The Plight of Undocumented Workers

The plight of undocumented workers is illustrated through the character of Bobby Escobar. Bobby, himself, does not appear frequently throughout the novel. This mirrors the manner in which he has to remain unseen by official society. He has come into the country from El Salvadore illegally, and as such, he could be deported or sent back to El Salvadore should he come to the attention of the authorities. Because of this, he has to go through Julio to even get any help with what he knows, and then Julio has to get him what help he can. The fact that he does not pursue this help on his own illustrates how invisible he must remain. Bobby’s fear intensifies when the police are around, and this shows that he views the police as a valid threat rather than people set aside to...