2/21/13                                                            Mexican Whiteboy Pgs 1-95     
Dear Reader,


           When Uno viciously punched Danny in the face during the home run derby, I was furious because Danny did not intentionally throw his bat at Manny. It was unfortunate that Manny happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when the bat smashed him in the face, but this incident was an accident. Uno had no right to lay a hand on Danny. In my opinion, Uno should have been arrested for his reckless behavior. By attacking Danny, I learned that Uno is immature and lacks self-control. Danny did not deserve to visit the emergency room and receive five stitches under his left eye and ten in the back of his head. To make matters worse, Danny "had to talk to cops and fill out paperwork and look his uncle Tommy and uncle Ray dead in the eye and lie" (Pena 40). Put yourself in Danny's position. What would you have done? Would you have lied to your family about the incident, or would you tell them what really happened?

         After Sofia introduces Danny to her friends, Danny shyly smiles and "digs his fingernails into the skin until a sharp pain floods his mind, makes him real" (Pena 3). I can relate to Danny's unusual behavior because Kate, a friend of mine, also sinks her fingernails into her wrists to cope with anxiety, nervousness and panic. She can't survive without digging her nails into her skin because it helps her concentrate and feel more alert. Similar to Danny, she has cuts and scratch marks all over her arms. With support of some of her friends, she is sinking her nails into her skin less often, but I know that it will take a while for her to fully end her peculiar habit. Do you have any friends that behave like Danny and Kate? How do you cope with anxiety and nervousness?

            I'm having trouble understanding how Danny was able to throw a baseball ninety-two miles per hour while he was completely drunk. Shortly before stunning Sofia's friends and other on-lookers with his amazing pitch at the carnival, Danny had continuously drank "jungle juice", which contains alcohol. Danny consumed so much juice such that his "stomach felt bloated and his head felt numb" (Pena 72). When Sofia checks on Danny, she states, "Your drunk as hell...I think I better cut you off" (Pena 72). These two quotes make it hard for me to understand how Danny was able to fire a ninety-two mph fastball. When a person is drunk, like Danny, they usually lose coordination and cannot perform at a high athletic level. How do you think Danny was able to throw a baseball so fast, even though he was drunk? Do you think that Danny can pitch a baseball faster that ninety-two mph when he is sober? Is it possible that the author is just trying to prove how easily Danny can throw fastballs?

          I don't know about you, but I feel sympathy for Danny because he never feels accepted anywhere because his skin color is different from the people around him in life. Since Danny's half-Mexican and brown, "he is a shade darker than all the white kids at his private high school and pale compared to his Mexican family in National City" (Pena 2). I wonder how difficult it would be to live life without feeling like you belong with a certain group of people or friends. What would you do if you were half-Mexican? Would you still have the same friends you have today?

         I think I'm starting to better understand the feeling of loneliness and isolation that many Mexicans that live in the U.S. experience on a day-to day basis in life. When Danny went to his private high school, "nobody paid him any attention because he was Mexican...nobody even saw him as a real person" (Pena 16-17). I believe that this practice of discrimination needs to end immediately because of the harmful effects on victims like Danny. Since Danny is treated so harshly at school, he decided to speak as little as he can in life. Do you know anybody at your school that is treated like Danny?

         In my opinion, Danny is reminiscent of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Both characters are isolated from society based on prejudice. Boo remains inside his house at all times because most citizens in Maycomb view him as an ill-minded man that dines on squirrels based on inaccurate rumors they have heard. Danny is ignored by his white peers at his private high school just because he is brown and Mexican. Also, both characters are very shy and talk as little as they can. Danny and Boo have trouble fitting in with others in society, so they often feel neglected and unwanted. Can you name any characters that remind you of Danny?

         These first chapters of the book helped me clearly understand that culture shapes your identity. Danny's family and the kids in National City speak with a dialect that is authentic to Mexican Americans. I enjoy how Pena weaves Spanish phrases with English dialogue to display how culture has a direct impact on their vernacular. For example, Sofia claims to her friends, "Que putas. Leave me cuz alone already. He just got here today" (Pena 2). Instead of calling her friends "whores" in English, she playfully teases her friends in Spanish. I have some Mexican American friends from school, but I have never been exposed to a genuine Mexican lifestyle, so I am thankful that Pena has given me the true perspective of a Mexican American teenager. Do you have any friends that are Mexican American?

       When I first looked at the cover of this book, I thought this would be a boring, unrealistic story a Mexican boy living in America. It's a good thing that what I believed was not true. I keep forgetting that you can't judge a book by its cover. The first few chapters of the book really caught my attention and made me want to keep reading. Hopefully, Danny will be able to discover his true identity in life and take advantage of his exceptional baseball talent. Don't worry, I'll remember to write to you again after I have finished my next reading assignment.

Sincerely,
                Ankit Kotwal