Mexican Whiteboy by Matt De La Peña

“I’m a white boy among Mexicans, and a Mexican among white boys.” (De La Peña, 2008, p. 90)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mexican Whiteboy is an unbelievably honest work of fiction. Matt De La Peña creates the perfect glimpse into the life of a Mexican American teenage boy, Danny Lopez. Danny is a great baseball player that can’t perform, a light-skinned Mexican who can’t speak Spanish, an outcast in both Mexican and American environments, and most of all, he is seemingly suffering in silence. With his dad out of the picture and his mom struggling to cope, he is left to deal with his emotions internally, beginning with an unintentional vow of silence. While his dad is in Mexico and his mom in the middle of moving in with her new boyfriend, Danny leaves for National City to spend the summer with his Mexican side of the family, where he shares a room with his cousin, Sofia. Danny has a passion for baseball and is an amazing pitcher, proving his talent in a bet with the other neighborhood kids, but once he is on the spot and the pressure is on, Danny fails to control his pitches. Uno, who was once an enemy, becomes Danny’s closest friend. Together, they realize the meaning of hard work, dedication, and loss, as they use Danny’s talent to hustle other baseball players in the city to raise money for two different causes – Danny’s plane ticket to visit his father, and Uno’s fund to move away with his biological father. Throughout Danny’s adventures, he writes to his dad and lies about his wonderful life, hoping to lure his dad back with provoked pride. In the end, Danny and Uno raise enough money for what they both want, but there is a twist in both their lives that changes their plans. Wherever the boys end up, they take the strength of their friendship with them, as Danny learns to control his anxiety and Uno changes his ways for the better.

With the overwhelming honesty found within this novel, also comes a variety of graphic and inappropriate content, such as underage drinking, murder, drugs, and explicit language just to name a few. For that reason, Mexican Whiteboy is best suited for older high school students. The teaching possibilities that the book provides are endless, ranging from racial issues, psychological trauma, and family customs. The main strengths of Mexican Whiteboy not only revolve around the brutally honest depiction of life in the barrio, but also come from the universal themes of family, loyalty, dedication, and change. Teachers can find limitless teaching tools while students are sure to take away lessons including life choices and consequences, and glimpses into the challenges of adulthood. Even if students are unable to relate to the culture of Mexican American families, the dynamic characters increase the opportunity for a connection to be formed with the reader.

When reading this book, I must admit I struggled through it. At first, I found it unrelatable, and even complained to by brother about the unrealistic depiction and overexaggerated language. I am also Mexican American; in my case, both my parents are Mexican. Instead of living on the United States-Mexico border in California like Danny and his family, I live along the border in Texas. Their mannerisms and style may be different, but as I got further into the book, I realized that this book really did depict a Mexican-American lifestyle. Many of the themes about family, tradition, unspoken bonds, are typical of a Mexican family. Yes, the violence, too. Like Danny, I have been mocked by my family in Mexico for being “too American” and mocked by friends in Northern Texas for being “too Mexican”. Like Danny, I am outcasted in both cultures. I am light-skinned, paler than most of my American friends, and have green eyes, and that may be confusing to some people if they aren’t familiar with Mexico’s history. I remember when I was studying in San Antonio, people would tell me, “I thought you were White until you spoke”. While I was insulted at first, I began to take pride in the fact that I was a part of two different cultures. I eat tacos for breakfast almost daily, have Mole for lunch, but end up eating meatloaf for dinner. Hablo en dos idiomas pero cambio languages to speak in English en cada otra oración. It’s who I am, and I have the ability to relate to two different types of people – two distinct identities within me. I see the point in the book. I understand why it was written.

If readers want a deeper understanding of the Mexican culture, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Eriká Sanchez gives readers a female perspective on Mexican ideals.

In a glimpse behind the words and characters, Matt De La Peña delves into his history, as well as the reasons for the topics of his books in the interview below.

De La Peña, M. (2008). Mexican Whiteboy. New York City, United States of America: Ember.

Sanchez, E. L. (2017). I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. New York City, United States of America: Penguin Random House.