Trespass (Carla)
- On the one-year anniversary of their move to the United States, the Garcías have a cake to celebrate. Only Carla doesn't want to celebrate. She hates it here.
- The family lives in the suburbs now, and it is totally lame.
- At the end of the block is a big sign that says "No Trespassing." At first Carla thinks this is a reference to the Lord's Prayer. But Mami explains it means "Keep out." Why is English so complicated?
- Carla has to go to a school that's pretty far away, because the seventh grade at the Catholic school near their house is full.
- The new school is no fun. A gang of boys bullies Carla on the playground every day. They throw rocks at her, lift up her shirt to make fun of her flat chest, and call her a "dirty spic." They tell her she doesn't belong here, and to go back to where she came from (2.3.6).
- Carla's emotions are all mixed up. She's:
- a) ashamed of the changes her body is going through (because let's face it, adolescence is a pretty awkward experience).
- b) excited that she gets to get away from her family for the first time in her life.
- c) terrified of this gang of blond, light-skinned thugs.
- But she also seems a little fascinated by these American boys. She watches them in the classroom and on the playground, where they like to talk about cars.
- One day on the way home, Carla is followed by a creepy man in a green car. The man waves her over, and Carla figures he wants to ask for directions.
- But when Carla bends down to look in the car window, the man doesn't want directions. He's not wearing any pants, and he wants Carla to get in the car with him. Gross.
- Thankfully, Carla gets away from the creepy man and runs all the way home.
- Mami calls the police, which makes the whole situation even more freaky.
- The policemen are super intimidating, with their guns, and their deep voices, and their big muscles. The big, scary policeman tells Carla there's nothing to be afraid of. In his scary, scary voice. Yeah, right.
- Carla has to figure out how to describe her humiliating encounter to a scary police officer in a foreign language. And she doesn't even know the word for "penis." Sigh... this is going to be impossible.
- But she finally manages to get the idea across. Thank goodness. Is it over yet?
- For the next two months, Carla's mom takes her all the way to school, and picks her up again at the end of the day.
- The boys are scared of her mom, so they finally back off.
- But Carla never forgets the gang of white boys who tormented her. She has nightmares about them sitting at the foot of her bed, telling her to "Go back!" (2.3.80).
- Carla shuts out their voices by closing her eyes and praying for all the people she loves. The list of names of people who love her makes her feel safe.