Demirjian 1

Garo Demirjian
11-09-14
English 101; STACC
Professor Tyberg

The Madonnas of Stereotypes

Racism, stereotypes, and non-supporting facts that make no sense what so ever, covers
the majority background of Echo Park. Echo Park is where all cultural and political things
converge, it is a Mexican and Chicano institution located somewhere in Los Angeles. As a place
in which people from many varieties walk of life cross paths, it is also where Brando Skyhorse's
novel, "The Madonnas of Echo Park" is focused on. Christine Granados who is an editor at
Moderna and Hispanic magazines for several years, she works as a journalist for the El Paso
Times, Austin American-Statesman, Rockdale Reporter, and People Magazine, states in her
review Only an Echo Skyhorse attempts stories about people for whom he has no real
understanding. He does the working-class people a disservice by offering a superficial glimpse of
the Chicano experience through obvious allusions and tired clichs of Mexican Americans as
thieves, adulterers, child molesters and drunks. She tries to explain to the readers that Skyhorse
uses common stereotypes of Mexican Americans in his novel and also has no true understanding
of the people in Echo Park. There are characters both main and side from the novel that supports
this idea. Though they may not represent the tired clichs that are listed in the review, they do
support the idea through other stereotypes.
In Brando Skyhorses novel The Madonnas of Echo Park there are obvious allusions in
most of the chapters by different characters. Though we get the understanding that most of the

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characters are primarily raised in Mexican culture enriched environment, they somehow speak as
Harvard graduates (Only an Echo). Words like scythes, miscreant, undulating, castrato,
camphoraceous, and many other high English literary words are used commonly by each of
Skyhorses main characters whom most of them have a high school education or less. Even to
many outsiders this seems strange. This proves that Skyhorse has no true authenticity of the
people in his novel.
There are characters that help support Granados ideas that there is racism/ tired clichs in
Skyhorses novel. One character as an example is Felicia from the chapter Blossoms of Los
Feliz. She shows the stereotype of Mexican Americans as working class, in this case as a
cleaning woman. She embraces and takes great pride in her skills, and she watches her daughter
drift away each time the young woman hungers for a materialistic American life rather than her
inherent Mexican culture. But she knows people only suffer that much more "when they have an
ocean of dreams but no water to put them in"(38). In the chapter Bienvenidos there is another
character that supports the stereotype of working class Mexican Americans, and he as well is a
day laborer. He was brought into the United States as a baby, somehow ended up embraced the
life of an undocumented immigrant. Though this unique characters background could have been
used for a fascinating exploration, Skyhorse instead employs the laborer as a simplistic symbol
of oppression or unfair treatment. But where was home(24). If he can speak English and can
make lengthy and true statements about L.A. housing, then how does the day laborer find himself
without legal recourse at the risk of deportation? This also shows another stereotype/ tired
clich of Mexican Americans, that stereotype being that they are all outcasts of America/
illegals.

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Other stereotypes or tired clichs that supports Granadoss argument of Skyhorses

novel The Maddonas of Echo Park can be found in various chapters. One example to prove this
is on the chapter Rules of the Road a bus driver named Efren who is the chapters main character
and voice represents the stereotype/ tired clich of racism and sexism. Though this character is
used to counter Granadoss argument in her review does not mean the character cannot be used
to support Granados. In the chapter Efren shows his stereotype of sexism when he speaks his
thoughts of women. Thats when I realized shed been using me to get special treatment, her
own bus stop and extra time in the mornings(76). In this quote the driver starts having a belief
that all women are seductive to get what they want. This chapter has other stereotypes as well,
but not from a main character but one who is described by one. In the chapter Efren (the bus
driver) talks about a man who who wears these pants with a hole cut out in his crotch(74).
Efren also talks about how the man exposes himself to little girls and Oriental women(74).
This supports Granados argument that the stereotype in Skyhorses novel is used very strongly
and targeting Mexican Americans. It uses the stereotype that Mexican Americans are all
adulterers, pedophiles, etc.
These quotes and Characters from Skyhorses novel support Granados argument of the
many stereotypes Skyhorse uses against Mexican Americans. Some evidence found in the novel
that support Granados argument are: the characters have a high school education or less yet they
speak like Harvard graduate students, Efren the bus driver is a sexist and the Mexican who rides
the bus is an adulterer/ pedophile, and in the chapter Bienvenidos shows the stereotype of
Mexicans or Mexican Americans as working class (in the chapters case, day laborer/ cleaning
workers). In the end Granados argument is proven true that Madonnas of Echo Park is filled with
allusions and tired clichs.

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Work Cited
Skyhorse, Brando "The Madonnas Of Echo Park." Publishers Weekly 257.14 (2010): 46.
Business Source Elite. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
Granados, Christine. "Only An Echo." American Book Review 32.3 (2011): 15. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.