Los Vendidos Essays -- Theatre

Luis Valdez wrote â€Å"Los Vendidos† in order to address his view of the Mexican culture and in reference to the prejudices that surrounded him. The play defines four versions of Mexican men, shop owner Honest Sancho is trying to sell to a Secretary in Governor Reagan’s political office. The buildup of characters: The Farmworker, Johnny Pachuco, The Revolucionario, and the Mexican-American, symbolizes an evolution of what society deems the â€Å"ideal† Mexican-American should be. â€Å"Los Vendidos† translates to "The Sold Ones" or "The Sellouts† which is a solid interpretation of Valdez’s opinion on Mexican’s conformity to the American culture. Valdez creates a distinct characterization of all four models, Miss Jimenez, and Honest Sancho with snarky humor and stereotypes in order portray the front of exactly who is running the show in the Used Mexican Lot and Mexican Curio Shop. The scene opens with Miss Jimenez entering the shop in needs of a Mexican to fill a diversity slot in Governor Reagan’s office. She tells Sancho that her name is Miss JIM-menez, which is considered an Anglo pronunciation. Her insistence that she be called this leads the reader to believe she makes it a point to disassociate herself with her Hispanic heritage. She carries herself in a superior manner that signifies her entitlement to treat Sancho and the Mexican models in a negative way. She continues to list the trait requirements for the person she needs to look â€Å"good† in Reagan’s office. Sancho displays each model trying to receive Miss Jimenez’s approval. One important aspect of the play is the adjectives that Ms. Jimenez uses to describe the Mexican that she would like to use as her prototype. Such adjectives are: "suave, debonair, dark, but of course not too da... ...position. What makes their role even more difficult is that they are continually faced with adversity from racial prejudice, which affects all aspects of their life, from gaining equal access to education to gaining employment. â€Å"Los Vendidos† displays a forced choice on whether they want to keep their heritage and remain proud or if they want to become a â€Å"carbon copy† American. Works Cited *Vargas, Zaragosa . "Major Problems in Mexican American History.." Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.. (2011): n. page. Print. . * Cuello, Dr. Jose. "Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies." Faculty Research Portfolios - Dr. Josà © Cuello. n. page. Print. .