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José Mercado
An immigrant from México who lives in the Redwood Apartments. He is frustrated by the unfairness of the immigration progress and the stigma against immigrants and Latinos. He is an advocate for legislation reform for immigrants and a skilled photographer who highlights the hardships of the immigrant experience through his photographs. Micho usually has his camera with him and he documents his neighbors’ lives.
Micho Alvarez Quotes in The Book of Unknown Americans
The The Book of Unknown Americans quotes below are all either spoken by Micho Alvarez or refer to Micho Alvarez. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 24: Micho Alvarez Quotes
We’re the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because they’ve been told they’re supposed to be scared of us and because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize that we’re not that bad, maybe even that we’re a lot like them. And who would they hate then?
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Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, photographer and immigration reform activist Micho Alvarez coins the phrase which forms the book’s title: “unknown Americans.” Micho uses the phrase to denote the fact that while most immigrants long deeply to be Americans, they must resign themselves to the fact that prejudice, stigma, and ignorance will lead to their remaining “unknown”—they will not be able to participate in the American dream of being seen, recognized, and appreciated in the ways they perhaps thought they would. Micho criticizes a system which reviles difference, stigmatizes outsiders, and fears both change and challenge. Micho calls out the ways in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam volup
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Micho Alvarez Character Timeline in The Book of Unknown Americans
The timeline below shows where the character Micho Alvarez appears in The Book of Unknown Americans. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 24: Micho Alvarez
Micho Alvarez, an immigrant from México, resents the racist attitudes toward Mexicans that he has encountered...
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Chapter 26: Mayor
Quisqueya and Nelia drop by, as do Micho, José, and Benny. Everyone pieces together what they have heard and eventually the story comes...
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Chapter 27: Alma
...apartment building stop by to offer their condolences and small gifts—Gustavo Milhojas brings flowers, and Micho Alvarez brings a picture of Arturo that he took at the impromptu Christmas party at...
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