Re1·i
s a de Es udios No eame icanos, n.º 1 I (2006), pp.
109
-
116
REBOZOS RECONSIDERED:
A DEAD END FOR CHICANO LITERATURE?
RA
MÓN
GARCÍA
*
MARÍA
MARTÍNE
Z-
GUTIÉRREZ
**
* Cali
o
nia S a e Uni e si y No h id
ge
** CSU F esno
an
d USAC, Uni c si y
o
Ne ada
The e is a long li e a y dis ance be ween he ebozo ( olklo ic Mcxican shawl)
ha is wo n
by
Do olea, he psycho ic, ag
uel
y ic imized cha ac e
in
Juan Rul o's
mas e picce Ped o Pá amo (1956) and he ebozo a he cen c
o
Sand a Cisne os's
Ca amelo. Do o ea ca ies an imagina y child in he ebozo, he insc u able o sp ing
o
he demencia. Shc helps Ped o Pá amo's son, Miguel, ape ali hc
gi
ls in Comala
( his is he non-colo ul o m
o
La ín Ame ican magical ealism ha does no make
i ac nss he bo dc ). Do o ea is a haun ing,
di
s u bing cha ac e , and she appea s in
only a
ew
scenes
in
a e y sho no el. The ebozo in Ca amelo,
in
con as!, is a
symbol
o
he s o y i sel , ep esen ing
Lh
e ac
o
ememb ance and
Lhe
passing on
o
amily his o y. The e is no g o esque hallucina ion in he olds
o
he ebozo, no
psychological u mo
il
, and onc canno help hinking ha pe haps i he e had been
some hing else han a i icial nos algia somcwhe c
in
all he old- ashioncd p e iness
o
i s p ose, he s o y «wo en» om Cisne os's a che ypal ebozo would ha e becn
able o hold igo ous li e a y s anda ds.
Cisne os is he celeb a ed au
h
o
o
se e a! books
o
poe
y,
a no ella, The
Hou
se
011 Mango S ee , and a collec ion
o
sho s o ies, Woman Holle ing C eek
and
O he S o ies. In he poe y and in The H
ouse
011 Man!{o S ee Cisne os displayed a
play ul comma
nd
o
na a i e, empowe ing ideas and poe ic language. The House 011
Mango S ee is an accomp
li
shed, al hough une en, adolescen s o y. Mango S ee
alone has sold mo e han wo million copies, and Cisne os should be c edi ed wi h
cmpowe ing a gene a ion
o
La ina gi ls who g ew up in he 1990's, and who ead
hc book
in
high school. In Woman Holle ing C eek, Cisne os ackled «di icul »
subjec s such as adul e y, in emalized acism and AIDS.
In
he
sho s o y «Ne
e
110 Ramón Ga cía a1Ui Ma ía
Ma íne~-Gu ié ez
Ma y a Mexican» Cbne os h ows sexual poli ics upside down, and he assaul
on
he mo al and poli ical ounda ions
o
he e osexual omance
is
da ing.
Ca amelo was launched
in
ea ly Sep embe 2002.
wi h
he equisi e ma ke ing
bli z. Cisne os began appea ing on he co c
o
La ino-based magazines
in
cos umes
mean o complemcn Ca amelo
's
ccleb a ion
o
he Mexican and
he
beau i uL
Coun less newspape a icles and magazine s o ies began de o ing as much
ime
-
i
no mo e- o non-Ji e a y ma e s: he special ebozos, he looks and
he
uncon en ional li e, he pu plc-pain ed housc e c., - he publici y pho os add
in
g ue!
o hc non-li e a y i e: Sand a in ano he colo ul ebozo, his ime wi h a a oo
o
an umb ella as accesso ies; Sand a wi h ano he ebozo, his ime wea ing cowboy
boo s emblazoned wi h he Vi gen de Guadalupe; Sand a decked ou in F ida
Kahlo
wea
in
an Eisens einian landscape
o
dese cac i. In a Wa holian age
in
which
a
and eomme ce can so easily swi ch places, i
is
necessa y
o
ask.
«Wha
is
he
p oduc
ha Ms. Cisne os is selling'!»
In
an a icle in
Book
Magazine, w i e Dagobe o
Gilb is quo cd as saying: «Talking abou Sand a Cisne os hesc days is likc alking
abou F ida Kahlo.» Tha 's a bi exagge a ed, hu he e is so ne u h
o
ha . Gilb,
howe e , is no speaking
o
F ida Kahlo he woman and hc ex ao dina y a is . bu
F ida he icon madc sa c o comme cial consump ion. emp ied
o
he adical o ce
o
he a .
Donna Ta 's
111e
Li le F iend and Zadie Smi h's Tlze Au og aph Man, bo h
published a ound he same ime as Ca amelo, wc e hcld up o much mo e igo ous
li e a y s anda ds. Donna Ta was aken o ask o l eading amilim li e a y e i o y
and o c isi ing he oo s (he Sou he n Go hic oo s), he same quali ies ha o he
mos pm cha med e icwe s
o
Ca amelo. «Th eads
o
a Colo ul Family» an he
i lc
o
Ron Cha les' glowing e iew
o
Ca amelo
in
he Ch is ian Science
Moni o
and Ca o! Memmo 's cqually glowing app abal in
U5A
Toda_ was i led «Ca amelo
wea es a colo ul ale.» Zadie Smi h was chas iscd o no mee ing he high li c a y
ambi ions, and bccause he no el was no as good as he i s (shame on he !).
Bu
hese doublc s anda ds eck
o
pa onizing poli ical co ec ness. A e ali, Donna
Ta is he An iKi sch, shc wca s s a k designc clo hes (no nos algic Sou he n Belle
ashions o he ) and she doesn
'
smile o he came a. She is a se ious w i c
.
And
Zadie Smi h, e en hough she's acially-mixed, is B i ish, and you know
h
cy a e
jusi mo e sophis ica ed o e he e. Unde nea h ali he p aise la ished on Ca amelo
he e is
an
ob ious pa e nalis
i
c diplo nacy, he idea ha La ino w i e s should
no
be judgcd
by
he same s anda ds as e e ybody e!se because La ina/o w i e s need o
be okenized. A e ali, i is much mo e poli ically expedien o p aise a book like
Ca amelo because
i
con i ms he wo s s e eo ypes: ha La inos a e simple, ki schy,
colo ul and pic u esque,
un
damen ally un h ea ening.
The main cha ac e in Ca amelo, om whose poin
o
icw he s o y
is
old
is
named Lala, and h
e
main pu pose
is
o be uncon incingly «nonnal» and likable.
She is, in ac , oo un ema kable o
o
ll
ow h ough 433 pages. She does no make
exci ing company h ough coun less hou s in he house
o
ic ion. Ka he ine Anne
Po e , a w i e who sha ed Cisne os's in e es in oman ic Mexican subjec s, didn'
Rebo~os
Reconside ed: A Dead End
o
Ch
icano Li e a u e?
111
w i e abou ebozos bu she w o e abou women who
wo
e hem. Bu e en Po e 's
ebozo-ciad beau ies we e mo e han pic u esque - hey
we e
s ong c ea u es and a
om innocen . One is bewilde ed by Lala, a cha ac e
whose
ma
u i y is ques iona
bl
e
e en as an adul , and, whose ac ions a e
so
uled by cul u al ins inc ha by
compa ison Ka he inc Anne Po e 's, and e en D.H. Law ence's Mexican mode n
p imi i es
seem
lame-
«I gel d essed, ie he
G andmo he
's
ca amelo ebozo on my
head like a gypsy, and s a sucking he inge.
l
has
hc
amilia swec as e o i
,
like ca o s, like camo e, ha calms me» (388). Rebozo chewing o elaxa ion is
an
in c -gene a ional ai , one o he many wonde s
passed
on h ough he wond ous
ebozo.
I
seems clca sucking he ebozo b ings he amilia as e ha calms Lala,
bu i seems c en clea e ha Cisne os is no amilia wi h he an h opological
and social mcaning
o
he cla ion bc ween ebozo
and
mou h o Indian Mexican
women: hcy ha e o co e hei mou hs wi h hei
ebozo
(and o chew i hey wish)
o p e en! hem om speaking in public. The idealiza ion
o
he ebozo in a de o
cha ac e ize Lala
as
ue Mexican woman
is
a om accu a e; ac ually
i
is based
on a alse ass
um
p ion
o
Mexican eali y. On he
olhe
side, by he ime Lala
s
a
s
cbewing
on
he ebozo o i s calming e ec you
don'
know
who is mo e igh ening,
Rul o
's
demen ed Do o ea
o
his s ange woman wi h animalis ic quali ies.
In
Lala,
D.H. Law ence's blood p imi i e has mo phed wi h a
Ha
lequ
in
he oine. This
is
Lala a e she has d aped he my hical ca amelo ebozo on he lo e E nes o, and
hey a e consumma ing hei con ounding a ac ion: «Ali hc pa s
o
me coming
back om some
pl
ace be a e 1 was bo n, and me li lc
and
sa e in he wa m h
o
ha
name, well lo ed, mysel again. The syllables making
me
a ch and s e ch like a ca ,
ol! o e wi h my belly showing, p een. And laugh
ou
loud» (382). The e a e o he
ins anccs
o
eline e nale beha iou , Lala
's
mo hc Soledad is desc ibed
as
such:
«Likc a dus y housc cal, she s e ched o cn and
ubbed
he lowe back, and whcn
shc was los
in
hough , she s oked he belly unawa e she was s oking he belly.
The body spoke and said
jus
enough, bu no oo much» ( 165).
Ca amelo
is
peopled wi h colo ul cha ac e s wi h
co
lo ul names: Lala, Aun y
Ligh -Skin, he Aw ul g andmo he , he Li le G and a he , Unclc Baby, Tikis, Uncle
Fa Face, Seño Coochie- he lis gocs on. By he 35 h «chap e » you long o someone
wi h a non-cu csey name. In Cisne os's House on Mango S ee we encoun e ed he
mo he
o
he adolescen Espe anza, whose hai «smells like b ead» a
nd
in Ca amelo
ou c i ica) acul ics a e once again asked o be suspended as we a e in oduced o
Ca i a
's
nameless « a daugh e » «who smells
o
chocola e». Ca i a he sel smells « he
same as he s eamy dishclo h ha holds he ho co n o illas
».
In
a no el bu s ing
wi h he mos s c eo ypical cul u al c c ences, e en he imp obable cha ac e s ha
e
o
smell
o
hci cul u e: b ead, chocola e, dishclo hs o
ho
co n o illas. I'll buy
h
a
one whcn I ead a F ench no el
in
which cha ac e s
sm
ell like pa é and camemhe
cheese. Ali he ocus on desc ip ions
o
adi ional Mexican cul u e ing alse, and
i ge s i ing -i is no enough ha he cha ac e s a e Mexicans, e e y hing hey do
and e e y hing a ound hem has o hi you o e he head wi h i . Cisne os c ea es
a hype -Mexicanized wo ld
in
which excessi e desc ip ions conspi e o make
he
112 Ramón
Gu C'Ía
and
Ma ía
Maníne:
-
Gu i
é ez
ca oonish cha ac e s ki schy. In Mexico
«S
a s open whi e
and
so like esh
bolill
o
(18) b ead,» (17) chu ches a e « he col
o
o
lan,» (146)
eyes
a e « ende and
da k
as
ca é
de olla» and babies ha e «limbs like
cho iw»
( 196).
In
The
House on
Mango
S
ee
g andpa
's
ee a e « a and doughy likc hick amales»
and
in Ca amelo
i
is
he g andmo h
e 's
ee ha a e « a li le amales» (252).
Ca am
elo
alls sho
o
Cisne os's
ea
li
e
wo k o
he
ex en ha i is
no
a
no el in a no elis ic sense; i is a se ies
o
igne es s
ung
oge he
o
make
up
o he ac ha he e is no plo
o
con lic , which would
no
be a p oblem
i
he e
we e ideas
o
philosophy in hei place.
Bu
he e a en' .
Lala's
umina ions
ha dly
quali y as philosophy:
«l
was only la e when she was
nea
he end
o
he li e
ha
she began o doub wha she'd ac ually seen and wha sh
e'd
emb oide ed o e
ime
,
because a c a while he emb oidc y
se
em
s eal and he eal
seems
emb oide y» ( I
35).
Lala is a lic ed wi h a mild case
o
P ous ian ememb ance; un o una ely, i is
o
h
e i es s ain. Wha Ca amelo
<loes
ha e plen y
o
is
en
i e chap e s comp ised
o
poin less quain si ua ions.
The
chap e i les
h
emse! es need se ious c i
ica!
conside a ion: «He
Who
is Des ined o be a Tamale,» «
Nobody
bu
Us
Chickens,»
«We A e No Dogs» «Spic Spanish.»
I '
s ha d o igu e
ou
wha he poin
o
hi
s inexhaus ible bomba dmen
o
cul u al clichés is, because
h
e only ideas ha manage o escape om i a e ha
Mexicans a e no only simple bu unny.
and
ha , yes, hey
a e
pa
o
No h Ame ican
socie y. Bu
i
you al eady know
h
e la e . and ind he o1mc suspec , Ca amelo
doesn
'
make in e es ing company. You can spend you
ime
eading one
o
hose
hick Russian no els ha anyone
is
hesi an! o pick up,
o
ea
o
ceing guil y
i
one
does no linish i . P obably you al eady know ha Anna Ka enina kills he sel ,
bu
you would like o ind ou how and wh
y.
Whe cas in Ca amelo il is al eady known
no one was going lo kill hemsel es o anyone elsc -killing and suicide is ha d
o
make quain , and when such hings a e deal wi h in li e a y ic ion we know
we
a e in o a challenging philosophical and mo al ide. The bo de -c ossing ide
ha
wc
a. e
in i cd o ake in Ca amelo is onc in which no di icul ques ions a e posed,
and no hing is challenged. Whcn c i ical inle oga ion is lacking, he wo k
is
mo e
accu a ely dc ined as popula /comme cial
i
c ion, no li e a y ic ion. Which begs
h
e ques ion: why was Cisne os's Ca amelo e icwcd as
i
i we e li e a y ic ion?
Why was
i
placed on he Los A
11
geles Times bes books
o
he yea nex o Paul
Aus e and Umbc o
Eco?
Yx a
Maya
Mu ay's
The
Co11q11es
also made The
Los
Angeles Times bes
books
o
2002. Mu ay has accumula ed as amoun s
o
p aise o
g
i y depic io
ns
o
ba
i
o Ji c in such wo ks as he
1996
Locas. a no el abou he pa he ic li es
o
gangs e gi ls (cholas) in he Los Angeles neighbo hood
o
Echo Pa k. Tlús epic
ale
o
igno ance
and
ga
ng wa a e is na a e<l
by
a co e ie
o
chola oices
who
a
li
sound alike, a hyd a-headed epo om he gu e . This is Lucia, one
o
hc
hype bolic cholas, in
onc
o
he coun lcss momen s
o
ough ghe o musings: «I was
a slick li le jalapeiia,
pop
me in you mou h,
ca
use sex is in a Mexican woman
's
blood, i comes na u al, and I ga e i o him c azy, wild wi h lo s
o
noise, o as
Rebozas Reconside ed: A Dead End
o
Chicano Li e a u e? 113
long as he could akc i
so
ha
he'd
s ay pu by my side.»
We
a e amilia wi h
he
cholas in
Locas
no only because hey a e s e eo ypes, bu because we saw hese
same s e eo ypcs on he sc een a
ew
yea s be o e in Allison Ande s's 1994 lose
melod ama
Mi
Vida Loca.
Mu ay assumcs a simila coa se ba io nai a i e oice
in
Ri a Zapa a,
he
hood- a cha ac e ha ells hc s o y
o
Wha I Takes
o
Ge o
Vegas.
Ri a Zapa a
speaks in a s ange ghe o lingo ha 's no pa
o
any ba io Iexicon, e eJTing
o
he sel and o he women as «pu ana(s)» (is he co ec wo d pu a?), and saying
hings like «l pushed my a ms
ou
agains bis, sc eamed il hies.» Ri a's lo e in e es ,
and he gold-digging icke o Vegas, is boxe Guille mo Billy Na a o, a igu e
in o which ali popula s e eo ypes abou he La ino
male
a e packed. He
is
macho
and un ai h ul, b u ish, and na u ally lacks in elligence. Ri a Zapa a is his emale
coun e pa ~she
is i olous and hung y o sex, s i led and needy, bu she igh s,
and e en kills women o he lo e
o
he
macho man.
This
is he o ensi ely amilia
masque ading as eali y, a (o he lack he co ) imi a ing eleno elas and acis No h
Ame ican s e eo ypes. Like Locas, Wha i Takes o
Ge
o Vegas
is
os ensibly a
aw
po ayal
o
ough ghe o li e, bu i so why do we
need
ba io ca igh s depic ed
in
his way?: «I wen o e
o h
e bed and go he by
he
hai . l puJJed he o wi h one
ug and she sc eamed like a apped ca and I kep ugging. He a bu blubbed
a ound and he b eas s swung like bags and he ce wi h hei Az ec ed oenails
g ipped he loo . I wan ed o smash he head in o he wall, and T would ha e done
i excep o Billy ge ing behind me
wi
h his we p
en
is nudging
me
and his a ms
Iocking a ound my shouldc s.»
Wlza
il
Takes o Ge o Vegas con inues a legacy
o
he Mexican as boxe , a
igu e
o
social conscience in Hollywood's «social p oblem» ilms
o
he l 950's, and
whose wa c ed-down imagc su i es
in
he ele ision show Resu ec ion
Bo
ule a d.
And
o
cou se he c is he sexy hough
o
Osea
de
la Hoya which haun s any
con empo a y imagining
o
Mexican boxc s, and ha will help sell i c cn i no hing
in c es ing is ac ua
ll
y imagined.
We
see he de olu ion
o
cha ac e iza ion i we u n
o Jack London's sho s o y
«T
he Mexican,»
in
which boxe Felipe Ri e a d eams
o
c olu ion and is in used wi h London
's
own melancholy socialis longings. In Locas
and Wha i Takes o Ge o Vegas, Maya Mu ay pe o ms a ghe o en iloquism
h
a sounds
o
ali hc mos damaging and unpleasan s e eo ypcs abou Mexican mcn
a
nd
wome
n.
As a hope ul an ido e, one can u n o Luis Rod ígucz's The Republic
o
Eas L.A., which p o es ha s o ies abou he inn
e
ci y can be popula ed by
digni ied and complex cha ac e s whose eali y need no oyeu is icalJy gi e c edence
o Cops o
Bad
Boys. 1
J 's b
ee
n dccades since Mcxican w i e s and ilmmake s abandoned he
glo i ica ion
o
ebozos
(1
don' hink hey we e e c much in o amales). Rebozos
So ne
in
e con empo a y w i e s, such as Ga y So o, Susan S aígh , Dagohe
o
Gilb, Luis
Rod íguez, Sesshu Fos e
an<l
Ma iscla No e, ha e also w i en ahou Chicanas/os wi hin a wo king
class con cl , in a no oycu is ical o simplis ic way.

114
Rmm
í11
Ga cía
and
Ma ía
Ma íne
~-
Gu ié e
z
a e plen i ul in he comedia anche a cinema ic gcn e
o
he
1930's-40's, a u al
musical illed
wi
h happy singing Mcxicans in ol
kl
o ic
landscapes.
Two
o
he
mos
my hical ebozos we e
wom
by wo
o
h
e mo
s
high-chce
kboned
ac esses
o
h
e
Golden agc
o
Mexican c
inema
, Dolo es Del Río
in
Emilio «
El
Indio» Fe nández's
Ma ía
Ca
ndela ia ( 1944) and
S
ella Inda in Robe o Ga a
ldón
's
El
Rebozo
de
Sol
edad
( 1952).
Th
ese cinema ic ebozos we c no simp
le
indi
gcnous
ashion s a emen s, hey
we e melancholy symbols
o
c e y hing ha was Mexican
and
beau
i
ul. Al hough
h
cy
quickly became cu si and ou is
y,
he
a
is
y
o
he
melod
ama pa ading
hem
ans o med hem in o my h. Bu e en hose my hical
ebozos
we e no a sa c ha
cn
o
che
a i ma ion o adi ional
cul
u e; he a
ge
dics o
mode n
social
li
e u hlcssly
in ade he beau i ul Mexican landscapc, complica ing he gl
amou
o
he
ebozo
-Ma ía Candela ia ge s s
on
ed
by
h
e
own people, accused
o
bcing a who e, a
nd
Soledad dics gi ing bi h. By
h
e 1980's, when Mexican
m is s
Je
su
sa
Rod íguez a
nd
As
i
d Hadad wc e c i ing Mexican indigenous
cu
l u e, olklo ic moli s had
bccomc
aboo in Mexican
in
e
ll
ec ual ci cles because
o
hei
assoc
ia ion wi
h
eac iun
a y
poli ics and he ou is indus y. Bu Rod ígu
ez
and
Hada
d
didn
'
cco e ebozos
and Az ec
go<lde
sses
in
o de
o oman
i
cizc he n. hey e-in e p e cd hem h ough
i ony and a sa i ic da k
humo
ha was sub e si ely elc an and cun empo a y.
In Ca amelo. Cisne os e okes he oman ic olklo e
o
ebozos and amales,
so ha Chicano cul u e can be po ayed as a c oss bc ween Ma ía Candela ia and a
TV si com in
he
onn
o
he
Am
e
i
can amily saga. Wha
needs
c i ica] e lec iun is
Cisne os's ende ing
o
hc immig an cxpe ience as slaps ick, hc ans o ma ion
o
Mcxican-Ame ican wo king class his o y in u a comedia
a11che a.
One is lcd o won
<lc
i he olde gene a ions
o
Mexican immig an s who wo k and con inue
u
con ibu e
o
Ame ican sucie y a e hono ed by exo ic ou is y pu ayals'! Mos likely
h
ey a e puzzled
by Chicano w i c s who insis on being nos algic o a olklo e
and
a adi ional cul u e
hal is mo e nade up han eal. mo e a p oduc
o
h
c w i e 's sel -indulgence
h
an he
li ed expe ience o a his
o
ical Mexican communi y in he Uni ed S a cs.
In
he 1940"s he g ea
Cub
an w i e Alejo
Ca
pcn
i
e
a gued agains he alse
enchan men s
o
su ealism by <lelining wha he e me
<l
/o
eal nui al'illo.w, a ision
o
cali y ha would uly ep esen
La
in Ame ican his u y
and
socie y. Ca pen ie
s a
ed
ha hc «p escnce» and «au ho i
y»
o
lo
e
al
ma a illoso was « he pa imony
o
ali he A nc icas.»
Bu
whi
lc
he decades ha olluwed Ca penlie 's
p
ophelic li e a y
assessmen inspi e
c.l
La in Ame ican w i e s
o
c ca c so ne o he mos mas e ul
and imagina i e li e a
u
e
o
h
c 20 h cen u y,
in
he Uni ed S a es i p oduc
ed
Az ec p incess juggle s (Yx a
May
a Mu ay's
Tlze
Co11q
ues }, d
ead
child en lying
on o oo
ops
(Ana
Cas
illo
's
So Fa F mn God), wa ing dolls (Sand a Cis
ne
os
's
Cam111elo),
and a glu
o
co
n i ed oddi ies
lh
a we e nei he ma elous nu eal.
Wha
Chicano «magical ca
li
sm» lacked and which
much
o he li e a u e
ha
s a
il
ed
o inco po a c is a c
i
ica] p
c sp
cc
i
e, an explo a
i
on
o
h
e
da k
o
n
eg
a i e ma c
ha
is he ue coun y o li e a y
i
c iun. One
ca
n eca
ll
he e i ying beau y
u
José Donoso's
mac
a
b
e
magica
l
ea
lis n in
The
Oh.w:ene Bi d
o
Nigh in o de u
R
ebows
Re
co11side
ed: A Dead End
o
Chica110
Li e a u e 1
115
measu e lhe unaccoun able ex en o which
Ca pen ie 's
ideas
o
lo eal ma a illoso
we e i ialized and misinhe i ed in he Uni ed S a es.
I
we wc e o do a census
o
he people ha
popula e
con empo a y Chicano
li e a u e a as majo i y would be
ch
ild en ying o
igu e
ou hci idcn i y in coming
o
age s o ies.
We
o en ha e you
ng
s uden s,
La
ino
o
o
hc wise, in
ou
Mcxican
li e a u e cou se commen ha wha
h
ey a e eading is
no
wha hey expec ed.
When we ask wha i was ha hey we e expec ing,
hc
answe s di
c
bu hey come
om he same place. Thcy say
he
y we c expec ing
mo e
hings abou «Az ecs» and
«poo peoplc.» Many s uden s expec o encoun e Mexican « adi ions» and by ha
hey appa en ly mean amales, olklo e, piña as and
hings
Ca holic. Ami o so ne
s ange eason ha s ill puzzles us. many s uden s
cxpec
Mexican li e a u e o be
«l
ess complica e l.» So ne s uden s ell us ha so
much
o
wha we we e eading
ami hc Mexican ilms we we e wa ching we e «
Wei
d
.» Thcy hough we would be
eading abou <
<n
i
ce
hin
gs
...
no mal s u ». no
wha
is o be ound in Lou des
A edondo
's
ic ion and he ilms
o
Alejand o Jodo owsky and A u o Rips ein.
Fo nice and no mal Mexican hings hese s uden s
would
no ha e o
go
e
y a .
h
ey could consul
Camm
el
o and ind ali hose Mex
ican
adi ions ha an Ame ican
ima
gina y ou is comes o expec
o
any hing «Mexican.» Wc ocus on Cisne os's
Ca amelo because i
is
symp oma ic
o
h
e s agna ion
o
a ce lain ype
o
Chicano
li c a u e,
and
because we hink i ep esen s a dead
end
o a Ii e a u e ha lacks
a sel -c i ical pe spcc i e.
The e
a
e ha dly any an i-he oes in
h
e li e a u e w i en by Chicanos because
cha ac c s a e o cn bu dencd
wi
h being ep esen a i cs
o
posi i c o amilia aspee!
o
hei cul u e
and
his o
y.
Tha
a signilican po ion
o
mode o wo
l
d li e a u c is
po
pula ed wi h an i-hc oes (cha ac e s who
em
body no
h
e a i ma i
e
em
bl
ems
o
hei cul u e bu he uncanny ills
o
hei soeie y).
and
ha
Ch
icano li e a u e is
p ac ically de oid o
h
em
is
some hing wo h pondc ing.
Wh
a is eg c ahle is he ac ha so much
o
o
u
eali y (p cscn
o
pas )
emains un ouched by
li
e a u e. In i s place we a e o c ed he mii icial com o s
o
nos algia ( o he
pas o
o he p esen ). s
im
ple oman iza ions
o
hackneyed c
ul
u al
symbols and hc suga coa ing
o
his o ical expe ience. Ambigui
y,
se ious mo al
c lcc ion and he
comp
lexi ies
o
psycholo
gy
and social
li
e ha e been eplaccd in
C<1 a
melo by he i nno a i e idea ha Mexicans a e amusing and na u ally o
e
he
op. I his sounds like lhe isiona y me aphysics
o
a
TV
si com, ha 's bccause i is.
The e a e
no
hea y du y con lic s in Ca amelo because in Cisnc os's pos ca d uni e se
Chicanos
do
no w ong,
h
ey su e no g ea agedi
es-
hey li e in a pe pe ua! lig
h
comcdy. Wha Ca amelo e eals mos o ce ully is a se ious po e y o imagina ion
and
un
ala ming lack
o
mo al ision. Since P blishe 's Weekly decla ed Ca amelo
a «landma k» and since
we
know ha landma ks can s
om
e imes become bluep i
n
s,
Ca amelo could p e igu e he nex gene a
i
on o Chi
cano
w i
i
ng. Bu i ha is he
case. hen much
o
o
u
con empo a y eali y. in ali
i
s ue bcau y a
n<l
mys e
y,
will
emain ou side
h
e pu iew
o
he w i en wo d. The blu bs on he back co e
o
Ca
amelo include
an
odd one om Mexican w i e . Elena Ponia owska, in which
116 Ramón Ga cía
and
Ma ía Ma b e
z-
Gu ié ez
shc s a es ha Cisne os is «like a bce ha ex ac s new
honey
om old llowe s ... »
and ha Ca amelo is «likc Mexican candy» Bu
by
he en h
igne
e
one
wishes
he
honeybee would s ing someon
e,
and one hop
es
beyond
hope
Lha
so ne
o
ha ca
ndy
would be Jaced wi h li e a y a senic so i would s op
being
so
saccha ine.
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13
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