Collection of three of Luis Valdez's most important and recognized plays. The anthology also includes an introduction by noted theater critic Dr. Jorge Huerta of the University of California-San Diego.
Zoot suit : A gritty and vivid depiction of the horrifying violence and racism suffered by young Mexican Americans on the home front during World War II, focusing on the events surrounding the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial of 1942 and the ensuing Zoot Suit Riots that turned Los Angeles into a bloody war zone. Valdez's cadre of young urban characters struggle with the stereotypes and generalizations of America's dominant culture, questions of assimilation and patriotism, and a desire to rebel against the mainstream pressures that threaten to wipe them out.
Bandido! : An exploration and expurgation of old clichés about the early California bandits, specifically Tiburcio Vásquez, the last man to be publicly hanged in California.
I don't have to show you no stinking badges! : A middle-aged Chicano couple make their living as "King and Queen of the Hollywood Extras," playing non-speaking roles as maids, gardeners and the like. The couple have been very successful, and have achieved the American Dream--owning a home with a swimming pool, putting their daughter through medical school, and their son into Harvard. The major conflict arises when Sonny, alienated by Ivy League reality, comes home from Harvard unexpectedly and announces that he has dropped out. To make matters worse, he decides he will become a Hollywood actor. Will Sonny be fated to play stereotypical bit parts like his parents?
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