Interracial Marriages in “Like Mexicans” by Gary Soto Essay

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The story “Like Mexicans” was written by Gary Soto, who describes his life experience with the Mexican cultural norms. Soto spent most of the time with his grandmother at a tender age, who guided him on what is expected from men. Soto portrays a crisis that leads to him marrying a Japanese woman instead of a Mexican woman (129). His grandmother frequently discussed the negative consequences of marrying women from other tribes. Soto acts contrary to the norms involving cultural beliefs and creates change in society concerning marrying people from other ethnic groups by entering into a serious relationship with a beautiful Japanese woman. Soto tries to eradicate the negative attitude Mexicans have towards other ethnic groups. He proves the community to be wrong concerning their traditional beliefs as he is happy in marriage with a Japanese woman. Therefore, the research paper accepts that marrying women from other ethnic groups is the right decision since cultural values and norms do not define successful marriages. An effective selection of a partner depends on an individual’s personal character and their preferences, as Soto portrays in the story.

Interracial marriages do not lead to chaotic families since women differ depending on how their family background practices shaped their behaviors during their growth and development period. Soto’s grandmother has negative suggestions and conclusions about marriage between spouses of different races. Although she uses false accusations about white women, she does not examine their norms regarding rearing girls for family roles; instead, she considers traditional Mexican teachings to be perfect. Soto’s grandmother’s perceptions towards other ethnic groups develop hatred, which causes tribalism. She believes white women cannot rear children well, cook food, collect firewood, and are the source of disagreements in marriages. Soto’s grandmother says, “No okies Hijo,” meaning marrying white women is the source of chaos in Mexican families (Soto 129). Her perceptions are ambiguous because other ethnic groups teach women values related to marriage as Mexican culture does. Ethnicity, color, and language groups do not produce suitable women, but their personality does. Soto’s Japanese wife remained caring to her husband despite being from another ethnic group. Therefore, marrying women from other ethnic groups is normal since their personality and upbringing determine disciplined women.

Mexican norms and values limit men from making varied choices in selecting their marriage partners. Marriage cannot be restricted to a single ethnic group based on the traits of tribalism. Developing the mentality of marrying people from the tribe where an individual comes from limits cultural diversity since interracial interactions are discouraged. Marrying people from different ethnic groups enables cultural exchange of different values, which has positive impact on strengthening the relationship between the involved tribes. Based on Soto’s view, effective love relationships are not limited to Mexican women only, but an individual can live happily with a woman from a different tribe. Soto’s decision to marry a Japanese woman aims at discouraging traditional beliefs and norms through proving they are wrong. Last year, I witnessed my white friend marrying African-American women, and now they live well in Arizona. Therefore, Soto’s decision to marry a Japanese woman should encourage Mexican people to change their negative attitude towards other ethnic groups and practice interracial marriages. Interracial marriages are necessary since cultural practices and norms do not determine a suitable person to marry as people should be allowed to decide on their marriage as evidenced from the Soto’s case.

Reference

Soto, Gary. “Like Mexicans.” In Small Faces, edited by Maxwell Tony. Oxford University Press, 2017, pp. 126-135.

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IvyPanda. "Interracial Marriages in “Like Mexicans” by Gary Soto." October 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/interracial-marriages-in-like-mexicans-by-gary-soto/.

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