Solito

Patricia is a young Salvadoran woman from the town of Soyapango. She has two daughters, one of whom is Carla. The other daughter is already with their father in the US. She is very similar in build and appearance to Javier’s mother, who has the same name. One major physical difference is that Patricia dyes her hair blond, whereas Javier’s mother does not. The fact that the two women share the same name is significant because during the trip to the US, especially after Javier’s grandpa departs, she becomes his surrogate mother. Not only does it provide them all with a good cover, but Javier also needs plenty of help and affection to make it to the end of their journey and back to his parents. Aside from wanting to reunite with her husband and daughter, Patricia would like to open up her own salon and work as a hair stylist.

Carla, Patricia’s daughter, is a Salvadoran girl a few years older than Javier. At the beginning of the journey, she doesn’t pay much attention to Javier. He often wonders if she likes him or can even stand him. He likes her from the very beginning and wants her attention. He finds it hard to have to share a bed with her and her mom, as he does not want to fart or do anything that could be embarrassing around them. However, as time progresses and they spend more and more time together, Carla begins to behave towards Javier as an older sister. At some of the lowest points emotionally for Javier, Carla inevitably comes to show him understanding and camaraderie.

Chino is a young Salvadoran man from the same town as Patricia and Carla and seems to have known them for a while. Chino’s past is shrouded in secret, much like the stories of the others: Javier knows very little about where they come from and why they are going to the US. It’s possible Chino is trying to escape from the gangs. His tattoos make others look at him funnily and are possibly from MS-13. The gang is well-known outside of the US and El Salvador, and in Zamora’s poetry, he makes references to MS-13. That aside, Chino says he wants to work in restaurants; he has an affinity for and interest in cuisine. At first, Javier does not trust him, but during the boat ride into Mexico, he learns that Chino can be very caring. Javier reminds Chino of his deceased brother, and that forms a bond between them. As they progress on their journey, Chino transitions between a father figure and older brother to Javier. He carries Javier when he can no longer walk and helps him get over fences. Chino’s loyalty to Patricia, Carla, and Javier is further witnessed when he goes back to help them rather than run away from Border Patrol, which gets him caught.

Marcelo is from La Herradura like Javier. He knows and respects Javier’s grandpa, so when Javier’s grandpa leaves, he asks Marcelo to look after Javier for him. Javier does not trust Marcelo and is even a little afraid of him. For Javier, Marcelo is a very ambiguous and distant character. Despite Javier’s grandfather’s paying Marcelo, Marcelo does very little for or with Javier. Unlike all the others, Marcelo has been to the US before but was caught and deported. Like Chino, he is tattooed, though his tattoos don’t seem to raise suspicions the way Chino’s do. When he gets back to Los Angeles, California, Marcelo hopes to get work in construction, which he considers man’s work. Marcelo is not at all loyal to the group the way Chino is. During the first crossing attempt, Marcelo fakes a leg injury so that he can slip away while no one is looking. Though he abandons the group for his own good (he is never caught), he does at least contact Javier’s parents and gives them an update on his progress. Until Javier makes it to Tucson, it is the only information his parents get about his circumstances.