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Depression that was felt through the United States and many of immigrants were in debt. “Many were forced off their farms because they were unable to pay
assessments of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District Project, a regional agency established in 1927 to help New Mexican by increasing the land available
for agriculture” Meier, 1972: 149. Talking about Mexican immigrants struggle to receive better life in the
United States, they wish to live like middle class or higher and to get accepted by the Anglo societies. This happens especially after the World War II. However, In
order to accomplish this feat, they must cut themselves off from their past, their Mexican culture and language, from all that is low and dirty Milagro, 2009: 2.
Luiz Valdes picks up this problem into his works, The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa
. Luis Valdez is an American playwright, writer, and film director. He is
regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States and also the founder and artistic director of El Teatro Campesino, which is translated into The
Farmworkers Theater . His well-known work of arts includes Zoot Suit, La
Bamba, Los Vendidos, and The Shrunken Head of
Pancho Villa . In his works, he
mostly talked about the plight of Latinos and the prejudice they face Escamilla: 2002.
The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa
is one of his early works. Luis Valdez wrote this play when he was still a student at San Jose State College. This play
tells a story about the struggle of Mexican-American son who wants to reach his American
Dream in the United States.
He is Mingo.
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Mingo is one of the main characters in Luis Valdez’s The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa
. He is described as a Mexican-American person who has his own American Dream. He desperately wants to be an Anglo-American and he believes
that he can achieve it by working hard on it. The researcher is interested in
Mingo’s characteristics development in the play. Thus, Mingo becomes the main topic of this research. The researcher
follows Mingo’s character from the beginning of the play until the end.
B. Problem Formulation
In revealing the American Dream through the play, the researcher focuses on problems stated below.
1. How is Mingo presented as a Mexican-American?
2.
What is the influence of the American Dream towards Mingo’s characterization?
C. Objectives of the Study
This research goal is to find out the attitude of the Mexican-American people who live in American society at that time. The first objective is to
understand further about Mingo’s presentation as a Mexican-American. The second objective is to reveal the influence of American Dream towards his
character and his characterization.
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D. Definition of Terms
1. American Dream
Singh et al. state that the term of American dreams originated from the early seventeenth century by Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay colony who had
given America one of its strongest images i.e. the myth of success. Most new Americans have believed in their myth of success in seeking new and improved
lives in their country. Others who have lived in the US for generations also believe in and have fought to cover themselves in the American dream that hard
work will always lead to success and that life can always get better 1995: 10-11, meaning that through hard work one could have a better future in America since it
has been a dream land for everyone.
2. Mexican-American
This term is commonly used to recognize US citizens who are descendants of Mexicans, following the pattern sometimes used to identify the extraction of
other ethnic Americans such as, African-American. This term is acceptable to many Mexican descendants, but for those who do not view themselves as
Americans by
choice, this
term is
problematic http:www.mexica.netchicano.php. Although the term Mexican-American is
common, a lot of people who disagree with this term will say that they have been brainwashed by Anglos and they have betrayed their own people
Salazar, 1970.
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3. Chicano
The Chicano term, or Chicana to refer the woman, is insulting to some Mexican-American people
. “Mexican-Americans have used the word “Chicano” to describe people of Mexican origin living in the United States since the early
twentieth century. Originally wealthier Mexican-Americans used the term as a pejorative, a way to describe Mexican-Americans of lower social standing and
some people avoid the label because of its ties to leftwing politics. ” Planas,
2012. As described by Ruben Salazar, “A Chicano is
a Mexican-American with non-
Anglo image of himself.” He added, “A Mexican-American will tell you that Chicano is an insulting term and may even quote the Spanish Academy to prove
that Chicano derives from chicanery.” Salazar, 1970.
4. White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
It is term to describe the white Anglo-Saxons and Protestants of the German and Dutch strains. They were the very first immigrants of the United
States which historically has controlled more social, political, and financial
power. Adamic, 1945: 133. The people of Anglo-Saxon and Protestant ancestry
were described as a well dressed, good mannered, and properly behaved people. Novak, 1972: 84.
