My Schizophrenic rates go as follows:
10- Mama Chona
9- Miguel Grande
8- Juanita
7- Angie
6-Miguel Chico
5- JoEl
4- Felix
3- Lena
2-Nina
1-Lola
Mama Chona is the most cultural schizophrenic because she didn’t value the Mexican side of her
identity nor did she passed that on to the rest of the family. Mama Chona wanted
to assimilate and only praised the Spanish culture. She was jealous about her
sisters lighter skin, would only read books about white people because
“Mexicans weren’t glamorous enough” and even though she was poor she did not do
her own house work because she saw that as lowering her standards. She always
saw herself better than Mexicans and Indians, whom to her were considered of
the lower class. She preferred to have a dirty house than to just clean it
herself. When she had to do the dishes she almost had some kind of attack and
did not stop crying. She suffers from internalized racism and that is what she
passes on to her children and grandchildren. There is a part where Mama Chona
is speaking about language to her grandchildren and tells them that they must
speak English the way they teach in their American schools however, she also
does tell her grandchildren that they must learn Spanish because “a truly
educated person…speaks more than one language fluently. (p.144) ” When we see
things from JoEL and Miguel Chicos perspectives, we see that they too see the
ways of their grandmother and do not agree with her ideologies. In the last
chapter, we learn that Moma Chonas husband cheated on her and even though we
don’t leanr too much about her personal sexual life, we can see that she also
suffers from internalized sexism. Moma Chona is a clear example of cultural
schizophrenia and as the family head, she has a huge influence on the rest of
the family members.
Miguel Grande
Miguel Grande is homophobic,
machista, and patriarchal that believes that Juanita is inferior to him. We see
that he thinks he is superior to others when he doesn’t think Lola will move to
LA and seemed almost sure about it. He is very patriarchal and expected Miguel
Chico and Juanita to always listen to him and would get mad when Juanita
didn’t. Miguel Grande was always worried his son would be homosexual because he
was very sensitive and when his son was younger he would get mad when he was
dressed in girl clothes or when he played with dolls. Miguel Grande is also
highly influenced by his mothers internalize racism and sexism. Internalized
racism because he is one of the children to believe that only the Spanish side
of their identity is worth honoring and calls Mexicans “wetbacks”. Internalized
sexism because there is a point when he is talking to Miguel Chico about being
in love with both Lola and Juanita but still feels that they are both inferior
to him and are not capable of continuing their lives without him. Also, Miguel
Chico has only seen his father cry twice because Miguel Grande would tell him
men didn’t cry. To him, this was a weakness and a weakness he couldn’t show
because he was the man and head of the family.
Juanita
She was an
interesting character. She first came out appearing strong in the first chapter
and as the dominating person because of the way she treated Maria. Juanita is
cultural schizophrenic in the way that she refuses to associate herself with
anything Mexican or Indian because she saw it as impure. Juanita indeed suffers
from internalized sexism. She respected Miguel Grande and many times would
listen to him and not speak up even though she did not agree. She lowered
herself to the point where she was accepting of him cheating on her. She did
not want to believe other people because she was proud to have been married to
her husband for so many years. Even after Miguel Grande tells her she is seeing
Lola, Juanita lets him decide what he wants to do. I could not believe that
even after he does leave with Lola and returns home to Juanita she awaits him
with open arms. Even when he is unsure about returning Juanita tells him he can
bring her his dirty clothes. Juanita’s submissive behavior to Miguel Grande and
her belief that she is inferior to him really frustrates me throughout the
book. Even Miguel Chico notices his mothers internalized sexism and is annoyed
by it.
Angie
I don’t think we
learn too much about Angie but only that she is submissive to accept every
Felix does. She is seen as the one to take care of the home and be there for
Felix. When their son JoEL is having nightmares she lets Felix sleep with him
and she moves to a different room. Angie also accepts the way Felix decides to
punish his son and is not capable of doing something against it.
Miguel Chico
Only one in
family to go to college and is trying to find himself throughout the book. He
is the observer and we get to see how he notices certain attitudes and details
in conversations from others. Although he does not know much about his culture,
he does listen to some old stories about other family members. Being away in
college helps Miguel Chico in the way to be able to see himself as a part from
the family. He does not agree with the family structure and gets annoyed by
them easily. I think the fact that he does not get married is a resistance
against the family structure and doing what his dad wants.
JoEl
JoEl spends a
lot of his childhood years with Mama Chona and is highly influenced by her.
Although he doesn’t agree with some things such as her not cleaning because she
believes she is too good for that, he does suffer from internalized sexism and
isn’t able to understand how to show love. He internally loves his father but
does not know how to show it because Felix isn’t able to show it. Instead felix
realizes on violence instead when his son doesn’t liten to him instead of
explain that he cares fro him. It isn’t until the end that he starts to sue
drugs because he can’t handle not having him.
Felix
Felix is one of the only children
that didn’t buy only honoring the Spanish side of the family from his mother.
He was the different one from the rest of his family and always did what he
wanted. He did not receive his mothers okay to marry Angie because to Mama
Chona she was an India. Although he did not really know about his own culture
and did suffer from cultural amnesia, I think he knew that and that’s the first
step towards consciousness. Felix was the odd one out from the family and we
first see this when he is a child and runs outside to the rain while the rest
of the family hides and is scarred. Felix is a free spirit because he doesn’t
let boundaries such as being called a joto stop him from his true sexual
desires. I don’t think he really cares about what people think. He also isn’t
the typical sexist and has freedom with sexuality because he is compassionate
and that is why he gets along with everyone because he tries to understand
them.
Nina
She stood up to
her father when he use to hit them and after that he never hit his daughter
again. She would tell Juanita to leave Miguel Grande when he was cheating. I
saw her as the fierce mujer, who stood up and did not sub misses herself to
things she did not like. Nina went against the ‘norm’ and was the rebellious
character who demands things. I see Nina
is the more conscious one and the ‘rock’ support from Juanita. She appreciates
more of the Mexican culture than her sister and tries to acknowledge that
throughout.
Lola
Lola did
not really care about other people. She had power over Miguel Grande and did
what she wanted. She was an independent person with different ideologist. I
would consider her to be the least culturally schizophrenic because she is
aware of the power she holds and she is sexually free. First, she is
continually after El Compadre and finally gets him after his first wife dies.
Then, Even though she knows Miguel Grande is her best friends husband, that
doesn’t stop her from wanting to have him.
Lola also has the power to make Miguel Grande respect her and care about
her. When Miguel Grande has the urge to have to tell Juanita he is cheating on
her, he tells his younger son that it is because Lola is demanding it from him.
She has the power to make Miguel Grande jealous and she doesn’t care about
dancing and flirting with other men because it reality she is not taken and
simply free.
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