Summary

Gonzalo:

Gonzalo, an eighth-grader from the Central American country of Guatemala, notes that because his older relatives do not speak English, they appear to decrease in age and maturity when they immigrate to America. Gonzalo credits watching television with his ability to learn English so quickly. Because his father’s English was so bad, Gonzalo had to do the talking when it came to making phone calls, dealing with the landlady or buying things in stores where clerks did not speak Spanish.

Gonzalo describes how his Tío Juan seemed like a little baby when he came to America because he could not speak the language and had no way to work because all he had known was farming. Because his uncle would sometimes wander out of the apartment, Gonzalo had been designated to watch him. One day, Juan snuck out...