Vatos

Jose Galvez's "Vatos" presents over 60 photographs of Chicano men that appear to have been taken during the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, the images themselves outlast these historical time frames (which include the advent of the Chicano Movement) considering the multiple and diverse images of cholos, obreros, activistas, businessmen, abuelos and veteranos that prove everlasting in shaping the vision of nuestro pueblo. Luis Alberto Urrea's "Hymn to Vatos Who Will Never Be In a Poem" is a fitting companion to the photographs. However, the photographs are so intense that they don't require any form of poetic explanation or translation. The eyes of homeboys in the barrio, the dark sunglasses on a tattoed vato in the hood, the abuelo cradling a young muchachita, the obrero overlooking the fence dividing the U.S. and Mexico, the brown brother adorned as Aztec, the young gay Chicanos hanging out in the street--all tell stories about our gente and the men shaping the Chicano/a community. These images tell us so much about how Chicano masculinity is represented and constructed from what we see out in the streets. These images are reality. There are no stereotypes here. In other words, none of the photographs appear to have been "staged." All the photographs are documents--testimonios. Galvez presents these men in their most brave, most vulnerable, most wounded moments. Indeed, Chicano masculinity is much more complex and varied as you may think it is. I would recommend this book for those interested in Men's Studies, Chicano/a Studies, and Ethnic Studies.

The title "Vatos" and the picture of the homies on the cover are a little deceptive as this book covers many different men in varied situations. There are also farmworkers, mariachis , Aztec dancers, lawyers, men with their mothers and daughters and children in church included but the vast majority are mostly your stereotypical images of hard core dudes or vatos. These are images of strength, of strangers in a strange yet familiar land. The beauty of the strength and yet vulnerability of the young and old men is frozen in time, locked into the moment for future generations. The pride and respect for family tradition, the refusal to assimilate, to stay seperate but within the confines of barrio pride and the cultural pride glow from these beautiful black and white photographs. The words or the poetry accomapanying the images make for a heartfelt experience revealing the deep conviction of Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Jose Galvez and award winning young writer Luis Alberto Urrea. The imagery is touching and gives a glimpse into the ordinary lives of people who have claimed a piece of the American dream through tinted brown glasses, squinting from the shiny veneer of traditonal American life. The vatos portrayed have claimed their own dignity even under undignified conditions. The pictures span decades of time and when you look at them you can't help but speculate about the people in them. When you see a young teenage vato, dressed in typical homie attire, you wonder where he is now and if his chosen path has detoured for the better or worse. Looking at the old men, the lines revealing the years , the paths of experience, the eyes looking at you showing the depth of their experiences , you can't help but feel the time lost. This book is a moving visual experience and a great gift idea. If you look closely into the eyes of the vatos you will see the ghosts of Moctezuma, Morelos, Juarez, Hidalgo and Zapata, shrouded in the flesh of the Huastecs, Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs, Zapotecs and Aztecs, rising from the barrios and fields of Aztlan to live another day.

Luis Alberto Urrea's touching poem could only be matched by Jose Galvez's stirring photographs, pictures that depict both the soft sides and the machismo of Latino men. This makes a wonderful Father's Day gift and is a must-have for the thoughtful coffee table.

This is indeed a moving narrative in pictures--the faces of Chicano men in their many contexts are masterfully caught by the unflinching eye of this photographer's camera, and they have many stories of agony and celebration to tell. The working class male does not hide behind any mask, and I believe that Urrea's precise lines of his poem in Vatos captures this sense of openness and honesty. The working class face is a public face, even when the camera explores intimate moments. I surprised myself making connections between the men of these portraits and the men of my own family, and even more startling, I found myself identifying with these faces, which only attests to the exact vision of this project. An important contribution to the history of our people.

An intriguing display of black and white photography of Mexican-Americans. Galvez uses b & w to explore the multi-dimensionality of his subjects and to depict an unrelenting realism. Galvez focuses more on male subjects and his treatment of them comes across as a silent celebration of thier life. As a person who is in the classroom with gang members from all cultures, "Two Generations" is my favorite piece in the book. An interesting dialogue with the reputation gangs have, and the need for children to just be needed. An exquisite addition to an American culture library.