Luis begins by remembering a day when he is nine years old and his family is on its way to Union Station. He says his mother has purchased him a new comic book, his father is refusing to return to Mexico and his mother is angry. She doesn't leave, but Luis notes that he's nothing more than a ball, bouncing wherever, and that it makes little difference.
Luis attends school but is treated with disdain as the teachers have no idea how to handle a student who isn't able to speak English. Luis, fearing he won't be understood, simply doesn't speak. As a result, he does poorly in school and soon finds himself in trouble on a regular basis. He notes that he and his friends form a "gang" for the same reasons most are formed - a combination of common
Luis attends school but is treated with disdain as the teachers have no idea how to handle a student who isn't able to speak English. Luis, fearing he won't be understood, simply doesn't speak. As a result, he does poorly in school and soon finds himself in trouble on a regular basis. He notes that he and his friends form a "gang" for the same reasons most are formed - a combination of common