Burro Genius

“‘THAT’S NOT RIGHT! Teachers and their arrogant ways pit us kids against each other! […] Don’t you get it?’ I said, wiping my eyes. ‘We keep repeating history because that’s what you teach—meanness, greed, and every man and woman out for themselves, without mercy!’”

Villaseñor’s fiery speech at the English teachers’ conference provides a critique of Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in Education while illustrating his personal experiences as a Mexican American student. He emphasizes that discrimination in school perpetuates stereotypes and prejudice, reinforcing injustice and a racist social order. Villaseñor condemns teachers who nurture intolerance and an individualistic mindset among the students, which he argues inhibits their emotional and intellectual development.

“Dreaming, I slept in my large, spacious hotel room. Dreaming of all the different waters that had gone slipping, sliding under the bridge on which I’d been living mi vida. A bridge bridging my Indian and European roots, a bridge bridging my Mexican and American cultures, a bridge bridging my indigenous beliefs and Catholic-Christian upbringing, a bridge bridging my first few years of life in the barrio and then my life on our rancho grande, then that whole big world outside of our gates.”

This passage describes the complexity of Mexican American identity as experienced by Villaseñor. Using the metaphor of the “bridge,” he emphasizes the diversity of Mexican American culture as an amalgamation of Indigenous, European, and Christian traditions, reflecting upon his struggle to connect all these different backgrounds growing up. As a Mexican American, Villaseñor cannot distinguish between his different cultures, as they all form part of his identity.

“Teaching didn’t have to be long and boring and laborious. No, teaching could be done as fast as a lightning bolt. He’d cut across the valleys of my deepest doubts, giving light to the darkest crevices of my beaten-down, inhibited mind, accessing a natural storytelling ability within me that was utterly profound!”

Despite Villaseñor’s anger toward English teachers, he credits his passion for writing to one of his former teachers. The substitute teacher who disregarded language technicalities freed Villaseñor from his reading and writing problems, allowing his imagination to unfold and flourish. The incident made Villaseñor realize his love and skill in storytelling, as well as the possibilities of language and literature.

“I remember very well that something snapped inside of me at this point. I don’t know what it was, but I pulled back my shoulders and stood up as tall as I could, happy that I wasn’t seated, and now I stared at Moses, no longer ashamed of the tears that were running down my face. Because these tears, they no longer flowed out of my eyes with fear, but with pure-white, GUT-GRIPPING RAGE!”

Describing his early adolescent years as a cadet in the Army Naval Academy, Villaseñor stresses the change in his psychology. The fear instilled in him by bullying and discrimination transformed into rage as he was growing up. This transformation led him to resist and stand with courage against intimidation.

“This was when I spotted the three huge eucalyptus trees that stood across the street in front of the school. Two of the trees had smooth-skin on their trunks, but the other one had twisted-skin all about its bottom structure. I immediately liked the one with twisted-skin best. I could see that he was smiling like a huge, old white elephant as he watched the kids run past him. I nodded, ‘Good morning,’ to the huge tree, and he, of course, winked back at me just as mi mamagrande had always told me that trees will do when we address them with an open heart.”

This passage illustrates Villaseñor’s profound connection to the natural world, reinforced by his grandmother’s Yaqui culture (See: Symbols & Motifs). The personification of the eucalyptus trees highlights Villaseñor’s worldview, attributing human traits to plants. Villaseñor finds comfort and guidance in nature when experiencing mental distress.

“I’d never known that Mexicans were bad, dirty people and you couldn’t trust them. I’d just thought that we were stupid people, closer to the animals, and not as smart as White people, as the playground teacher kept explaining to us.”

The above passage illustrates the impact of racism on the self and the Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in Education. As a kid, Villaseñor began to internalize the racist stereotypes and prejudices reproduced by his teachers and classmates, which painted Mexicans as inherently “bad” people. Villaseñor demonstrated self-hatred, seeing himself and his family through the distorting lens of racism.

“No, mijo, you listen good, and understand that yeah, sure it looks like fun to you, and it could be fun back in the old days when a man was young, but neither one of these old cowboys are young anymore. They’re old fools, mijito, trying to hold on to a way of life that doesn’t exist anymore.”

Villaseñor’s father conveys fundamental teachings about Mexican culture and identity to his son. However, he was simultaneously attuned to the workings of American society and understood the necessity of succeeding in the modern world. To counter Villasenor’s fascination with the cowboys and life on the ranch, he stressed the importance of confronting social reality and encouraged him to focus on his education instead.

“It was the honest thing to do, son. And you should’ve seen the hurt look on your dad’s face, because, you see, Mexican kids don’t run away from home. White kids, gringo kids, like me and Luke, we’re the ones who run from home, but Mexicans, they ain’t never do that.”

Villaseñor regained his hope and courage in encountering white people who challenged racist attitudes. The two white cowboys demonstrate admiration and respect for Mexican culture, praising Mexicans for their community mindset that contrasts with the individualistic mindset of white Americans. The cowboys embrace cultural diversity, indicating to Villaseñor that not all white people are racially prejudiced.

“It was from this day on that I began to notice a real difference between our vaqueros on the ranch from Mexico and the gringo cowboys. The American cowboys always seemed so ready to act rough and tough, wanting to ‘break’ the horse, cow, or goat or anything else. Where, on the other hand, our vaqueros—who used the word ‘amanzar,’ meaning to make ‘tame,’ for dealing with horses—had a whole different attitude towards everything.”

By commenting on the different mindsets of the cowboys and the vaqueros, Villaseñor distinguishes between white American and Mexican masculine attitudes, reflecting The Complexities of Masculinity and Identity. He explains the different ways of connecting with an “untamed” horse to indicate the contrasts between American and Mexican manhood. While white masculinity emphasizes toughness and enforcement, Mexican manhood relies on connection and relationships.

“‘Good,’ said my brother, ‘I’m glad that you’re finding this interesting, because being able to not just “hear” but really listen is what papa always says is the beginning of all learning. And to learn is to be able to make distinctions.’”

While struggling with his academic education, Villaseñor found different ways of learning, Finding Empowerment Through Family and Community. By teaching him how to improve in the marbles game, Villaseñor’s brother conveys important values. Through his lesson, Villaseñor realized the importance of focus, method, and consistent practice in the learning process—values that accompanied him in his endeavors as a writer.

“It was over. I could just feel it. Having beat this kid up so easily had opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. Having worked on the ranch and needing to move pigs and calves and horses around all my life had made me strong and taught me how to maneuver in a way these city kids knew nothing about.”

Villaseñor’s growing rage at school made him react against the bullying and physical attacks of his classmates. While feeling stronger and more confident in his manhood, Villaseñor does not engage in wrestling to demonstrate aggressive masculinity. Fighting became a way to confront the fears racism reinforced and to claim his identity at school.

“So now you got to go to your room, mijito, and kneel down and pray and ask Papito Dios to forgive you. Because, remember, as I’ve taught you and your brother here on the ranch, we never take any life without showing respect. And above all else, we never torture or have fun in the act of killing.”

A fundamental value Villaseñor’s father taught him regarding The Complexities of Masculinity and Identity is that violence is unnecessary for a proper man. After Villaseñor experienced distress after killing a lizard, his father reminded him that showing respect for all life is fundamental for a man. To find inner peace, he restored his spirituality by reconnecting with God.

“Flashes of the barrio came bursting to my mind’s eye, and I now remembered like in a dream, my mother picking me up in her arms, waking up my brother and sister, and all of us running out the back door to hide behind the clothesline, as this huge awful monster came stumbling, bellowing to our home!”

Villaseñor memories of his father’s problems in their old neighborhood challenge his idealized image of him. Learning about his father’s alcohol use disorder and violence in the barrio, Villaseñor questioned his father’s ideas of manhood. However, he managed to reconnect with his father, who remained rooted in his identity and tradition, understanding that men’s lives are not always ideal.

“‘Nowadays, even most women are raised up to only admire the male way of thinking. The respect for women was lost,’ he added, ‘when people started saying that God is only male. You see, back at one time, all over the world, two stories of Creation were known. One for the women, with a Female God, so they could teach the young girls, and the other one for the men with a Male God, so they could teach the young boys.’”

The above passage illustrates the central role of Catholic Christianity and Indigenous tradition in Mexican culture, offering perspectives on gender. Villaseñor’s father conveys an amalgamation of Indigenous and Christian beliefs, decentralizing maleness and emphasizing respect for women. This worldview defines Villaseñor’s views on gender.

“The head is weak, mijito. Always remember this, it is in our hearts that we men are strong. So now, do you see why the highest compliment that any man can give to another workman is to call him a burro macho? A burro macho never quits or breaks down, no matter what!”

The concept of the “burro macho” is central in Villaseñor’s perspective on The Complexities of Masculinity and Identity. The burro macho conveys a model of Mexican masculinity premised on men’s connection with their emotional world and humanity. As the “burro genius,” featured in the memoir’s title, connects to Villaseñor’s spiritual state, it emphasizes his inner strength and resilience.

“‘Good,’ he said, ‘because what I’ve come to understand lately is that it’s not control or money or new inventions that are needed in this world. What is really needed is so simple. It’s patience,’ he said, taking a deep breath. ‘Patience, compassion, love, forgiveness, and understanding, so don’t you dare blame yourself or anyone else for anything,’ he added.”

Villaseñor also learns fundamental lessons on manhood through his brother. Joseph realized their parents’ struggles with integration in American society and demonstrated to Villaseñor the importance of holding on to the teachings of their ancestors. He stresses that while their parents strive to succeed in the materialistic American society, the world can only heal through empathy and kindness. Joseph’s values of humanity guide Villaseñor’s healing from rage.

“I suddenly felt so bad for all these kids, and for me, too. Maybe my mother was absolutely right, and we not only got our parents’ sins passed down to us, but also their way of thinking.”

Growing up, Villaseñor understands that racism is an ideology perpetuated by adults who nurture prejudice and intolerance, limiting children’s minds. Experiencing bullying from his classmates because of his ethnicity caused racial trauma to Villaseñor, who realized that children at school developed attitudes reinforced by society at large and the Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in Education.

“I still knew what I knew: animals had Sacred Souls and we, humans, had to pay close attention to them, so we could then get back into Heaven, with them guiding us.”

While Villaseñor’s parents negate certain aspects of Indigenous tradition due to their own struggles with racism and their grief over Joseph’s death, Villaseñor remained rooted in his culture. After Joseph’s death, the idea of his dog “guiding” his soul to heaven connects Villaseñor to the cosmos and offers him spiritual sustenance (See: Symbols & Motifs). The Indigenous tradition was thus a consistent source of strength at critical moments in his life.

“The beginning of all wisdom is to understand that you don’t know. To know is the enemy of all learning. To be sure is the enemy of all wisdom.”

Villaseñor’s father also offers him advice on “learning,” emphasizing the idea of wisdom despite the oppressions of authority. For him, learning is a constant process that never ceases and invites continual research. This view contrasts with the “authority” of the English teachers, as Villaseñor describes it, who passed on specific ideologies as objective truth.

“I lifted my head and saw that it was my brother Joseph, and he was skipping along the top of the water with another guy. They were just beyond the great big rock, where the ocean was calmer. The light of the fading day surrounded them and they looked like they were Angels having great fun as they made their way over the water. All at once I understood—oh, my Lord God—this other young man was Jesus Christ, Himself!”

The above passage reinforces the memoir’s religious imagery, underscoring Villaseñor’s faith and spirituality (See: Symbols & Motifs). The scene with Villaseñor at sea, witnessing the “communication” between the dolphins and his brother’s horse followed by the vision of his brother with Jesus, highlights the connection between the Indigenous and Christian worldviews. As Villaseñor reconnects with the natural world, he also reconnects with God, reestablishing a spiritual relationship with his brother.

“So then, I guessed a kid was bad if he questioned, and was a no-good rat if he figured things out. My dad had sure been right when he’d told me that in every game there were two sets of rules: one for the public, and another for the insiders to use only for themselves.”

Growing up, Villaseñor realized that teachers often viewed themselves as authorities. He began to view school as part of a social system that reinforced a particular set of ideologies premised on intolerance and Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in Education. For Villaseñor, freedom of expression and critical thinking were rarely part of the school curriculum, impeding children’s mental development.

“No, I wasn’t very smart, this I knew, but I was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, I was some kind of crazy-loco genius, burro genius. I mean, to have been able to hold on to my Spirit for this long had to mean something.”

The titular idea of the “burro genius” signifies Villaseñor’s growing consciousness and inner self. Despite his struggles with discrimination, abuse, and dyslexia at school, Villaseñor managed to preserve his “spirit” and identity. Finding Empowerment Through Family and Community, Villaseñor was able to access his inner self. He finally embraced his character and experiences, discovering his own “voice.”

“I now realized that this was how you enslaved a people. You didn’t just bring them over in chains from Africa. No, you convinced them that they were inferior, not evolved, subhuman […] And this system of teaching was fine with most Anglo teachers, because in the act of convincing us, los Mexicanos and the Blacks, we were subhuman, they’d also convinced themselves that they were superior!”

Villaseñor criticizes the Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in Education, connecting it with American racial history and society at large. For Villaseñor, racial discrimination at school reflects the pervasiveness of white supremacy inherent in America’s foundations. He emphasizes the dehumanizing experiences of Mexican, Black, Indigenous, and immigrant children at school through a false teaching system that perpetuates prejudice and intolerance. He argues that an educational system based on intolerance impedes students’ mental development.