Does he seem to prefer the world and viewpoint of his mother and her brothers, his father and the vaqueros, Ultima, or some other influence?

Before Antonio meets Ultima, he is caught between his father's visions of freedom riding the llano in the open prairie and his mother's very Catholic desires for Antonio to become a priest. Ultimately it is Ultima that has the most influence on him. She teaches Antonio to think for himself. She shows Antonio the wisdom of considering different beliefs and looking further than the religious or dogmatic status-quo.