Reyna and her siblings were already dealing with so much. We are introduced to their living conditions early on and told about how their living conditions were with their grandparents. They are sleeping in the corner of their grandfathers room which is described to smell like sweat, beer, and cigarette smoke. Reyna recalls a day that was about a month after her mother had left. She and Mago were walking past a bakers house when they got a whiff of the beard. When the lady inside that was baking saw them she turned to her husband and said, "Miralas pobrecitas huerfanitas." We are not directly told what this means, but Reyna gives us her response in english - "We aren't orphans!" Reyna says that she grabbed a rock to throw at her but thought about what her mother would do if she knew and she changed her mind.
I think that far too often we assume things about people when we see them. Was it safe for the woman to assume the kids were orphans? Yes - however, that was not the case. Our assumptions lead to perceptions of everyone we come into contact with and these assumptions are not always the truth - just like in this case with Reyna and her sibling. This woman's assumptions hurt Reyna. The odds are that this woman didn't even think twice about saying this. She probably doesn't even remember saying it. But Reyna does. This comment stuck with Reyna until and will stick with her well past the moment she wrote this book. This comment shaped the way Reyna viewed herself and how she thought every other person viewed her. I think it is even easier for us to make assumptions about people who look "different" from us. This is partly because of the stereotypes that our society has cast on every race, but I believe it is up to us as individuals to decide to stop and make a difference. Even thinking about small comments like the one that the lady made at Reyna can make a huge difference.
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