The Similar Structures of Gary Soto’s “Like Mexicans” and “Dreaming in Cuban”

Excerpt from “Like Mexicans”:

My grandmother gave me bad advice and good advice when I was in my early teens. For the bad advice, she said that I should become a barber because they made good money and listened to the radio all day. “Honey, they don’t work como burros,” she would say every time I visited her. She made the sound of donkeys braying. “Like that, honey!” For the good advice, she said that I should marry a Mexican girl. “No Okies, hijo”—she would say— “Look, my son. He marry one and they fight every day about I don’t know what and I don’t know what.” For her, everyone who wasn’t Mexican, black, or Asian were Okies. The French were Okies, the Italians in suits were Okies. . . . she lectured me on the virtues of the Mexican girl.

What inference can be made about the grandmother’s point of view?

What can be inferred about the grandmother’s perspective?

The grandmother’s perspective implies a strong cultural bias towards Mexican heritage, as she advises the narrator to marry a Mexican girl and holds negative views towards other ethnicities, labeling them as “Okies.”

Excerpt from “Dreaming in Cuban”:

She considers the vagaries of sports, the happenstance of El Líder, a star pitcher in his youth, narrowly missing a baseball career in America. His wicked curveball attracted the major league scouts, and the Washington Senators were interested in signing him but changed their minds. Frustrated, El Líder went home, rested his pitching arm, and started a revolution in the mountains.

What inference can be made about El Líder’s actions?

What can be inferred about El Líder’s decision to start a revolution?

El Líder’s decision to start a revolution can be inferred as a response to his frustration and disappointment over missing the opportunity for a baseball career in America, leading him to seek purpose and change through political means.

Analysis of Similar Structures:

The structures of the excerpts from Gary Soto’s “Like Mexicans” and “Dreaming in Cuban” are similar in that they both use anecdotes to appeal to the readers’ emotions. Each narrative tells a personal story that carries emotional resonance, engaging the audience on a deeper level.