Solito

When the group lands in Acapulco, they encounter a place they never thought they’d see: The resort town too expensive for them to have ever dreamed of going there on their own. Even the cheapest motel is luxurious to them. Javier, for one, isn’t accustomed to having such a large en suite bathroom. This scene demonstrates their impoverished living conditions in El Salvador. Many tourists to Acapulco would find such accommodations subpar, even offensive. These “luxurious” surroundings allow for several other observations about the group. One is that Javier’s preoccupation with his fecal-stained underwear reminds the reader of just how young he is, despite his great maturity at times, and his desire to retain his dignity. Even more important are the stereotypes that are identified and deconstructed. The first stereotype that emerges regards Patricia’s dyed hair. In reference to Salvadoran women who bleach their black hair blonde, Javier’s grandma says, “Look, a mutt thinking it’s a purebred” (135). She also calls these women “wannabe gringas” (135). Though Patricia dyes her hair, she is not a “wannabe gringa,” which shows how inaccurate such stereotypes are. Patricia is aware that others look down on them as migrants: She says, “We’re poor, but that doesn’t mean we live in filth” (149). She works hard around the motel to clean up after everyone, not only because she does not want to live in a dirty environment, but because she doesn’t want to make the wrong impression.

In Chapter 6, two things of note emerge. At the bus terminal, their coyote has them all call people in the US to send more money. This means the migrants all have contacts in the US who can wire money in US dollars, which are worth much more than Mexican pesos or Salvadoran colones. (Note: Since 2002, El Salvador has used the US dollar). This implies that much of the negativity associated with migrantes comes from jealousy; rather than being poorer than others, migrants often have family and friends who help fund their journeys. This section also shows how Javier becomes jealous when the others have to make their phone calls, because he wants to be able to talk to his parents. The adults ignore him because they are worried about whether or not they can amass the new necessary funds. The situation grants an opportunity for Javier to learn that Carla cares about him; she takes him aside and comforts him when everyone else is too busy. With this, Javier’s second family grows stronger.

In Chapter 6, the subtle differences between Salvadoran and Mexican Spanish are made evident when Javier uses the Salvadoran word for straw “pajilla,” rather than the Mexican word “popote” at a taco stand. The woman working at the stand now knows that Javier and Patricia are not Mexican, and they are worried she will turn them over to the authorities. This does not happen, which shows that not everyone is worried about Central American migrants crossing through Mexico. Another language nuance that speaks to the migrant experience is the switch in terminology for the smugglers from coyotes to chicken herders (polleros). Patricia asks why they are associated with chickens, and the coyote simply answers that the migrants are like chickens. The subsequent descriptions of crossing the border with the polleros are apposite; the migrants are completely dependent on the men leading them. They are frightened of being caught; at any sign of US Border Patrol, they scatter and hide. Regardless of the similarities, the description is dehumanizing, and some of the treatment migrants undergo at the hands of the coyotes or polleros bears witness to this. For example, during the first two attempts to cross the border, the guides abandon the migrants as soon as things get difficult or as soon as Border Patrol emerges on the scene.