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Beverly B
, June 24, 2014
(view all comments by Beverly B)
Mexican WhiteBoy is a touching and realistic story about the struggles of being a cultural misfit. Danny doesn't fit in to his mother's white community, or the exclusive private school he attends, because he looks "too Mexican." He does't fit in with his father's very close extended Mexican American family because he is unfamiliar with the Hispanic culture of their neighborhood, and he doesn't speak Spanish. He socially withdraws and self-harms to deal with the stress of not having anyone who understands how he feels. Matt de la Pena creates likable characters who are earnest in their attempts to be supportive of Danny, but inept in their efforts to reach out. Luckily, Danny recognizes that his Mexican family and new Mexican friends are trying. His first ever best friend, Uno, sees Danny's pain and shows him how to rise above it. Uno's recovering addict father helps Danny understand the struggles of his absentee father and helps him realize he can create his own destiny. For Danny that destiny is baseball. Danny is a pitching phenomenon with no confidence in his talents. Uno is determined to make Danny's dream come true whether Danny is ready or not. Everyone should have a friend as great as Uno.
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