Annotations for Subject: Identity

I did negate that I was Mexican, saying that I was Tarahumara, Indian. I really still prefer calling myself Indian-blooded than Mexican.

Well, as you said, I wasn't accepted as an American. I mean, I wasn't accepted as an American, having been brought up in the east of Los Angeles.

And the Mexicans wouldn't accept me as being Mexican because I had the name of Quinn, my father being Irish.

Then I wasn't accepted as an American.

And I mean, Jimmy Cagney and Spencer Tracy tried to get me involved, so did John Wayne, with the Irish people.

But then I felt that if I became involved with the Irish, I would exclude the Mexican.

And I was in between. And so when I went to Italy, I realized I wasn't either. I was neither a Mexican nor an Irishman.

And I'll tell you, very interesting enough, I worked in every nationality there is. So I really feel as a spokesman for the world.

You're a painter now. Now I learned you wanted to be a priest. You were a preacher.

I mean, you have no, there is no constraints on you. There are no and never have been any constraints.

Well, I mean, there were early on put on by the social groups that I had to face. But I think that, no, no, there are no constraints on me. I'm starting my life all over again.

As a matter of fact, I'm moving to another state, a state that I would never think I belonged in, a New England state.

And I'm surrounded by New Englanders who, interestingly enough, that is a strange thing. Because they all are very happy that Quinn is moving in. Quinn the Irish actor, you know.

Zoot Suit told the story of racism against Pachucos in Los Angeles.

Pachucos were young Mexican-Americans who'd adopted the Zoot Suit style of dress during the time of the Second World War.

It was, said Valdez, a very American play. Zoot Suit is about American identity. The Zoot Suit phenomenon was something that was of the period of the early 40s.

The whole country became Zoot Suit crazy. And of course I'm talking about the young people, those young people that were just about getting ready to go off to war.

What it meant for Chicanos is that they were identifying with the average American kids who were wearing Zoot Suits and saying, Hey, we're American. We love this music. We love this style. We're here, and we're doing it in our own way.

And so Zoot Suit became a symbol of Chicano identity, but also a symbol of American identity. So that's what the play's about.