Luis Rodriguez talks about his memory back in when he was 9 years old. It is a rainy night in Los Angeles, and his father is driving the family car. Luis is in the back seat with his older brother Jose Rene, and his two younger sisters, Ana Virginia and Gloria Estela. Their parents Alfonso and Maria Estela are arguing in the front seat. Maria wants her children and her husband go back to their hometown of Mexico. Alfonso refuses to go with them. Luis doesn’t really care about this kind of business because his family has been moving from place to place since he can remember stuff. When his family lived in Mexico, Alfonso was the principal of their town’s high school. He lost his job in 1956 in some reason. Then it takes Alfonso to move his family to Los Angeles. They settled in Watts. Watts is an industrial area but cheap labor. Alfonso works in construction and manufacturing. Maria Estela cleans home and works in a factory. Luis older brother Jose always beats him up and tells neighborhoods kids to do so. Luis has difficulties to be in the classroom in LA at first because he is poor ability in English. But later on, he finally has some friends, and they are Jamie and Earl. Alfonso finds a good job in a high school that teaches students Spanish. With that good amount of income, Alfonso moves to a new area with better house, car and furniture. However, the students in that school has strong against with his accent so they decided to fire him. Therefore, Alfonso has no way but move to a previous relationship daughter Seni’s house. They often have some argument in this house and that’s why Maria wants him and her children to go back to Mexico. When they arrive to the train station, they changed their minds and decided to stay in America.
Chapter 2 Summary
When Luis Rodriguez is 10 years old, they live in a city called South San Gabriel. (This is a really close city that I live by.) One night, Luis and his friend Tino trespassing an elementary school just for playing basketball. But later on they are found by the sheriff’s deputies. They ran away and tried to hide and Tino climbed up to the roof of the school cafeteria. Tino accidentally died by fallen down to the skylight. When Luis 11, a gang group call Three Mystics attacks his school with chains and guns. Later, the cops come and gangsters’ escapes. Luis realized the gang power. As Luis finishes elementary school, Alfonso gets a great job at LA community college. Their family moves into a two-bedroom home. However, Luis attends a bad intermediate school. He joins a gang called Animal Tribe. Luis always gets into trouble at school. His mother Maria is angry with his situation.
Personal Response.
Those two chapters has some points that related to me. When the first time I come to the U.S I have the same feeling that I want to go back to China immediately. But after I stay as long as enough in America, I feel like it doesn’t really matter to live ether in China or in L.A. During the high school time, I went to Arroyo High school with majority of Latino classmates, I realized the cultures differences between my classmates and me. It’s hard to get in touch with people at first as the author in elementary school. Luckily, I did not meet any gangsters group in the high school or outside of my community. Somehow, I am interested in how will happen to Luis after he joins the gang group.