Discussion Board by Mellinda Miller

1.     Do you feel that Luis- and other members of gangs- from the past and now had a choice not to join? Why or Why not?

2.     How did Chente influence Luis's life and why did he look up to him?

3.     Luis' "First love was at 12 years old " (Pg 44) and he fell repeatedly for others throughout the pages describing the yearnings he had. Do you believe he was shy and silent when it came to opening up to different girls? What were his reactions?

4.     Why does disfigured Chava embrace Chin and walked away? What persuaded him to do so?

5.     What were the people protesting for in East L.A. riots of August 29, 1970?

Outline of Struggling Mother Theme to Personal Life by Mellinda Miller

“I had to get to the light, that wondrous beacon stuffed with Don’t close the door, Mama. I’m scared. Its okay m’ijo. There’s no monsters. We’ll be here. Don’t be scared” (Pg 104).

“Despite [Mama’s missing teeth] she worked all the time, chased after my brother…and held up the family when almost everything else came apart” (Pg 23).

     The Santa Ana winds are blowing a cold chill that penetrates through our goodwill jackets that my mother worked over time to buy. Hearing the taunting voices of the children after our first day at the new school we continue on without recognition of their harsh words. We were profiled because our skin was fare and our eyes were green or blue. This would be the sixth, or maybe the seventh elementary school we attended but we moved so much I lost count. I didn't grow up in the nicest of neighborhoods and was one of the few “white” children at school. 

     My mother was a single mom raising three children and working three jobs just to make ends meat. Sometimes we would cry at night when our bellies ached with hunger pains or when a shot filled the nightly air. Yearning for the peace and comfort that Luis speaks of, my mother would repeat similar words “Don’t be afraid sweetheart, Mommies right here and I’ll protect you from anything.” Mothers are the foundation of which a child can grow upon and feel comforted. As a single mother myself I see why my own mother did everything and anything for us. Even sacrificing her own meal so that we could eat just a little more. Luis saw his mother cry off to the side for him as I did for mine. Despite her attempts to keep us safe we were bullied at school and were forced to fight back and ended up being the ones suspended for being the minority. 

     My younger brother and I luckily found new paths home and the pressure was lifted when the local kids eventually  found out the force of my older brother. Constantly worrying about Luis’ safety, his mother finally shut him out to ease the pain of unknowing. Would he be arrested, hospitalized, or would he be dead- No mother should have to endure these things- yet in areas not well known to most, this is a daily occurrence. This book well represents the worries of the struggles for Mothers in poor areas; especially to troublesome boys. 

Visual Video and Text by Mellinda Miller

East L.A. Riots Protesting Viet Nam War

"Try to blacken this grass, this shirt of colors, this festive park filled with infants and mothers and oldmen, surging forth in pride. Come and try to blacken it with your blazing batons, shotguns and tear gas canisters, I'm ready." (Rodriguez 161).

Although I see the sympathy in the horrific events that followed, I do see why the enforcement was necessary. Luis and his fellow gang members had just "dropped reds" and robbed the liquor store of some alcohol so the owner of the store locked the doors. Numbers grew outside demanding in but police showed up with treats and guns which I believe were necessities to keep the peace. It's interesting when I read the viewpoints of Luis as a gang member on drugs and read other viewpoints as well. While reaserching through JSTOR I found an article "The Dialectics of Repression: The Los Angeles Police Department and the Chicano Movement, 1968-1971" by Edward Escobar listing the events of that day- "The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, responded to a minor disturbance, declared the demonstration as unlawful assembly and ordered the park vacated" (Par 2) When the people didn't leave the police started forward and disputes turned into tear gas canister release. People fled to the streets attacking unsuspecting cars driving by.

Key Passages by Mellinda Miller

 “My body entering the mouth of darkness, my breath cutting the frigid flesh of the night; it was my voice cracking open the winter sky” (Pg 6).

What an amazingly heartfelt description that creates an ire mood introducing a meaningful part of the book and a major realization of Luis’s life. Looking back into his youth remembering the moment when he started running and never stopped, Luis sees his son Ramiro running away from the comfort of his family and into the open arms of crime. When Luis chased Ramiro he envisioned himself not so long ago as that distant boy constantly running. Luis feels torn that his son is following in his footsteps that were left behind. Luis must feel so disappointed in himself though he knows that it is inevitable for some to follow the gang path of unrighteousness. In the end of the book the epilogue Luis sympathizes for his children’s unsettled future and devotes the book to them especially to Ramiro.

“This book is a gift to my son Ramiro, to all my children, who will traverse a more severe and uncertain path to maturity than I had to undertake” (Pg 247).