3/17/13                                         Mexican White Boy pgs 156-224

Dear Reader,

       I am very proud of Danny because he has finally found a method to control his pitching accuracy. The trick that Danny has discovered is "clearing his mind" (Pena 156). By listening to Uno's advice, Danny has learned to "let his talent do the work" (Pena 156). By using these tools to help him, Danny has successfully won four baseball hustles. Danny's pitches now have superior precision to go along with mind-blowing velocity, so I believe that Danny will be selected on his high school baseball team next year. Danny must have felt heartbroken when the Leucadia Prep baseball coach told him that he wasn't talented enough to make the team this year. How would you feel if you were cut from a high school sports team? Do you think Danny is now talented enough to make the team next season?

       It perplexes me that Senior gave fifty dollars to a teenager who tried to rob his house. I'm surprised that Senior didn't attack the teenager or immediately call the cops to arrest him. Instead, Senior brings the robber into his house to talk to him about his personal struggles in the past. Then Senior told the robber, "I forgive you, son. You hear what I'm tellin' you? My whole family, my wife, my baby and me, we forgive you" (Pena 160). I don't understand how a man could forgive somebody who tried to steal from his house. On top of that, Senior and his wife pulled out all of the cash they possessed in their wallet and handed it over to the robber. What would you do if someone tried to break into your house? Would you forgive that person?

         Danny must feel extremely disappointed that he is unable to communicate with Liberty. Danny clearly possesses strong emotions for her when the author states, "He can't believe how pretty she is. Her skin so smooth and her hands on her knees and her thin shoulders and her perfect lips...they make his stomach feel weird" (Pena 184). I wish Danny could just learn some basic Spanish words from his family, so that he would be able to speak to Liberty. Danny's inability to understand what Liberty says makes his "stomach drop" (Pena 186). "The shame of his ignorance hits him hard, runs all through his body, make the hairs on his arms and legs go dead" (Pena 186). Danny's unfortunate situation is reminiscent of the situation that my friend Peter was in. Last year, Rita, a pretty girl from Lebanon, transferred to Peter's high school. He fell in love with Rita the second he laid eyes on her. The problem was that Rita could only speak Arabic. Like Danny, Peter only knew how to speak English, so he was unable to effectively communicate with his crush. What would you do if you couldn't communicate with your crush?

        After the encounter with the "Mexican scout" at the Padres' game, Danny discovered that the "scout" was hired by his father to watch over him. Then, Danny found out that his father is in prison, not Mexico. I felt a massive amount of sympathy for Danny because he desperately wanted to reunite with his father in Mexico. Now, his hope is crushed because his father is locked up in jail. I think he is more upset with the fact that nobody informed him that his father was in jail. How would you feel if your father was in prison? Have you ever felt like you've been let down by one of your parents?

        When Danny arrives home from the Padres' game, he "ducks into the bathroom and locks the door behind him" (Pena 222). Then, Danny "holds his left arm against the sink and runs the sharp part of the tweezers across the inside...goes back and forth in a straight line" (Pena 223). Instead of harmfully cutting himself, Danny should have sought counsel from one of his family members to cope with his frustration. Danny's habit of cutting himself in times of anxiety and frustration is similar to Callie McPherson's habit in Cut by Patricia McCormick. Callie is a fifteen-year old girl who cuts her arms in an attempt to deal with depression and loneliness. Like Danny, she speaks as little as she can and believes that self-harm will relieve her emotional pain. Do you know any characters that have behaviors similar to Callie and Danny?

       I was shocked when Ray ran over the hippie's legs. After Ray and his friends badly assaulted the hippie, Ray "flipped the Bronco into reverse and backed up...he turned the wheel slightly and pulled forward, ran over both the guy's legs" (Pena 206). This was a completely immature action that seriously injured the hippie. To make matters worse, Danny was in the car when Ray drove over the hippie. With his father in jail, Danny needs a fatherly figure to help him differentiate right from wrong in life. Instead, Ray provided Danny with a malevolent action that will haunt him for years to come. As Ray drove away, Danny looked back at the hippie "until it became nothing more than a bloody image he knew would never leave his head" (Pena 207). Hopefully, Danny will be able to recover from this horrible nightmare. In my opinion, Ray should be locked up in jail for this cruel and inhumane action. Most likely, the hippie will never be able to walk again after severely breaking his legs. Ray's action completely supports what I think is wrong in life. There was no excuse for him to lose his temper and attempt to murder the hippie. Do you believe that Ray's action was wrong?

        Lastly, I believe that the Mexican-American culture shapes the identity of Danny's family in National City. Their kitchen is filled with "the smell of fresh tortillas and chile colorado" (Pena 200). Danny's family loves to watch their favorite Mexican baseball players during games on TV in the living room. To add excitement into the house, "the radio is tuned to a Spanish music station" (Pena 200). These examples from the book help me understand that your culture affects many of the interests and passions that you possess in life.

       I can't believe I am only twenty-two pages away from the end of the book. I am excited to find out what happens next in the book. Don't worry, I'll remember to write to you soon.

                                                                                                             Sincerely,
                                                                                                                           Ankit