No Speak English
- The man across the street from Esperanza's house works day and night to save the money to bring his wife and child to the United States.
- One day Mamacita and the baby boy arrive in a taxi. She's huge and beautiful, dressed all in pink.
- Mamacita never comes down from the third floor apartment. Esperanza thinks it's because she doesn't speak much English.
- Mamacita only knows three phrases in English: "He not here," "No speak English," and "Holy smokes."
- When Esperanza's father first came to the United States, he ate "hamandeggs" for three moths, because it was the only thing he knew how to say (30.7).
- Mamacita stays at home all day, listening to Spanish radio and singing songs about her country. She's homesick for her pink house.
- Sometimes her husband grows impatient with Mamacita, and yells at her to speak English, because the United States is her home now.
- The baby boy begins to learn English from the commercials he sees on T.V. Mamacita tells him, over and over again, "No speak English" (30.17).