The book The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse primarily explores the daily realities and identity-related challenges of Mexican Americans. Although the given title makes the book catchy and intriguing, one might argue that the title “Amexicans” would be more appropriate since the key themes and ideas are better encapsulated by the alternative title. Therefore, Amexicans is a better title for the book because the story is about Mexican-American identity, which is manifested in language, interracial conflicts, and social inequality.
The first major theme in regards to Mexican-American identity and its uniqueness in American society is rooted in the fact that the English language plays a critical role in making a minority group more acculturated. For example, in chapter two, the story is narrated from the perspective of Felicia, Aurora’s mother, who is employed by the Calhoun family. The interaction between Mrs. Calhoun and Felicia is an interesting one, where the latter does not consider the United States as her own country despite being born there and having official citizenship (Skyhorse 31). It is evident that the majority of Mexican-Americans do not perceive or identify themselves as complete or full Americans, and they are constantly under pressure to consider themselves second-class citizens. Felicia should consider herself as an equal to Mrs. Calhoun since they both were born and raised on American land, but the lack of proficiency in the English language makes her identify herself as non-American. However, these facts also mean that she is not Mexican either, since she was not born in Mexico. Therefore, the title Amexicans better reflects the key points of the story.
The second theme that supports the alternative title is the fact that Mexican-Americans are faced with interracial conflicts, which come from both inside and outside of the group. For example, in chapter four, the story is told from Efren Mendoza’s perspective, where readers fit the tensions between African-Americans and Mexican-Americans. The conflict leads to the death and injury of both members of each group (Skyhorse 83). Similarly, in chapter five, Manny demonstrates that Juan’s Vietnamese ex-girlfriend, Tran, was unwelcomed by Juan’s mother, which also shows internal interracial isolation (Skyhorse 97). Therefore, Amexicans is a more appropriate title since Mexican-Americans both internally and externally are prevented from being fully Americans, where they experience hostility from other groups and show such an attitude toward others.
The third theme revolves around social inequality, which supports the title because Mexican-Americans are not under socioeconomic pressures to be as prosperous as the majority group. In chapter one, Hector witnesses Diego’s killing but is unable to freely report it since he is an illegal immigrant, which means he will either be deported or silenced (Skyhorse 22). In chapter seven, the story is told from Angie’s perspective, who strives to leave her neighborhood but is faced with an array of difficulties, such as loss of job opportunity, unemployment, familial burden, and loss of husband (Skyhorse 141). In other words, socioeconomic challenges are more severe for Mexican-Americans, which prevent them from leading equally prosperous lives as White Americans.
In conclusion, it is important to point out that the title Amexicans is more appropriate for the book than the existing one because it better reflects the core themes of the story, such as language, interracial conflicts, and social inequality. The language barrier makes it difficult for Mexican-Americans to identify themselves as Americans, whereas internal and external interracial hostility prevents full integration. Socioeconomic factors are also hindrances in achieving a prosperous and successful life.