Race and Identity Theme in Mexican WhiteBoy

Danny, the protagonist of Mexican WhiteBoy, is half white and half Mexican, and as such he feels like he doesn’t fit in with either white people or Mexican people. His self-image changes depending on his surroundings, and he feels uncertain and unstable in his biracial identity; though Danny feels “too Mexican” at his mostly white prep school in Leucadia, he feels “too white” around his Mexican family and friends in National City. In particular, Danny is ashamed of his white privilege when he’s around people of color in National City. Some older characters—Danny’s dad, Ray, and Senior—do hold some resentment against white people for the way they treat people of color, which echoes and reinforces Danny’s negative image of his own whiteness, though most of Danny’s friends in National City don’t even know that he’s half white. Since he looks Mexican, they think he has two Mexican parents just like they do, and they accept him as one of them. Being biracial is not the norm, so they don’t even consider that Danny may not be just Mexican. This oversight is itself what makes Danny’s self-image so complicated—he's not able to embrace being biracial in an environment that doesn’t recognize multidimensional racial identities. Liberty is also half white and half Mexican, and she is also seen as Mexican and fully accepted into the National City community.

Like Danny and Liberty, Uno, too, is half Mexican. Uno’s father is Black and Uno looks Black, so his community thinks of him as Black even though he grew up with his Mexican mom. Uno himself identifies more as Black then Mexican, having formed his identity around how everyone sees him, but he also feels torn between the two racial identities. Though he’s fully integrated into National City’s social scene, Uno is the recipient of a lot of blatant racism from both white and Mexican people, and even from his own Black father against Mexicans. Ultimately, the various communities that Danny and Uno belong to all fail to accommodate complex racial identities, further complicating the boys’ fluid self-images, which are significantly shaped by how people in their environments see them.

Race and Identity ThemeTracker

The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Race and Identity appears in each chapter of Mexican WhiteBoy. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.

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Chapter

Race and Identity Quotes in Mexican WhiteBoy

Below you will find the important quotes in Mexican WhiteBoy related to the theme of Race and Identity .

But whenever Danny comes down here, to National City—where his dad grew up, where all his aunts and uncles and cousins still live—he feels pale. A full shade lighter. Albino almost. Less than.

Related Characters: Danny Lopez

Page Number and Citation: 2

Explanation and Analysis:

In the first scene of the novel, Danny has just arrived in National City, and he reflects on feeling out of place in both Leucadia (Danny’s hometown) and National City. In Leucadia everyone is white, and Danny doesn’t fit in because he’s Mexican, but Danny feels out of place in National City too, because everyone there is Mexican while Danny is half white. Danny’s struggle with his racial identity is the central conflict of the novel. Danny feels that his whiteness separates him from the Mexican people in National City, but over time it becomes clear that the Mexican people Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit bea

Not only is Uno the only Black kid in the neighborhood—or negrito, as the old Mexicans call him (even though his moms is Mexican, too)—he’s also stronger, quicker, taller, a better fighter. It’s his time.

Related Characters: Loretta, Ernesto, Uno, Danny Lopez, Senior

Page Number and Citation: 9

Explanation and Analysis:

On Danny’s first day in National City, Uno is playing in the home run derby. He hopes to win a lot of money at the derbies this summer now that he is much stronger than most of the other teenagers. Like Danny, Uno is half Mexican, and this passage highlights how different Uno’s experience of being biracial is from Danny’s. Because Uno appears Black, the Mexican people around him think of him only as Black. This quote shows that Uno himself seems to fully embrace this identity. Even though Uno stands out from the others, the predominantly Mexican community accepts Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. E

Back in Leucadia, he made a pact with himself. No more words. Or as few as he could possibly get away with. When his dad spoke at all, he mostly spoke Spanish, but Danny never learned. All he had was his mom’s English. And he didn’t want that anymore.

Related Characters: Javier Lopez, Uno, Danny Lopez

Page Number and Citation: 16

Explanation and Analysis:

Danny is up to bat at his first home run derby in National City. Uno is pitching, and Danny doesn’t answer when Uno asks how Danny wants the ball pitch. This leads Danny to recall the moment he decided to stop speaking. Danny is ashamed that he doesn’t speak Spanish because it separates him from his Mexican family. This passage is important because it reveals that Danny’s decision to stop speaking coincided with Javier’s departure. This link suggests how deeply Javier’s absence affects Danny. Danny’s identity struggles are all rooted in father leaving, as Danny fears that his own whiteness Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium

But what I wanted to tell you, Dad, is how much I’ve changed since that day. How much better I am. How much stronger and darker and more Mexican I am. Matter of fact, just today I knocked some kid out.

Related Characters: Javier Lopez, Danny Lopez, Uno, Wendy, Manuel

Page Number and Citation: 27

Explanation and Analysis:

At Danny’s first home run derby, he accidentally lets go of his bat, which then hits Manny in the face. Uno punches Danny out of anger, and Danny loses consciousness. This passage is from the letter Danny writes to his dad, Javier, later that day. Earlier in the letter, Danny recounts one of the last times he saw Javier before Javier left. Javier never told Danny why he was leaving, but Danny thinks it’s because his dad no longer wanted to be around white people. Danny thinks that if he acts “more Mexican,” he can gain his dad’s pride and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam

As a kid he used to have this crazy recurring dream: Some blur of a hooded black man was chasing him through a dark cemetery. […] Finally he’d leap at Uno’s feet like a football player, drag him down by his ankles. Pinned to the ground, Uno would look up at where the guy’s face should have been, but there was no face. There was only this huge scar, shaped just like Senior’s […].

Related Characters: Senior, Uno

Page Number and Citation: 32

Explanation and Analysis:

Senior and Uno are getting lunch together. Uno has been getting in a lot of trouble lately for starting fights, and Senior lectures Uno about his misbehavior. As Uno examines the scar on his dad’s face, he reflects on a dream he used to have as a child. Uno’s recurring dream represents Uno’s fear that his father’s past will limit Uno’s future opportunities. Uno’s growth throughout the novel is marked by his transition from pessimism to optimism about the future. The basis of his pessimism is that he thinks he’s fated to live the same kind of life that Senior Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam

Watching Randy run a hand through his short sandy-blond hair, Danny shook his head. The way his dad might. Of course, he thought, a white guy.

Related Characters: Javier Lopez, Tommy Lopez , Sofia Lopez , Danny Lopez, Wendy, Randy, Uno

Page Number and Citation: 44

Explanation and Analysis:

After Uno punches Danny, Danny hides out in Sofia and Tommy’s apartment while he recovers. He has a flashback to the night his mom told him that she was moving to San Francisco with her boyfriend Randy. Danny resents Wendy because he blames her for Javier leaving, and he thinks it is “disrespectful” of her to date a white man, even though Wendy is also white. Danny remembers Javier generally disliking white people, and this passage shows that Danny has internalized this attitude. This is also the basis of Danny’s idea that Javier left the family because he wanted to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consecte

Nothing hypes him up more than when people are watching him. Especially white people. In every other part of life they run shit, just like his old man says, but not when it comes to sports.

Related Characters: Senior, Uno

Page Number and Citation: 77

Explanation and Analysis:

The group is at the fair, and a crowd is watching as Uno takes his turn at the pitching booth. Uno has been waiting excitedly for his turn because he wants to show everyone how fast he can pitch. This passage reveals that Uno shares Senior’s attitude toward white people. Earlier, Senior warned Uno about white doctors trying to control people of color with pharmaceuticals. Senior also mentions at one point that white people control the media to try to brainwash the public. Uno may not agree with his father’s view that white people intentionally manipulate others, but he sees Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. D

His skin is dark like his grandma’s sweet coffee, but his insides are as pale as the cream she mixes in. Danny holds the pencil above the paper, thinking: I’m a white boy among Mexicans, and a Mexican among white boys.

Related Characters: Ray Lopez, Javier Lopez, Danny Lopez

Page Number and Citation: 89

Explanation and Analysis:

Danny is at his grandmother’s house with the rest of Javier’s side of the family. He is in the middle of writing a letter, on behalf of Ray, to seduce a woman. While writing, he realizes that helping his uncle in this way furthers the divide between Danny and his family. His family members often enlist Danny’s help for things that involve reading and writing, but Danny now realizes that this only emphasizes the fact that he’s different from them because he is more highly educated. This passage defines Danny’s biggest personal conflict, which is that he doesn’t feel like Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volup

What up, girl? Your boy can’t get no invite? This movie’s only for full-on Mexicans? They can’t let nobody in if he got a drop of brother?

Related Characters: Uno (speaker), Sofia Lopez , Danny Lopez, Liberty

Page Number and Citation: 117

Explanation and Analysis:

Danny and Uno just left the park, and Sofia tells Danny to get ready to go to the drive-in theater soon. Uno asks Sofia why he isn’t invited. Uno is joking here, knowing that his friends would never exclude him because of his race. It does show, however, that Uno has race on the forefront of his mind and that he’s acutely aware that he’s different from his Mexican friends. It's notable that Uno sees himself as Black, but he’s including Danny in the “full-on Mexicans”—Uno and Danny are both half Mexican. This is ironic, because Danny is deeply ashamed Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus volu

Man, I ain’t never gonna make it to Oxnard. Shit ain’t meant to be.

Related Characters: Uno (speaker), Danny Lopez, Senior

Page Number and Citation: 131

Explanation and Analysis:

Danny and Uno are about to head home from their first attempt at a hustle at Morse High. Uno was hoping the hustles would help him make enough money to go to Oxnard. At the hustle, Danny lost control of his pitching, so they lost. This quote illustrates Uno’s pessimistic view of his future. He doesn’t blame Danny for losing the bet. Instead, Uno blames fate, resigning to the idea that he just isn’t destined to go to Oxnard. Uno expresses this sentiment many times over the course of the novel, and it’s also the cause of the dream he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus

Ernesto steps through the bedroom door and stands over Uno, fists clenched. “And next time you don’t put the trash out I throw your black ass out with it, you hear?”

Related Characters: Uno, Ray Lopez, Javier Lopez, Ernesto

Page Number and Citation: 137

Explanation and Analysis:

Uno just got back from a party. It’s not clear what causes Ernesto to have this reaction, but both Ernesto and Uno have been drinking. Uno is used to his stepdad’s abuse and knows that Ernesto gets physically violent when he’s been drinking. This is another instance in the novel that substance abuse is linked to violent behavior. In this same scene, Ernesto yells at Uno that Ernesto is the “man of the house,” suggesting that Uno’s presence threatens Ernesto’s sense of power. Ernesto is angry because Uno hasn’t done something Ernesto said to do, showing how it is precisely Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor aspe

We all start out believing we can do anything. Even Mexican kids that grow up here. But at some point we lose it. It totally disappears. Like me, for example. Why is that?

Related Characters: Sofia Lopez (speaker), Uno, Senior

Page Number and Citation: 212

Explanation and Analysis:

Sofia and Uno are on a playground at night. Sofia tells Uno that she saw a little girl on the slide, and the girl believed she could do anything. Sofia says that children believe they can do anything, but they lose this outlook as they grow up. Sofia reveals here that she shares Uno’s perspective about the future. She used to believe her future was rife with opportunity, but now she feels that it’s limited. Sofia expresses that she doesn’t know why she feels this way, but in the same conversation she also expresses that she’s hesitant to go to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. V

Race and Identity Theme Analysis

Race and Identity ThemeTracker

Race and Identity Quotes in Mexican WhiteBoy

Danny Lands in National City Quotes

Home Run Derby: Uno’s Time Has Come Quotes

The Shot Heard Round the Cul-de-Sac Quotes

Spaghetti with Meatballs Quotes

Stuck in Uncle Tommy’s Apartment Quotes

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Quotes

Mexican WhiteBoy Quotes

The Workouts, the Hustles, the Drive-in Theater Quotes

Morse High Hustle Quotes

Uno Gets Another Drunken Tongue-Lashing Quotes

Here I Come Quotes