As mentioned in class Vea and Jessie lead similar lives. Though he claims the creation of Jessie is a mere character in his novel, some argue that Jessie is a reflection of Vea himself.

Though similarities can be drawn from reading the short biography on Vea in the book, there are many events in his life that are not addressed.

Vea grew up in Phoenix, Arizona in what’s known as the “Buckey Road.” His book, “La Maravilla,” is a reflection that experience if anyone is interested. Vea was raised by his grandparents who instilled in him Spanish and Yaqui heritages and mestizo identity.

When he was ten, Vea took him to California where he worked as a migrant farm worker along Mexican and French Canadian braceros; and where he learned to read and write from his Filipino friends.

Vea attended  Cal Berkley and spent time living in Sonora, Mexico before he was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1968. After the war he moved to Paris and worked as a janitor before he was sent back to the states. He returned to Berkley and earned an undergraduate degree in English and Physics, and a law degree. Before he entered private practice, Vea was a public defender.

His experiences as a lawyer inspired his writing career; he has said that he started writing in 1989, after the judge on one of his cases stated he hadn’t been aware that there were any Mexican lawyers.

All of these aspects are interesting when applied to “god’s go begging,” and I can see why people argue that Jessie’s character is a reflection of Vea’s own self.

In an interview for the LA Times, he said:  “I’m writing for all these poor people in my life whom I love–all those farm workers, Hindus, Koreans, Filipinos, everybody–so they finally have one of their own who has the discipline and energy to say who they are.”

He also added that his work and writing help him deal with his experiences in Vietnam.

Perhaps many critics are correct in thinking that Jessie is a mirror to Vea’s life. In my opinion, based off Vea’s biography, Jessie’s character is highly influenced by Vea’s life.

Here is the link to the L.A. Times interview if anyone is interested.
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