Mexican Culture versus American Culture

The primary theme of Pocho is the meeting of Mexican culture with American culture. There is a major difference between Juan and Consuelo, who consider themselves Mexican, and Richard, who calls himself an American. Consuelo gets a taste of American independence when she realizes it is against the law for her husband to beat her. After years of drudgery and acting as a servant to her entire household, Consuelo rebels by becoming a loud, lazy shrew, the exact opposite of a traditional Mexican woman. "She had lived so long in the tradition of her country that she could not help herself now, and abused the privilege of equality afforded the women of her new country." (Chapter 8, Section I, p. 134)

Juan, on the other hand, desperately wants to return to Mexico, remembering it as a wonderful place, even though they were poor. "There had been...