The first poster is correct in that he is both. Neither side dominates his personality; that's why he struggles so much with his identity. Tony’s mother’s family are farmers, and the founder of their family was a priest. This is perhaps where Tony's love of school and learning comes from, and his attempts to understand the nature of God. Tony’s father’s is made up of vaqueros who love the freedom of the land. His father doesn't expressly say it, but he certainly encourages Tony to feel that freedom too. Tony's mother, on the other hand, is determined for Tony to become a priest.
The end of the novel proves that Tony is able to reconcile those two halves of his soul. In fact, that is the most important aspect of his relationship with Ultima. She is a curandera, a healer-and she succeeds in healing the torn Antonio. He chooses not to be a priest or a cowboy, but instead to follow Ultima in the path of a healer.
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