San Diego, California

San Diego, California is the setting for most of the action in the novel. San Diego itself is close to the border, within an hour from Tijuana. The location of San Diego, so close to the border yet within the United States, represents the liminal position of the de la Cruz family, between Mexico and the U.S. It represents the fact that they have moved gradually north, from La Paz to Tijuana and finally to the U.S., where in San Diego they have become a unique amalgamation of Mexican and American cultures. The San Diego that is represented in The House of Broken Angels is one heavily influenced by immigrant cultures—in particular its Mexican immigrant population; however, as revealed in the incident in Target, between Little Angel and the hostile white woman, San Diego is not without its political tensions.

Tijuana, Mexico

Tijuana...