5 comments about Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A..

1. I can see why this book is so popular among high school students: it provides a graphic, unflinching look at LA gang life in the 1960s, and it ends happily, with Mr. Rodriguez living to tell the tale. Unfortunately, the second half of the story contains too many things that make me question the reliability of its teller. I hope this book helps to keep kids out of gangs and in schools, even if its veracity is suspect.
   
   
   And yet... the more I think about this, the more I see in it. I think this is actually a depiction of the violence inherent in people, rather than a specific comment on a time and place. The author's main excuse for gangs is unemployment. However, Mr. Rodriguez ends up portraying the police forces as little more than a rival gang with an unslakable bloodlust, though they obviously have jobs. The problem therefore can't be unemployment, unless all positions of power are necessarily corrupt, or the LA sheriffs are abnormally violent people. Other notable instances of violence are when young Luis gets pushed off his roof by his older brother, when a riot erupts at a peace rally, and when Luis upholds the tradition of a yearly brawl at a football. I guess this is the main problem I have with this book. The blame is misplaced. Mr. Rodriguez's gang involvement started before he was in junior high, so his own unemployment couldn't have been a factor. Since his father was well educated and employed, I have to lay the blame at his feet for failing to protect his son and teach him the right way to live. This sad family failure is then repeated between the author and his own son, Ramiro. The whole attitude of "learn from my mistakes; don't do what I did, son" just isn't enough for me.



2. Always Running was required for my English 28 class, and I've got to admit that I found the book very interesting.It gave me a look into gang life in East Los Angeles and the dynamics of that lifestyle.



3. Luis grew up in LA being raised by a Mexican family. He grows up way too quickly and starts stealing and committing crimes before becoming a teen. Soon enough drugs, sex and violence come into play, and lines and territories are divided across neighborhoods. Ultimately he ends up losing most of his friends to shootings and violent acts. He also blames the cops for constantly targeting Mexicans and African Americans. The educational system does not provide proper courses for minorities. They are tracked to take on vocational occupations while whites and Asians are taking English Lit and Trig on the path to college. If we provided protection, safety and good opportunities for these kids then they would not feel the need to join gangs to gain acceptance, protection and a sense of belonging.



4. This book is on the ALA's list of 100 most frequently banned books of 1990 through 2000.
   
   This is a memoir of gang life & of growing up poor and Chicano in East LA in the '60's & 70's. It's also about learning who you are and finding ways out - through writing, through painting, & through social activism.
   
   Rodriguez is primarily a poet and writer of short stories & it shows in this collection of snap shots of moments from his past. For those wanting a standard tale with a classical throughline and neat conclusions, this book will disappoint.
   
   I enjoyed the author's imagery and the ways he plays with the genre of memoir. What is memory? What do we remember? How do we remember it? For me so much of my memory is just what he provides - little snapshots of moments in time.
   
   From a political/social perspective, this book does a good job of elucidating the reasons kids join gangs and the possible paths out. He talks about gangs as a kind of mass suicide & that's an idea that stuck with me - all these kids looking for family & hating themselves.
   
   In one of those funny moments where influences collide that can happen while reading, I kept thinking of another gang memoir that I read when I was younger. I remembered that it was written by a Puerto Rican guy that grew up in Spanish Harlem & was also about all of the ways that books saved him, but I couldn't remember the name of the book. It was right there on the tip of my tongue. I could remember that the author was named Piri, but that was all. Then I turned a page & there it was - Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas - turns out Luis Rodriguez read that one, too.
   
   This book is also full of shades of Sandra Cisneros - a Chicana writer & poet whose work I've read off & on since her first book - The House on Mango Street. Like Cisneros, Rodriguez' work is full of rhythm & bright color.
   
   I liked this book a great deal, although I don't think it offers any long-term solutions to these problems. Like The Corner, David Simon's killer tome on life on a Baltimore drug corner, this book illustrates the condition. Perhaps education really is the only way out, but to get there we're going to have to spend some money & stop using our educational system to ghettoize people based on class, race, income level, & the phase of the moon on Fridays when the cat's too tired to sing.
   
   The world is a complex & beautiful place & in the end maybe only words can save us.



5. This book lacks depth and much-needed perspective. The actual subject matter is interesting, and could have resulted in an incredibly powerful, insightful book. However, he stopped short every time the opportunity for reflection presented itself. As a result, I found myself unable to sympathize with his plight. His transitions from journalistic prose to "poetic" descriptions were jarring and indulgent. Overall, this book was a great disappointment.

5 comments about When I Was Puerto Rican.

1. "When I Was Puerto Rican" is a wonderful story of growing up in Puerto Rico. The humor and frankness of the narrative touched me. I strongly recommend it!



2. I expect the prime reason this autobiography was published is because it's unique. However, it's only half a story - assume this is contrived in the hope of selling the other half at a later date. The author's reconstruction of dialogue is to be admired, as well as the descriptions of her life of poverty and deprivation. More to be admired is the character of her mother who managed to produce and provide for eleven children in an unmarried state, while coping with an irresponsible father. Can only recommend if you're looking for a holiday read. Very little material for book club discussions.



3. I became aware of this book through my mother who read it and loved it. I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. The book made me laugh and cry, sometimes both at the same time. The picture on the cover looked so much like my mother when she was that age that I instantly took to the story. The story itself depicts the complexities of our Puerto Rican culture, the family dynamics, and our struggle to become assimilated Americans. Although I couldn't truly relate to all of the experiences, my mother was able to find a deep connection with the author. Apparently she experienced many of the poverty issues discussed within the memoir. I feel closer to my mother and that small island because of this book. I will buy her other books as well.



4. The novel, When I Was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago, is a true story based on the life of the author as a child, growing up as an immigrant in the United States from Puerto Rico. Her memoir deals with many issues and conflicts she has to overcome as a child and a young adult, but she is able to develop scenes in great detail, describe her encounters with self-discovery, and draw the reader into conflicts that are emotional and powerful.
   Scene in a memoir is very important because it is manipulated greatly by the viewpoint of the author. Throughout Negi, the main character's childhood, she lives with her large family in a multitude of houses in areas ranging from the dirtiest slums to upscale apartments in New York. Negi's first house in Macun was described in great depth, going right down the holes the insects burrowed under the wooden plank floors. In another instance, her family went to a relative's house to wade out an impending hurricane, and Negi goes to great lengths to describe the actions the people were performing, the foods the women were preparing, and the battering the house got during the storm. The scene is the basis for the novel, and Santiago's ability to create a strong scene lends itself to writing a great novel.
   Negi is forced to assimilate into a new society while still living under the confines of her old culture in her house. Her parents are 100% Puerto Rican, and they expect their children to follow the ways of a Puerto Rican child. However, Negi is a very intelligent girl who learns how to be more American and has to constantly cope with discarding old ideas that were once important to her, but are now seen as demeaning or not applicable in American society. For example, Negi grew up as a young child wanting to be a "Jibara," which basically meant a more rural individual who lives off the land and lives a simple life. However, once she started school, classmates made fun of her and called her a Jibara, and it suddenly became a derogatory term that Negi wanted nothing to do with. Also, she discovers rather quickly on her own the nature of sexuality and how men and women interact with each other. On one occasion, Negi and her cousin exchange glimpses of each other's private areas, and Negi is shocked and taken back by things that come with puberty. Negi discovers many aspects of her new life on her own, especially since she is living life in a culture quite different from her parents.
   Conflict is a big part of all memoirs, but Negi is exposed to conflicts of many sorts and sources. Negi has conflict within herself about Papi because she sees the caring and nurturing side of him, and also the lying, cheating, and irresponsible side of him. Negi has do deal with the conflict between her Puerto Rican background and her new American culture, and the differences in the beliefs and norms between the two. Her status as "casi senorita" is also a source of conflict because she is regarded as not completely adult, but not a child either. She sees no benefit of this because she has all the responsibility of an adult, but still all the rules of a child.
   I feel reading this memoir has made me a better memoir writer because
   I have seen how a good scene and detailed plot are formed. Santiago excels at creating scenes with great detail, and describing the emotions felt by the characters in the story. I feel this book should be offered again because it is a fairly easy book to follow and I felt like I got something out of reading this book. I would highly recommend this book, even if you aren't the reading type like I am.



5. I intend to read the book myself as well, but she couldn't get enough of it. She finished it in a couple of days! She is Puerto Rican (as is the author of the book) and was amazed at the similarities between her upbringing and that of the author. She doesn't even live in the same geographical area of the US that the author does, but still the cultural similarities remain. She loved it and is already looking into the author's other works.

5 comments about The Rhythm of Success: How an Immigrant Produced His Own American Dream.

1. As a fan of Miami Sound Machine I looked forward to what I thought would be a biography of the lives of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. But that's not exactly what this is. Rather, it's a self help book with every chapter built around a self help tip. That's not necessarily bad as each chapter also gives an example in his life of this philosophy. What that leaves you with is an inspirational book, not what I was looking for, but also a shortened biography that is very quick to read. The writing style is very basic and this really appears to be a case where he wrote the book with minimal help. Not that that is bad, just an observation. Overall I enjoyed the book. Not a favorite, but an excellent read with many lessons wrapped around his life story.



2. The book was extremely good. He has a very easy flow to putting his thoughts to words, and explaining his success. It's a great motivational tool, and anyone who reads the book will definitely find a well drawn map to success. There is no question to why this man has achieved the level of success that he has, definitely not an easy rhythm to mimic but its is spelled out in simple English for those who are up to the task, and well... The results speak for them selves. Thank you Emilio.



3. I've truly enjoyed reading Emilio Estefan's book. It's not only a very interesting biography but also his own personal account of how he has succeeded in this country. He shares many of his guiding principles that he feels, have helped him reach success in his own terms. He tells us that certain habits, like being highly organized, and always being prompt, having a positive outlook, devoting yourself to your family, and planning for your future, are paramount to his success.
   
   He explains that if you follow his example, you will have time and energy to come up with great ideas for your life and your business endeavors, what ever they might be. These disciplines, if you will, have helped him succeed in his life and business and served him well and of course, will help anyone who is willing to sacrifice, as he has.
   
   Truly inspiring account for anyone, not only for the recent immigrants to the USA but for those who desire to better themselves and who enjoy an interesting story about one of the most successful music industry moguls and his famous and lovely wife, Gloria. I loved it!
   Maria Soto Robbins ([...])



4. I purchased the book because I loved the title. I grew up in Miami, born in 1964 in Puerto Rico where my parents ended up after leaving their beloved country. I am a child of politically exiled, well educated parents. My parents are Cuban so we will always feel so very proud to consider ourselves Cuban Americans. We have a daughter 17, and boy and girl twins that are 13, all of them fully bilingual, second generation children of a family who started in a new country, brand new and never asked for anything , becoming successful all over again.
   Emilio Estefan made sure I remembered that. He made me proud of what all of us have accomplished, and reminded me of something I was always taught; Never take this freedom for granted and to love America. We live in Florida, in an area where Spanish is seldom spoken, but we have made sure our children love to speak the language of their grandparents,.
   All of my brothers and sisters became physicians and 22 years ago I married my cuban born amazing husband, a Michigan guy, who is a successful Internal Medicine doctor, he is loved and makes a difference for so many people every single day.
   Thank you Emilio for this uplifting, inspiring book not only for those of us who can relate to the cuban experience, but to anyone who knows that remaining positive, hopeful, faithful and true to yourself and your family will ensure success. Thank you for reminding me to always be thankful and follow my heart. It is not how much money you have, what matters is that your children are the priority, you love your life and feel at peace. What a great read!!! I will be buying this book to share with my friends!!! Thank You..



5. I just finished reading the book and it is very motivating and inspiring. As a Cuban immigrant myself I can certainly identify with Emilio and I was surprised to read about all of the obstacles he had to overcome to get to where he is today. His is truly an American success story!!!Felicidades Emilio!

5 comments about Down These Mean Streets.

1. Bill Cosby once said "in the old days you couldn't skip school, because there was an eye behind every drawn curtain, and when your mother got off the bus she'd hear where you'd been."
   
   Cosby wasn't entirely right. In the old days, there were kids in the poor Black neighborhoods who skipped school, stole, got in fights, sold/used drugs, etc. Piri Thomas was one of them, and his story is very disturbing. His family, Puerto Rican and Cuban, has a problem with race (I won't spoil it by elaborating) and his father settles every disagreement with a slap. He leaves home for the streets, drifting through the poor and unhealthy underground of the Puerto Rican and Black worlds in Harlem.
   
   I had no idea there was a Puerto Rican community in NYC back in the 1930's and 40's. This book tells you a lot about the sleazy and dangerous side of urban life in the old days. Like today, kids went to the streets, not because it was fun, but because it was a substitute for the family love that the kids weren't getting.
   
   It's like my grandfather used to, there never were any "good old days."



2. This book is written so well that you can feel the streets and his life as he felt them, it is as if you were living through that era and through his experiences with him. If you lived through that era or have experienced some of the things he did in your life it brings you back to your own childhood with a nostalgic feeling. It does have some curses which I don't really care for, it is the way he expresses specific feelings, or things he or others specifically expressed at that time, but fortunately is not that much. It has that NYC streets authenticity; the story was written decades ago but certain parts feel as if they were written yesterday. It is an excellent book that is straight forward and hard to put down once you get into it; by the time you know it, you're done.



3. Down These Mean Streets was a breakthrough book for Latinos. For a Chicano like me, it was like the Autobiography of Malcolm X was for African Americans. Even though Thomas was writing about an East coast that I have never known, I felt like this was the first book to make me aware that there were experiences that were like mine that weren't only mine. Like the Chicano poet Ricardo Sanchez, anger was something political but dealt with best through poetic words and language.



4. This is a hard book to figure. It's so simple and poorly written it would seem to be for slow readers or middle schoolers, yet the filthy language makes its questionable for unsophisticated readers.
   
   There is a huge problem with the narration. Mr. Thomas is writing 10 years after the story ends, when he is supposedly a changed and more educated man, but throughout the story reverts to his uneducated gangland Spanish, I guess to keep it real. Throughout, he is incredibly violent, thoughtless, race obsessed, and self absorbed. Yet he offers no apologies to the family members or innocent bystanders he's hurt. He refers to his illegitimate son, but never gets back to him. Ironically, his family tried to better the situation by moving out to Long Island, but he ran back the world of crime and poverty, supposedly because two white kids said something that hurt his feelings.
   
   Apparently in prison, and afterward, he dabbled in religion to help get himself straight, yet he makes no clear statement of what his new beliefs are. In one troubling scene he counsels with a black Muslim inmate who constantly refers to whites as devils. In the end, he does not convert to Islam, but seems to have no problem with this form of racism. The story ends with him tempted to share heroin with a junky and barely pulling himself away. This hardly shows him to be a changed man, and we have no idea what's happened since. He constantly refers to Trina, his love interest, but never gives us any feeling for what sets her apart. He mentions she's pretty, but he's apparently not motivated by lust, since he bangs other women throughout while saving her for marriage. Despite his constant mention of her, we really know nothing about her.
   
   In the afterword, written in 1997, 68 year Mr. Thomas seems to have learned nothing, blaming the problems of the inner city on racism and the Clinton era welfare reforms. Naturally, there's no mention of single parent families, welfare dependency, radical Islam, or the Balkanization of the American identity as having anything to do with the continued miseries. Guess he knows politically where his bread gets buttered.
   
   It's not a bad read, but it has no educational value and does not belong in a school curriculum.



5. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS BOOK THAT I PURCHASED OVER A MONTH AGO SO I WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO RATE IT.

5 comments about G-Dog and the Homeboys: Father Greg Boyle and the Gangs of East Los Angeles.

1. Regardless of whether you read for enjoyment or entering the field of Behavior Analysis in Criminal Justice, this book offers an intimate view of relationships between society, law enforcement, a Jesuit Priest, and gangs. I highly recommend adding this one to your book collection.



2. My husband and I recently heard a taped interview with Father Boyle that aired on NPR. We were very interested in learning more about his unique outreach efforts with LA Gang members. This book is excellent.



3. "G-Dog and the Homeboys" shows how Father Greg Boyle and a select few adults, including the author, completely changed the lives of teens in East LA. Greg opened the homies' and his followers' eyes to the world outside of their lives in their little neighborhood. Many kids would not think past selling drugs to earn a little extra cash, or firing off a couple of rounds of bullets in order to simply stay alive. Boyle changed all of this.
   In actuality, the homies were not violent, cruel, or evil kids at heart. Many had rotten home lives and joined gangs to find love. Others joined for protection. Gangs offered support if they were ever in serious danger.
   Father Greg understood and felt for these teens. Greg lent them helping hand in any way he could. He gave them money for school, jobs, even a roof over their heads. However, the best gift he gave the homies was his love and caring for them.
   As one follows the stories of numerous homies, one realizes how much of an impact one man, Father Greg, had on their lives. This story is touching, at times frightening, and over all, enlightening. It is highly recommended that you read "G-Dog and the Homeboys". Your eyes, too, will be opened to the world around you.



4. This book is quite unlike any other that I have read on crime or gangs, both in style and in substance.
   
   The style is very simple. Fremon makes no attempt to be objective. She makes no effort to put the story into any larger context. She does not come across like a professional writer of any kind. Her ego is absent from the work. Instead, she tells a story, a simple, moving story.
   
   The subject of her story is extraordinary. John Paul II liked to say that there are many more saints around us then we recognize. This story is another example of that. Father Greg Boyle is a normal suburban white guy who became a priest, and was sent to East LA. He found himself surrounded by gang violence. Nothing unusual in the story so far.
   
   But his reaction was extraordinary. He responded to the situation in a radically Christian manner. He did not get into any of the usual left wing politics or posturing. Instead, he offered the gang members uncondititional love, just as the Gospel teaches. He spent time with them. He visited them in jail. He visited them in the hospital. Whenever the guns went off, he was there trying to bring peace. In one extraordinary incident, he put himself between two gangs who were starting a fire fight, and told them that if they wanted to kill each other, they would have to kill him. He was risking his life doing this, and the gang members knew it. They did not shoot; his Christian witness brought them back from their madness.
   
   It took time, but the gang members responded to Father Greg's ministry with tremendous enthusiasm and love. It is an incredibly inspiring story. It reminds us of why we are Christians. It shows us the transforming power of Christian love.
   
   I would like to be able to draw some political conclusions from all of this. I would like to somehow replace our current approach to gangs with Father Greg's approach. I do not know how to do that. I can not see how to make his saintly approach work in ordinary political or police work. But I do know that we are all better people with someone like him among us. If we had more like him, the world would be healed.



5. A wonderful read that can be shared with reluctant readers to bring them face to face with their place in modern literature. A book that should be shared with more teenagers. A look at gang life/ prisons in our urban world through the eyes of someone on a shared journey. I shared this book and another series that Celeste wrote in LA Weekly (2005) with my students as a combination class: experience of life literature and morality. Father Boyle is a master at understanding humanity and our call to larger social responsibility. We are not permitted to dismiss the world around us after reading this book that tugs at the corners of your heart. Greg gives hope where it is needed the most - to everyone. If the opportunity to hear Father Greg Boyle speak presents itself, do yourself a favor and go.

5 comments about Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez.

1. The title, and dramatic cover picture, drew me to buy this book. My copy is an orange and white hardcover edition, with a layout similar to the one presented here. It's from 1982 and is stamped with the address and name of a local, NY, school.
   
   I think the durable, still mint condition, cover was the best part of the book, along with the first few pages. After getting past the cover, and what seems like might be a good read, the book became horribly repetitive and boring. Over and over, the same issues are rehashed. You wait for a pivotal moment, and none comes.
   
   As such, even if you agree with his beliefs, and, as a person who grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, I don't, you won't be entertained.
   
   As for his ideology, concerning ethnicity, race and language, it's really irrelevant to the issues of acceptance, humanity and success, that he tries to tie it to. If you read the book critically, you'll see that he doesn't really make a case for any of this. If you're Latino, raised in a Spanish speaking household, as I am (Puerto Rican), you'll definitely see that the claims he makes, about language and ethnicity, are untrue and, despite his drawn out writing, go unproven.
   
   I'd call him a cheap, two-bit provocateur, but he never manages to stir anything up, in this bland, boring, shallow-minded piece of drivel.



2. As a Bilingual teacher, I believe immigrant children should learn the basics of schooling in their home language; that way, they will be able to communicate with their parents, and they will earn self confidence. This book shows the lack of communication and self-esteem immigrant children are suffering from, in the United States.



3. Richard Rodriguez reflects on his journey from the barrios of California to a seat in the library of the British Museum. He recognizes that the distance has moved him closer to a world of privilege and freedom. At the same time, he acknowledges that he is removed from his family and his background.
   
   Rodriguez bristles at attempts to mainstream Hispanic students through bilingual education. He is not calling for an official language. Its not quite like that. He just feels that students need to have an ability to master the language that, for better or worse, is spoken in the pathways that lead to power in this country.
   
   Rodriguez is very aware of the lessons that others would draw from his story. He points out that a group of people are attracted to having him as a speaker, because it confirms their own politics. Oddly, he doesn't feel that aligned with their perspective, because while they draw some similar conclusions about education, they have nothing else in common.
   
   Rodriguez laments that his book is catalogued and shelved in the wrong category. It is not a book about Hispanics, or within Latino studies. It is a book about class and privilege. That mistake is not likely to change, though, because class is a taboo topic and not something that is given its own space in our book stores.
   
   At one point, Rodriguez mentions that his editor would prefer less reflection and more stories. The editor wanted more anecdotes from Rodriguez' life -- more about his grandmother, for example. Rodriguez doesn't want to do that.
   
   I would argue that this is one privilege that he is not entitled to, even as a person holding a doctorate. He still has to show the reader, not just tell. If he thinks that he cannot tell the personal stories of his life without compromising his message, then he needs to write a few more drafts!



4. Looking beyond the criticisms of other reviewers, one can find in this little book many fundamental truths about education -- what it means to be an educated person, even how education might alienate people or divide families. Intensely intellectual and at the same time profoundly personal, Richard Rodriguez's Hunger of Memory eloquently charts the process of education in his own life, uncovering its magic, measuring its costs along the way, but in the end testifying to its great benefits. Students and teachers alike could gain greater understanding of the process of education and what it can mean through reading this book.



5. This book was a difficult read. I admit openly that it is a strain for me to understand the feeling of minority. I am a middle-middle class white person, privileged by virtue of the fact that my parents stayed together for 53 years until my father passed away, blessed by being an "Air Force brat", which entitled me to meet people of all different races, socioeconomic groups, and nationalities to the extent that I don't see those things anymore. It is hard for me to relate. Rodriguez begins the book by mocking upper-class people for being arrogant, and middle-class people for attempting "cheap imitations of lower-class life". Are there really people in America who divide individuals into classes like that? And if class is so important, to what class would he assign himself? My father taught me to respect all people and that every man's work is good if it is honest work, so I would not presume to judge a person's character by his socioeconomic class.
   
   Overlooking this obstacle, I see that Rodriguez, like all good writers, writes from his own experience of life. He was intensely impacted by the transition from Spanish to English in his life. His mother insisted on English being spoken in the home, according to the recommendations of well-meaning nuns, but as a result, the author lost an integral part of his home experience, the music of his native tongue. Additionally, he lost connection with his mother and father, because while his mother attained a rudimentary grasp of the English language, his father never quite caught on, so his relationship with his wife and children was radically changed. According to the author, his father lived voiceless in his own home, which was a sad state of affairs for the former head of the household.
   
   Rodriguez states that he is against affirmative action as it is legislated, where the only requirement to qualify is to belong to a minority group, such as African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans. When he realized that he had received an exceptional level of early schooling during his years in private Catholic school, it became clear that he was not really socially disadvantaged at all. At that point in time, it was evident that there were many other students out there who were far more needful of the benefits of the affirmative action program. Furthermore, Rodriguez equated the meaning of the word "minority" with "alienated from the public (majority) society", and found that by becoming a student, he did not consider the term "minority" to describe him. Neverthless, for reasons that are somewhat blurry, he accepted the benefits of the program, went on to denigrate the program publicly, only to have it thrown back in his face by minority leaders who did not appreciate him rocking the proverbial boat. Eventually he apologizes for taking the benefits that someone else was more deserving of receiving; however, he acknowledges that it is unlikely they will ever read his apology.
   
   The author's apparent love of his parents, his obedience to them and respect for their struggle in a strange country, was wonderful to see in the beginning of this book. Rodriguez's recognition of his parents is well deserved, for his father and mother made considerable sacrifices to give their children a better chance in the world than they had personally experienced. They left their Mexican town filled with memories, family, and friends, to take their children to a land of increased opportunity. They worked hard and managed to send their three children to private Catholic school. They attended an Irish-American church instead of the Mexican church they preferred in their homeland. He says that his parents coped well in America, with his father keeping steady work, and his mother managing the home, which was situated in what Rodriguez describes as "among gringos, and only a block from the biggest, whitest houses". Although they knew none of their neighbors and routinely struggled to manage daily concerns in a strange language, they had huge families of relatives visiting them from time to time, and a family life immersed in laughter and joy. This is evidence of the consistent efforts of loving parents to provide a lasting heritage that eclipses ethnic or socioeconomic constraints. Unfortunately, halfway through the book, Rodriguez tells us that as he became more and more proficient in English and enlarged his circle of English-speaking friends, he became ashamed of his parents and hated their foreign ways. In the final chapter of the book, we find his mother begging him not to air his disloyalty to and disappointment in his family openly in his writing, but he does not honor her request. This book is all about him, to the very end.
   
   The author continually reminds us of his socially disadvantaged upbringing, the fact that he is the son of "working-class parents". Forgive me if I don't buy into this thinking. He attended private school, for Pete's sake. That costs money. I grew up listening to my parents' stories of the depression, when people were lucky to even have a job, and of life in post-war Germany , where children rifled through garbage cans for food. To this day, my mother keeps her pantry filled with extra cans of food, extra bags of staples such as flour and sugar, all sorts of extra non-perishables, against that kind of want. I went to Florida 's horrendous public schools and my parents couldn't afford to send me to college, so I got Pell grants and Perkins loans and Stanford loans for which I am still paying. So I should feel sorry for him, because he was on scholarship based upon his ethnicity? It is appalling and demeaning the way he calls himself "the scholarship boy" throughout this text. If accepting the funds was so detestable to him, he should have passed the opportunity on to somebody who would appreciate it. In the interest of clearing his conscience, I think from now on, he ought to thank the taxpayers, pay his taxes and pass the help on to the next generation of needy students. Or if he feels that guilty about the financial aid he received, set up a scholarship fund for financially-strapped single parents who are women (the group I fell into as a student) with all the profits he's getting from this book.
   
   Rodriguez also states that he was "victim to a disabling confusion". He hasn't suffered a traumatic brain injury or been diagnosed with early Alzheimer's disease. He is referring to his inability to speak Spanish easily once he became fluent in English. As a speech-language pathologist, I can definitively state that linguistic learning differences don't make a person a victim. To me, Rodriguez's alleged issues with language and intimacy seem disconnected with the issues of bilingual education or affirmative action. In fact, he is such a gifted speaker and writer, that he makes his living using these skills, and is evidently very successful, or I wouldn't be reading this book.

2 comments about Ritmo Al Exito: Como un Inmigrante Hizo Su Sueno Americano (Spanish Edition).

1. La verdad que Emilio sí pudo haber luchado mucho y haberse esforzado suficiente persiguiendo sus sueños,pero también eran tiempos donde habia menos tecnologias y menos competitividad,aunque en efecto existieran ambas,pero en estos tiempos ahora hay que reforzar tus metas y encontrar tu oportunidad.. en el momento adecuado..!! Bien por Emilio..pero su historia deja de ser contemporánea bastante por su modo de lograr sus anhelos.Ahora es completamente diferente.No basta con tener un sueño,sino de estar con la oportunidad en el momento adecuado y dar con algún ángel que te apoye y guie y tenga tantos deseos y sostén $$$$ para ayudarte a lograr los tuyos...!!
   
   
   La verdad que Emilio sí pudo haber luchado mucho y haberse esforzado suficiente persiguiendo sus sueños,pero también eran tiempos donde habia menos tecnologias y menos competitividad,aunque en efecto existieran ambas,pero en estos tiempos ahora hay que reforzar tus metas y encontrar tu oportunidad.. en el momento adecuado..!! Bien por Emilio..pero su historia deja de ser contemporánea bastante por su modo de lograr sus anhelos.Ahora es completamente diferente.No basta con tener un sueño,sino de estar con la oportunidad en el momento adecuado y dar con algún ángel que te apoye y guie y tenga tantos deseos y sostén $$$$ para ayudarte a lograr los tuyos...!! Guidelines



2. Acabo de leer el libro y es muy motivador e inspirador. Como tambien soy un inmigrante cubano me puedo identificar con Emilio y me sorprendi al leer sobre todos los obstculos que el tuvo que sobrepasar para llegar a donde esta hoy en dia. Su historia es verdaderamente una del exito americano. Si el pudo tener exito cualquiera tambien lo puede tener despues de leer este libro. Felicidades Emilio!

5 comments about Breaking Through.

1. A work of art all students should read. My students were begging to read this book after reading Jimenez's first book The Circuit! My 8th graders loved the story and can't get enough of Panchito and his family!



2. I am an ESL teacher who works with 7th and 8th grade, primarily male, Latino and Hmong students. We first read The Circuit which told about Francisco Jimenez's family's first years as migrant farm workers in the United States. This autobiographical account relates the struggles the family encountered during Jimenez's early years in school. The older children and the parents picked fruit, vegetables, and cotton. The family moved according to the agricultural schedule in California. Everytime Francisco would start to feel "at home" in a school, the crop would be harvested and they would have to move to the next farm, hence the name The Circuit. The story ends when La Migra comes to pick up Francisco and his older brother at school. My students were anxious to find out what happened next. Would the family be deported or would they be allowed to stay in the U.S.? To find out we then read the second book, Breaking Through, which we are about half way through now and we're still enjoying every chapter. The books have spawned a multitude of conversations that have bonded us together. The kids can relate to Jimenez's life and he is a role model to them. He shows that hard work and determination lead to success. Personally I think everyone who is interested in immigration questions should read these books.



3. This book gave me a real insight as to how our migrant children really live! Thank You!



4. I bought *Breaking Through* without realizing that it was a sequel to *The Circuit*. Nonetheless, you aren't lost if you start with *Breaking Through* I loved this memoir because it was one of the best portrayal of a migrant family.
   
   This memoir chronicled the life of Francisco Jimenez from the time that him and his family entered America from Mexico to his entrance into college.
   
   The Jimenez family saved up some money and entered into Mexico illegally. They were soon caught, after a time, and deported back. However, they were able to get papers and return. Despite living in the land of freedom and opportunities, the family has to work hard in order to survive. They worked in strawberry fields, lettuce patches and cleaned buildings.
   
   Francisco is loving school yet struggled to stay on top as he also has to work. His older brother did well in school but worked nearly as much as their often-ill father did. The mother stayed home and took care of the children. However, she often substituted in their work when needed.
   
   *Breaking Through* is a story of a family working together. It's also a story of one finding one's own identity in America. It's also a story of one trying to achieve the American dream.
   
   You'll laugh. You'll cry. If you don't understand the Mexican culture, you'll find yourself puzzled at some things. Coming from a Hispanic family, I found myself nodding and taking strolls in memory lane.
   
   Overall, it's easy reading for a great book.



5. 
   
   Book Review on Breaking Through
   
   
   Hi, this book Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez is a sad book. Why is it a sad book? A boy named Francisco struggles through life trying to keep his family together. He works and goes to school, also trying to keep his grades up. This book is a good book because of the Theme, believable charters, and a nice setting.
   
   The theme is, heart breaking. It's heart breaking since a boy and his family have to face many difficult obstacles. The obstacles are not easy for Francisco and his family. They have to pay bills but they don't have any money. So the whole family except mom and the youngest ones have to work.
   
   Besides the heart breaking theme there are nice believable charters. The charters sometimes where confused. They where confused because they didn't have money. No one to help them, and struggled to keep food on the table.
   
   There also was a very good setting. The setting took place in many different places. Like school, fields, gas company, Twitchel and Twitchel. There are many different places. So that means that the family is all over the places.
   
   So this book has a great theme. Wonderful setting that makes you feel like your there watching it all happing. Also nice believable charters that do things that you could relate to. So if you like heart breaking novels then this is the book for you.
   
   
   The End

3 comments about American Victory: Wrestling, Dreams, and a Journey Toward Home.

1. Sometimes you just have to laugh when someone under the age of twenty-five writes their autobiography.This however isn't one of those times.Written by Henry Cejudo,with sports columnist Bill Plaschke,this book is about hard work,hope and everything that makes America the greatest country in the world.Cejudo came from the mean streets of South Central Los Angeles,the son of undocumented parents.He could have easily ended up a "dead end kid".Instead he became,at twenty-one,the youngest American to win a gold medal in Olympic wrestling.I recently recieved this book as a birthday gift.But if I hadn't I would have purchased it myself.It's truly inspirational.



2. This is the kind of book that makes a person stand up and cheer. It is a great read not only for people involved in he sport of wrestling, but for all Americans. This book reminds everyone why this country is so great. This book is also proof that anything, no matter how hard, is possible. People can rise above some pretty tough challenges and not only make their own life better, but the lives of countless other people. A great read that everyone should read.



3. Cejudo is everything that makes the Olympics special. From the roough beginnings to USA wrestlings Golden Boy, hopefully this will make all who read it feel proud to be an American. Denfinetely worth reading!!

4 comments about In My Family/En mi familia.

1. The paintings in this book are so beautiful and full and tell so much. You can see grandmothers rocking babies, children playing with each other, every little detail so sharply rendered. Look at the plates of empanadas in the kitchen and the family gathered for a backyard party. The honest, personal text--given in both English and Spanish--make this perfect. Great for anyone who wants to learn about family life as well as another culture. My[...] daughter loves to pore over these pictures. Highly recommended!



2. I just had a baby and I want her to bilingual. This is a great tool to start with for both her and myself. Since I have to brush up on my Spanish.



3. The pictures in this book are so detailed. It reminds me so much of many of my family's homes growing up in Texas. Great childrens book.



4. This is a great book, and Carmen Lomas Garza is a great artist. Everything is so detailed, and she tells you exactly who's who. All her pictures are real memories. There is something going on in every corner