano's moral values. After killing the man, Pepe says to his mother: "I am a man now, Mama. The man said names to me I could not allow" (p. 144). Killing a man makes him go from adolescence to maturity, showing a confusion in manhood. Growing up with just a mother figure, Pepe created an image on what manhood should look like and what you must to be a man. As Chicano experience stereotype in literature, the Native American does as well. Pepe is described as a very lazy boy who is only worried about playing with his knife is an example of Chicano’s being categorized as knife-fighters. Pepe’s mother argues with him about his knife, stating,” All day you do foolish things with your knife, like a toy-baby” (141). Another stereotype