Mexican Whiteboy Sparknotes

“He roamed the school halls with his head down like a ghost.” Danny Lopez has always felt lost. He is biracial, with a white mother and a Mexican father who left his family years ago. He used to attend a prestigious, mostly white private school. There, he felt as if he did not belong because of the color of his skin. He was an outsider. When his mom moves to San Francisco with her new boyfriend, Randy, Danny decides to go to National City and live with his uncle and cousin, Sofia for the summer. In National City, people do not look down on him because he is Mexican; most of the town’s population falls under the same category. Although Danny appears to fit in because of his Hispanic background, one thing separates him from the rest: his inability

The conclusion of the book shapes and fully develops this theme. Towards the end of the book, signs point to Danny blaming himself for his father’s absence. This is unmistakable on page 224 when Sofia says, “You didn’t do anything wrong” and Danny replies, “I must have” (de la Peña). Danny had spent so much time thinking and worrying about his father, but when the chance finally arose for Danny to see him again, he was hesitant. “This is everything he’s ever wanted over the past few years. But does he want it anymore? Over the last couple of days, he’s decided that maybe he’s okay without his dad” (de la Peña 246). The conclusion of Mexican Whiteboy very well may be the most significant part. Danny finally realizes that his dad’s actions, personality, and presence in his own life do not define him; it is up to him to decide who he wants to

Nurture Debate. The central idea of this text is that genetics and how a person is raised both contribute towards who they will grow to be. The text supports their claim that nurturing is a contributor by mentioning that native language is determined by environment. This is backed up by the fact that, “Studies show that children can learn any language with equal facility” (CommonLit 3). However, the claim that nature is a contributor is also verified in the text. For example, not all traits are genetically heritable. This is proven in the article in paragraph 6 when the CommonLit Staff writes, “Wealth and social status are two non-genetic factors that are generally passed down from family.” The text, Nature vs. Nurture Debate, and the novel, Mexican Whiteboy go side-by-side when it comes to their common themes. Both revolve around one’s identity and how it comes to be.

Among many other great examples, a quote by Doug Cooper portrays the central theme of the novel, Mexican Whiteboy. The central theme of both the novel and the quote is the question of what determines one’s identity. The quote touches base on the fact that there is a specific way that an identity is determined. This is shown when the author writes, “Identity cannot be found or fabricated but emerges from within when one has the courage to let go” (cooper). This is shown to be true when Danny begins to find and believe in himself once