3/3/13                                                                       Mexican White Boy Pgs 95-155

Dear Reader,

      I don't know about you, but I am having trouble understanding why Danny is willing to forge a friendship with Uno. Just a few weeks ago, Uno immaturely punched Danny in the face and sent him to the hospital for stitches in the back of his head. With this being said, it just doesn't make sense when Danny begins to hang out with Uno by joining him on baseball hustles and practicing with him at the local baseball field. I assumed Danny would try to steer away from Uno and avoid any type of interaction with him. Instead, he has forgiven Uno for the incident at the home run derby. What would you do if you were Danny? Would you forgive Uno or would you decide to hold a permanent grudge against him?

      When Uno explained to Danny how he quit baseball, I felt a massive amount of sympathy for Uno. In his last baseball game, Uno "caught a foul tip off the mask and the metal wire of the mask broke his nose" (Pena 109). Instead of checking to see if his son was okay, Uno's father yells, "Get up, you little punk-ass bitch! Get your ass up!" (Pena 109). In my opinion, the decision made by Uno's father to yell at Uno was unjust and is the reason Uno hasn't played baseball since. This incident makes me think of my friend Roger. Three years ago, Roger was my teammate on an AAU basketball team. He was a very great basketball player, but his father would criticize him for every mistake from the sideline. Roger later told me that his father was on drugs, which is similar to Uno's father when he yelled at Uno at his baseball game. One day, Roger sprained his ankle and lay on the court grimacing in pain. Like Uno's father, Roger's father told him to get up and stop acting "like a baby". As a result, Roger decided to stop playing basketball because he couldn't tolerate his father's criticism anymore. Do you anybody that has a father like Uno? If you were in Uno's position, would you agree to quit baseball?

      I wonder why Danny lies to his dad when he writes letters to inform him what he has been doing in National City this summer. For example, Danny claims to his dad, "Look who your son's become. He's the ace of the best traveling team in the state...scouts hang on his every movement" (Pena 154). Of course, you and I both know that this event has not taken place. Do you think Danny is simply trying to impress his father by making up stories about his baseball talent? If I were Danny, I would tell my father exactly what had happened to me while visiting National City. I believe that Danny's father wants to have a better understanding of the real Danny, not the person Danny wishes he could be. Do you wish you could be someone else in life?

      In my opinion, Uno's idea of hustling baseball players with Danny is sneaky, but brilliant. Uno desperately needs five hundred dollars to live with his father in Oxnard, but he can't find any jobs that would hire him. Luckily, Uno discovered Danny's amazing pitching skills. If I needed some extra cash and I knew someone terrific at pitching, I would do exactly what Uno is doing. I know it would be risky, but I am a type of person that wouldn't be able to pass off a opportunity to make money like that. I think Danny couldn't resist joining Uno on the hustles because he needs money himself to buy a plane ticket to Mexico to find his dad. It's a win-win situation for both Danny and Uno. Hopefully, they will both earn enough money from the hustles to achieve their goals. What would you do if you needed to make five hundred dollars? Would you consider hustling people?

      As the book progresses, Danny and Uno's friendship begins to grow. I think that a great example of their friendship is after they win a hustle with a boy named Marzel. A few minutes after the hustle, Marzel is upset that Danny is talking to his girlfriend, so he "rears back to throw a punch, but out of nowhere Uno steps in and blasts the guy from the side" (Pena 153). Uno is willing to defend his new friend Danny, and he claims to Marzel, "Aint nobody touch my boy Danny like that" (Pena 153). It seems to me that this moment was the turning point that caused Danny to realize that Uno was his best friend. It must feel nice for Danny to know that he has someone that will "always have his back". Do you have any friends like Uno who will be there for you no matter what?

      I find the vocabulary in this book somewhat difficult to understand, but this is good because it allows me to expand my personal vocabulary. Luckily, I am in a Spanish class, so I understand some of the Spanish words and phrases that Pena inserts into the text. For example, I know that "mi amor" means "my love" and "mi novio" means "my boyfriend" in English. As for any Spanish words and phrases that I am unfamiliar with, I use a Spanish to English dictionary. Can you speak Spanish? Do you like how Pena combines Spanish words with English sentences?

      In my mind, Uno's father, Senior, is reminiscent of Rex Walls in The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Both characters are great parents, but they have nasty, malevolent behaviors when they are drunk or on drugs. When Senior was on drugs, he harshly yelled at his son to get up in his baseball game, even though Uno broke his nose. As a result of his unjust action, his son decided to never play baseball again. After Rex got drunk off liquor, he threw furniture around the house and threatened to beat up his wife, children, or anyone else that got in his way. Senior shows flashes of being a good father when he gives Uno some helpful advice. He claims to Uno, "Now get out there and work. Don't just talk about it, be about it" (Pena 99). Like Senior, Rex proves to be a good father by serving as a role model for his children. When he was sober, he would try to invent amazing contraptions such as a gadget used to find gold based on his expertise in math and physics. Also, he would expand his children's imaginations by "demon hunting" with them. All in all, I believe that both Senior and Rex try to do everything they can to support their families, but they both have major flaws that set them back. Do you know any characters that remind you of Senior?

      The last few chapters have clearly allowed me to understand how culture affects your identity. Danny's friends, family and love for the game of baseball are all influenced by his Mexican-American descent. I believe that he should embrace who he is, not shy away from it. Who cares if other people judge you for what ethnicity you are? That's their loss, not yours. Are you proud of who you are as a person? Why do you think people judge others based on their ethnicity?

      I hope you enjoy the comments and questions I have left for you. I'll make sure to write again soon after the next reading assignment.

Sincerely,
                Ankit