Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir

Mercedes, referred to as Amá throughout the story, is Pedro’s mother. She takes responsibility for maintaining the family’s home and Martín often depicts her cleaning, cooking, or otherwise caring for her family. As Pedro is introducing his family members, he says that Amá “knows how to heal any wound, real or imagined” (2). Pedro admires his mother’s calm, practical nature, and he brags about her ability to do things like pour milk in a moving Winnebago. When she offers advice about things like how to help the wounded deer or how to understand his grandfather’s mixed feelings about moving to the United States, Pedro listens closely and trusts her without hesitation.

Martín portrays Amá as a loving mother whose efforts to connect with and nurture her children are sometimes comically impacted by cultural differences. She must rely on American-born Pedro to translate for her, even in situations that embarrass him, like bra-shopping. She stashes bananas everywhere to give the children as snacks—snacks that they do not really want, because they are wanting the kinds of junk food common in American homes. She cannot tell the difference between the various American superheroes that are so important to Pedro, but Pedro knows that “Amá really trie[s] hard to understand [his] deal. She [is] always way off, but [he] love[s] her for trying” (30).

Martín introduces his father, Pedro Martín Sr., whom the children call Apá, as an “inventor, farmer, and a crackshot with a slingshot.” Apá has done agricultural work for most of his life to ensure his family’s survival. In order to give his children more opportunities than he himself had, he moved them to the United States. He insists they take their schooling seriously and tries to steer them toward what he sees as practical careers: he believes that Pedro, for instance, “should become a priest of maybe a mariachi” because “both make hundreds of dollars a weekend” (4). Apá does not believe in spending money frivolously, and he is always on the lookout for a bargain. Still, Martín depicts him as capable of true generosity: he gives to those in need, tips waiters generously, and is even willing to let his children do a little sightseeing as a special treat on the way back from Jalisco.

Martín also characterizes Apá by the creativity and ingenuity he displays as he tries to create positive experiences for his family despite their limited resources. He buys a cheap, old Winnebago and he fixes it up, adding impressive modifications—that cause Pedro to compare him to Han Solo and the Winnebago to the Millennium Falcon. In the family’s old truck, he installs a wooden bench seat, rope seatbelts, and a CB radio so they can communicate with the Winnebago. Pedro admires Apá’s creative use of the resources available to him and strives to emulate that creativity and resourcefulness over the course of his own arc.

Alejandro Martín is Pedro’s grandfather. The youngest children do not even know that “Alejandro” is his proper name until several chapters into the story, however, because he is respectfully referred to as “Abuelito” by everyone in the family. Abuelito was born in 1892 and has lived his entire life in Jalisco, Mexico. Despite Pedro’s desire to believe that his grandfather is some kind of warrior and quasi-mystical “Mexican Jedi,” the truth is that Abuelito has been a farmer and a trader all his life, working in the fields and running supplies from place to place using his mules. He has a deep love for his animals and feels responsible for their welfare; he refuses to leave for the United States until he is sure that his animals will be well cared for.

As Pedro gets to know his grandfather better over the course of the story, he discovers a more nuanced definition of heroism and learns to see himself as heroic through Abuelito’s eyes. Abuelito’s life has not been an easy one. He’s faced many dangers and challenges and been forced to fight, talk, or think his way out of trouble. His farm failed during a drought. He lost his beloved wife and four of his sons. This difficult life has made him into a strong person who sometimes seems very stern and remote to Pedro. Abuelito expects his grandchildren to work hard and demonstrate both responsibility and compassion, which makes Pedro feel concerned about his ability to make his grandfather proud. As their relationship progresses, Pedro begins to recognize his grandfather’s love in his willingness to share stories with his many grandchildren and his attempts to connect with them as individuals, as he does when he draws with Pedro in the motorhome. He praises them freely, even proposing a public toast to Pedro after the incident with the deer. By the story’s resolution, Pedro no longer fixates on the idea of Abuelito as a revolutionary war hero; he learns to appreciate Abuelito for the strength he has shown in caring for his family and for the traits that he has passed on to them, such as the mule whistle, the “look,” and Pedro’s artistic ability.

Sal is the oldest of the Martín children. According to Pedro, he is a “science enthusiast,” and Pedro feels impressed that he can, if he wishes, grow a beard (2). Sal’s introductory picture shows him in a graduation gown, indicating his academic prowess. Apá trusts Sal with the responsibility of driving the older siblings in the truck to Jalisco and back, and relies on him during the road trip for help fixing the Winnebago and protecting the motorhome from thieves. Sal spends more of his life in Mexico than any of the other children and is the clearest representative of what Pedro means when he says that Mexico is “totally in their blood” (36). For Pedro, Sal’s strongest connection to American culture is his love of music, although his siblings do not think much of his taste, since he prefers bands like Fleetwood Mac.

Lila is the sibling that Pedro believes treats him with the most kindness. He views her as a role model of compassion, frequently pointing out to Pedro his responsibility to care for others and offering her own time to counsel him and listen to his concerns. Lila’s passion for history, especially Mexican history and the impact that oppression and marginalization have had on their family and community, impacts Pedro’s own worldview over the course of the story. She often lectures the younger children on these topics, which Pedro initially finds boring—but the information makes an impression on him evidenced by the number of times he references the things Lila says in the memoir. Like their parents, Lila models The Importance of Caring for Others. Martín often depicts her carrying laundry or performing other household tasks, and she’s the one who notices Pedro about to drink raw milk in Tijuana and snatches it away from him so he doesn’t get sick. She takes her responsibility to the family very seriously, and Martín often references “the look” she uses to keep her younger siblings in line (22).

León, Noé, and Ruth are the remaining three of the five older siblings the younger children refer to as the “Barn Babies” because they were born in Mexico. Martín depicts them as static characters who feature less prominently in Pedro’s narrative, but contribute levity and humor to the story. Pedro describes León and Noé as constantly playing pranks and bullying Pedro, functioning as comedic antagonists for Pedro throughout most of the story. Noé, who loves Arnold Schwarzenegger and everything to do with muscles and fitness, teases Pedro about his weight. León is shrewd with his money and charges his youngest siblings to rent his tape player on their road trip. Pedro describes Ruth as a “business-minded adventurer,” and “Ghost whisperer” (2). Ruth believes that both the Winnebago and the family’s home in Jalisco are likely haunted. She even claims to be searching for a particular ghost’s hidden treasure, and she is cheerfully optimistic that she will soon find it and make the family rich.