Breaking Through

Francisco becomes increasingly aware of social inequities as he progresses through higher grades in school. His first experience with prejudice occurs when he is brought home by Peggy Dossen, a junior high school classmate whom he meets at the Vets dances. Mrs. Dossen immediately questions Francisco about the derivation of his “strong accent” (39). When Peggy invites Francisco to see her bedroom and invites him to sit on her bed, Francisco immediately refuses to do so; she tries to pull him toward her by the arm and he resists, causing her poodle to bark and pull at Francisco’s pant leg. Subsequently, Peggy is always driven home by her mother, instead of walking with Francisco. When he tries to question her about the cause of her avoidance, she refuses to talk to him. As Francisco reviews this event in retrospect, he realizes that the Dossens refused to allow Peggy to socialize with him due to his Mexican descent. As he recalls his family’s deportation to Mexico during his childhood, Francisco vividly remembers the gleeful manner in which the immigration officer advised him that “[…] one of your own people” (5) had advised authorities of their illegal status.

Various iterations upon this theme occur throughout the work.