Customer Reviews

Macho!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The gut wrenching story of the Mexicans who work in the fields in California. Migrant workers have never had an easy life. Coming from a desperate situation in their homeland to a desperate situation in the fields, where stoop labor pays more than they can earn anywhere else, this novel brings their pathos and courage to the front. Recommended to all who think they know what it is all about. It is not pretty, but stomach hurting food for thought. Highly recommended reading for all that care.

Macho is a Spanish word that means male. But, like the Spanish words masculino and varonil, it has many more connotations than masculine, virile or just designating the male gender. The word macho is also used to describe masculine vigor, verve and fortitude. This book by Victor Villaseor portrays the fascinating story of a Mexican youth's journey to the United States in search of a better life for himself and his family. The young man's passion, pride and burning desire for freedom carry this "coming of age" story. He needs his masculine vigor, verve and fortitude to overcome the trials and tribulations of seeking justice in a "white world" trying to deny his humanity. But, it is Villaseor's description of the experiences of the Mexican farm workers in the Salinas valley, as they seek respect, dignity and the opportunity to make a decent living, that is the real story being told through the tale of a young man striving to be macho.

The Odysseus in this Odyssey is the young man Roberto Garcia. He does not want to pursue his education in a school. He believes that he does not need to know "about those things." The seventeen year old does learn the value of education as he is "coming of age" in Norte America's California. The sights and sounds of the Mexican-American workers are vividly portrayed. The dangers of crossing the border and working their way north to their "land of opportunity" in overcrowded boxcars and locked trucks is accurately told. Despite the hardships of carrying the hopeful workers to their new home, Roberto is not deterred from the journey. A week's wages in California is more than he can earn back home in the Mexican mountains of Michoacan.

The author Villaseor shows the brutality of migrant labor, Cesar Chavez organizing the workers, and the plight of the immigrant experience, as seen through the eyes of young Roberto. During these experiences Garcia grows up to be a macho man and returns home to save his family.

This story illustrates the ideals of understanding of who we are as a people; and as peoples. The story of the Mexican migrant workers, the illegal immigrants and the Mexican-Americans history has not been adequately told and included in our common history as Americans. History that is not inclusive excludes the rationale of "doing" history. Instead of going "back to the future", we need to go "forward to the past." But the stories of the past have all too often been "white washed". I recommend this work of fiction as an adjunct to our old, tired history books that have been "white washed" in that they exclude the peoples of color. Inclusive history is the story of many different peoples, men and women of various colors contributing to our world, history as it actually is. Enjoy!

I'll be as spare as Villasenor himself. An outstanding and underrated author's young and sinewy expression of his views of the disparity between mexican/american and gringo culture. A great and entertaining read.

The book Macho talks about a boy named Roberto going to the United States in search for a better life for him and his family. The beginning of the book was boring because it spends most of the time describing the setting. The book was repeating itself for the most part which made you lose interest. However, by the end of the book it got more interesting there was more action that just has you wanting to know what is going to happen next. We recommend this book for anyone wanting to know about what immigrants have to go through to support their family.

Last year for my sophomore English class I had to read this book. At first I didn't like the book, but after a few chapters I started to love the book. This year my school was privileged enough to have Victor Villasenor come and speak to my fellow juniors, and some of the sophomore class. Victor Villasenor is a great author and speaker, if you haven't read this book or any of his books, I would suggest reading them !

Jon Pait, 16, TUHS.

This is not the first book I read by this author--I felt the book was picturesque in the way the author painted the scenery-I felt as if I could close my eyes and become that young man trying to come of age without wanting or needing to become educated--as he said I don't need to know about those things. I recommend it to anyone who is trying to stay connected to the family and still become the good hijito that the person feels he or she should become.

I read the book in 2 days, because I literally couldn't put it down. Me being of Mexican Descent and from San Diego, I really felt a connection with MACHO and the depiction of the machismo ways of my culture. But this book is truly for everyone and anyone who enjoys a wonderful, vivid well written story of Life. Read this book and take a ride through Victor Villasenor's train of though with very few stops!
San619diego@hotmail.com

This is an outstanding story of a young boy who becomes a man through his very adventurous trip to the United States. Leaving his family behind in Mexico to come to the United to work to help his family out financially. It is a book of struggle. A struggle to stay alive, to survive the environment, and to learn from others to advance.

Are you tired of reading the same ordinary boring books! Well once you read Macho you will find out that it is not an ordinary book by reading the first few chapters! The book Macho is about a boy named Roberto Garcia who leaves his family behind to move to United States for a better life for himself and try to provide for his family. He moves to California to work at a vegetable field. He is not making a lot of money. But is still sending money back to his family in Mexico but stopped because his father is an alcoholic. The book is written with some Spanish words, so if you do not know Spanish you might have trouble understanding the book. I felt bad for Roberto because he had a rough life supporting his family and himself. The reason why this book is called Macho is because Roberto felt like a man or "Macho" supporting his family. I personally liked this book because I can relate to Roberto. I have a friend who is working and he is 15 and provides for his family, just like Roberto.

Macho! Is very, very fine literature!

Villaseñor accomplishes in 235 pages what some writers can't accomplish in a 1000, with writing so visual that you will see the scenes play out right before your eyes.

The exposition was judiciously used, and the bits of history regarding Cesar Chavez were relevant, insightful, and really put the novel into context.

Between chapters I found myself putting the book down, and really pondering over what I'd read, savoring it like a good meal with a great glass of wine.

Even though the backdrop of the novel is Mexico and the Mexican-American experience...the book, at its core, is truly universal. Many cultures all around the world have backwards notions of what it means to be a man - I say "backwards," because some of these moronic notions of what it means to be a MAN can get you killed. And, then what? People come to your funeral and say how honorably you died. What sense does that make? You don't even get a chance to live and enjoy the honor you've apparently earned.

If you have to fight to prove you're a MAN, that's not honorable at all - that's barbaric and primitive!

This book will truly force you to differentiate honor from stupidity, and nobleness from arrogance.

But then again, GREAT literature often does stimulate deep thinking!