Jose Antonio Villarreal

Jose Antonio Villarreal, known widely by scholars of American literature as the "Founder of Chicano Literature", began donating his Manuscripts and archival papers to Santa Clara University's Orradre Library. Although Jose Villarreal is a native Californian, his father was a Mexican national and fought with Pancho Villa during the 1917 Mexican Revolution. In his writings, Villarreal describes the culture of 20th century life in Mexico and in the Santa Clara Valley and paints a vivid picture of life in the old country and of life as an immigrant to the U.S. This successful juxtaposition of cultures and their potential conflicts have given Villarreal, in part, his renowned status as an author, as a college professor, and as an international lecturer.

Dr. Francisco Jimenez was a pivotal figure in the University's acquisition of this valuable collection. Among many of Dr. Jimenez' scholarly works is his interview with Dr. Villarreal entitled "An interview with Jose Antonio Villarreal", published in The Bilingual Review, v.3, no. 1 (Jan.-Apr. 1976). Jimenez highlights Villarreal's perceptions of the two cultures by including a quote from the author: [Pocho, his first novel] "was an attempt to share my experiences of growing up in an old country traditional way, breaking away from that culture and going on to a new way of life, yet still holding on to the traditional ways that were good and adding to them the new things I liked in the Anglo-American society". Dr. Jimenez is also astutely aware of the author's universality when he states that "the author affirms life. In his artistic creations, Villarreal depicts man's hopes and frustrations in his incessant struggle to live life to its fullest extent, a life in which he can exercise his will and develop and express his individuality without man-made barriers". Thus, Jose Antonio Villarreal provides the reader with an excellent example of the application of universal concepts to local culture.