Kites

The scene in which Chino recalls flying kites with Sapo is a symbol of their close friendship, but also of the street violence that is common in Spanish Harlem. As teenagers, they often attached razors to their kites to make "flying weapons, kites able to cut the strings of other people's kites in midair" (10). Chino explains that Sapo was particularly good at targeting other kites to bring them down. This detail provides further evidence that Sapo has the sort of ruthlessness required to succeed on the streets of an often dangerous neighborhood.

Apartments on the Upper East Side

The apartments Chino recalls visiting with his mother when she worked as a housekeeper are symbolic of the vast socioeconomic difference between the residents of this part of Manhattan and the residents of Spanish Harlem. Chino compares the apartments to a museum, explaining, "There were paintings and statues...