JE #6 Character Rate-A-Thon

Mama Chona: 10
Mama Chona chooses to ignore her mestizaje blood and indigenous ancestry by focusing on her Spanish ancestry. She always uses an umbrella to ensure that her skin does not become any darker than it already is. She has internalized much racism through her life and experiences great historical amnesia. Credits her high cheekbones to the blood of high Spanish ladies rather than indigenous blood (Islas 141). She also does not think very highly of the Mexican women that are hired to care for her grandchildren, thinking of them as uneducated and lesser than her. Mama Chona pushed linguistic terrorism on her family by making sure that they spoke “proper Spanish” and looked down on those who did not live up to her expectations of the language.

Miguel Grande: 9

“The North American dream had worked for him. Only his family reminded him of his roots, and except for his mother he avoided them as much as possible.” (Islas 78).

He has internalized his mother’s racism and sexism and thinks very lowly of Maria, the woman hired to take care of Miguel Chico. Miguel Grande works for the police force, a system that works against communities of color. He decides to let the case rest after his brother is murdered instead of attempting to fight the man who killed Felix. He works for and accepts the system that oppresses people of color.

Miguel Chico: 8

Maria taught him of the Seventh Day Adventist religion that she has converted to that went against his parents’ beliefs. Miguel Chico grows up with this contradiction as well as his parents’ racism against Maria and is eventually cut off from Maria and the connection to México that she represented. Miguel Chico later tries to distance himself from his parents’ Catholicism as much as he can which he tries to do through his education.

Miguel Chico later in his life leaves his family for San Francisco and creates a new home. “…to rid himself of the desert, he walked on the beach or in the fog.” He tries to erase his childhood and physical homeland with his chosen elements. He wants to cut himself off from his parents, especially his father. He feels can no longer trust a man to tell him the truth after his father (Islas 97).

Miguel Chico is “…interested in the past for psychological, not historical, reasons.” He wants to understand people through literature but is not focused on the historical happenings, leading to his historical amnesia.

Felix: 7

Felix lives the dual life of being married to Angie with children while hiding his homosexuality.

Felix also used his position of power in his job to take advantage of other men, aligning himself with the oppressor.

Lola: 6

Internalized sexism leads her to hurt Juanita by being with Miguel Grande though she later decides to leave Miguel Grande and reform her friendship with Juanita.

Juanita: 5

Juanita discredits Nina’s spirituality. Has internalized sexism that has her initially blaming Nina more for her husband’s infidelity.

JoEl: 4

JoEl has intense nightmares and we learn that he has a fear of ants (Islas 122). He has a rocky relationship with his father. Thinks lowly of his mother for spending her money in what he deems as “foolish ways” and looks down on her for letting his father “take advantage of her goodness” (Islas 125). Lena and JoEl would sing patriotic North American songs for their parents (Islas 125). Angie is unable to understand their words but knows that they are patriotic North American songs and is proud of her children.

Nina: 3

Nina has a severe fear of death that she later staunches with her focus on spirituality and the spirit world. She attempts to find her way and her lost roots through spirituality. She exhibits cultural schizophrenia by trying to find her way through spirituality on her own rather than being taught it through cultural ties.

Angie: 2

Angie does not speak fluent English. Experiences linguistic terrorism with her daughter’s amusement at her broken English (Islas 120) as well as when she takes Yerma to the rich home for piano lessons. As a part of her internalized racism she does not like for Mama Chona to call Yerma a “little Indian” (Islas 128).

Lena: 1

Lena wants to continue to seek justice for the murder of her father. She does not trust the system and does not want to give in to it but has to concede because of her uncle’s decision to discontinue the case.