Down with the ‘‘Homies”
85
prestige. The characterizations of the male Homies could be described as an
outcome of “machismo”^^ that has frequently been linked to the Hispanic
community as a cultural portrayal of masculinity,^'* but this interpretation is too
often one-dimensional and misses the structural components that influence
masculinity.^^ Likewise, the female characters are also more complex than
traditional gender roles in the barrio would allow for, although some characters
do represent some of these classical characteristics all too well.
Conclusion
The world of the Homies is fictionalized, yet the reproduction of class,
race/ethnicity, and gender are evident. The representations of these figurines as
gang members, with all of the cultural weight of those accusations, is one
indication of intra- and interclass warfare over these representations of Chicano
life. The failure to recognize these figurines as art shows the class demarcation
lines of this definitional war, as well as the ethnic battle lines therein. These
assertions do not negate the fact that the characters and their biographies
represent a means of “doing gender” which is not exactly in tune with the
currents of contemporary culture.
The Homies are a social fact; they exist and should be the subject of
any number of social scientific analysis techniques. This study focused on
documenting their history and started a dialogue on their meanings as art and
representation. It also noted one of the more difficult issues to dismiss when
analyzing them: their hypermasculine portrayals of men in the barrio. Thus, this
study addressed some of the many topics that could be considered when
studying these subcultural by-products. This was not a quantitative analysis of
their content, nor was it an in-depth qualitative study of their meaning. This
study begins the exploration of these fascinating figurines and their relationship
to larger issues.
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
Melanie Connie Klein
James David Ballard
Notes
1. The authors of this study feel very strongly about the need to recognize these artistic
forms without abusing them as a critique of the subculture they represent. In our eyes,
these artistic representations are legitimate expressions of the artist’s life and they
represent his social reality. While we may analyze them for form, content, and meaning
in an academic and theoretical context, our interpretations are those of academics
interested in their existence and how they represent or contradict culturally defined norms
of behavior and expression.
2. The idea of marketing cultural representations used herein is related to the ideas and
concepts presented in “Cycles of Symbolic Production: The Case of Popular Music.”
(Peterson and Berger 1975).
3. Those who view the diffusion of popular cultural products from the gatekeeper