My Family (Mi Familia)
(New Line Cinema, 1995, 126 Minutes)

Review by Dr. Jeff Mio, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Film Relevance and Connection to the Text
This film is most related to Chapter 14-Intergroup Relations and Multiculturalism. However, it also has relevance to Chapters 3 (The Self in Culture), 4 (Attitudes), 5 (Attributions), 10 (Prejudice), 11 (Aggression), 12 (Gender), 13 (Group Dynamics), and 15 (Conflict Resolution, the Law, and the Developing World).

Summary/Synopsis
This film follows the lives of a Mexican/Mexican American family-the Sanchez family-from the 1920s to the present. It is narrated on occasion by the oldest child, Paco, who discusses the respective roles of his brothers and sisters, Chucho, Irene, Toni, Memmo, and Jimmy, and his parents, Jose and Maria. Along the way, Maria, who is pregnant with Chucho, is rounded up by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and sent back to central Mexico. She eventually returns and is reunited with Jose, as they continue to have more children. The movie presents a number of Mexican family values and superstitions. Through a turn of events, Chucho is shot and killed by the police in front of Jimmy, who is the most attached to Chucho. This incident scarred Jimmy for the rest of his life. Jimmy grows up repressing a lot of anger, only to have this anger explode to the surface every once in a while. Such explosions often land him in jail.

The children all seem to acculturate/assimilate in their own way. One child, Guillermo (Memmo for short), ultimately becomes the most "Americanized" of all, but at the cost of losing his Mexican identity. Irene assimilates while keeping her Mexican identity, while the rest assimilate in their own unique way. Ultimately, Jose and Maria see their children leaving home and they reflect back on how their children were a blessing.

Discussion Questions
  1. How did superstitions help the family cope with troubling and difficult times?

  2. What was the significance of Irene's wedding? Why was Jose willing to place himself so much in debt to celebrate his daughter's wedding?

  3. What was the significance of the bridges? What is the distinction made in the movie between the "west side" and the "east side"?

  4. How was the importance of religion depicted in the film?

  5. At the end of the movie, Maria reflects back on her family and says, "If only ..." and Jose interrupts her, saying "No, no-don't say it. We've had a good life." What do you think Maria was about to say and why?

Student Assignment Suggestions
  1. Have students find out to what extent the family structure and values from the Sanchez family can be generalized to other Latino families, such as Puerto Rican and Cuban families.

  2. Have students write about the gender roles depicted in the film. Have students discuss how these may be the same or different from gender roles in their dominant culture.

  3. Have students write about, then discuss, the subtle signs of racism in the film.

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