considered them as under- developed race. This situation describes that discrimination toward Mexican citizen is exist.
2. Group Gains
The group gains theory of discrimination in the chapter two says that the more powerful group takes the benefit toward the minority group McLemore, 1980: 130.
It also can be said that the dominant group get the advantages from the minority. The minority groups are forced to do the hardest and lowest paying job. They did not have
a chance to get better condition because of the inferior status. In this story, it is obvious that Farmworker is one of the members of the
minority group. Because of his characteristic which is durable and hardworking, the American took the advantages from him. He is forced to work all day long in the field
picking grapes, cotton, and melon, but he can be paid with minimum wages. The stereotype from society that Mexican people are mostly uneducated, illiterate, and
lazy gives bad effect to them in finding job. The skill they have also affects the job they got. This situation makes many Mexican people experiences small job
opportunity. Most of them work in agriculture area, because Mexican people were experienced in farming Kitano, 1985: 158.
Farmworker is one example of Mexican people who get low paying job. He is described as stereotyped of Mexican farm worker. First, he is illustrated as an
economical model. According to Castillo, Mexican immigrant probably was the most
submerged and destitute group in the United States. They were employed in the lowest paid and least desirable jobs Castillo, 2008: 8. This quotation implies the fact
about Mexican people mostly get the low wages because they do not get the high profile job. The discrimination from the white people also plays role in this situation.
“Mexican citizens are ill-dressed, ill- fed, ill-cared for medically and ill- educated, all because of the low economic standard to which they have been
relegated as the result of the general policy of restricting their employment and utilization to the lowest paid, and least desirable. Not only have they been
restricted to the lowest bracket jobs, but even in these jobs they have been paid wages below the minimum” Castillo, 2008: 137.
From the quotation above, it can be concluded that Mexican people were directly stereotyped that they will always be the second class citizen that can only
have low paying jobs with low wages even the wages they earned is below the minimum wages. This also what happens to Farmworker, he works hard in the field,
he cuts grapes, picks cotton and melon, he even can be put all day in the field, but Secretary does not have to pay him much money.
They are discriminated, considered as a second class citizen, and being stereotyped because of their habit and status. Americans consider them as machines
that can do anything. In this text, it is illustrated in the following conversation. JOHNNY: Man, that was a long one, ese. others agree with him.
FARMWORKER: How did we do? JOHNNY: Perty good, look all that lana, man He goes over to Sancho and
removes the money from his hand. Sancho stays where he is. FARMWORKER: They think we’re machines.
REVOLUCIONARIO: Burros. JOHNNY: Puppets. Valdez, 2000: 1012
From the conversation above, it can be seen that Farmworker, Revolucionario, and Johnny do not accept the opinion about being machines or puppets. They are
human as well. That is a form of their protest to American. From the explanations, it can be understood that group gains theory of
discrimination is clearly seen. The minority groups always have the hardest and low paying job, in this story it is reflected by Farmworker. He also got discriminated
because of their status. Not only got discriminated, but also Americans gets the advantages of them by forcing them to do the hardest job and paying him with low
wages. The same treatment is given to Johnny Pachuco and Revolucionario. Both have
the similarities, they are described as a tough, strong, and well built. Johnny and Revolucionario are the tough Mexican guys, because of the war and the
discrimination. They should face the harsh and sorrowful neighborhood because of the discrimination. It makes them strong.
In the World War, many Mexican men joined the war to avoid discrimination at home. They helped American in the war, in order to make white people realize their
existence and they expected that they would not experience discrimination any longer. However, the fact is they still experience the discrimination Griswold, 2008:
57. They felt the betrayal from American. This fact leads to the conclusion that Americans are the most powerful group at that time. They exploited Mexicans or the
powerless group by forcing them to join the war.
This example also contains the group gains discrimination. It happens when the powerful group tries to take the advantages from the powerless group for their own
importance. In this story, Johnny and Revolucionario are considered as machines or puppets that can do anything under command. They are considered as low class,
because of their characteristics. Their race also identifies them as a minority group. This condition that makes them being discriminated. Minority groups always get
different treatment from the powerful one.
3. Institutional Discrimination