When the bell rang, everyone passing by stopped and gathered, hoping to watch the biggest fight of the century.
Efrén didn’t care about the kids circling him and asking questions. He looked around, finally noticing David coming his way.
But instead of shouting out insults at David like everyone around them expected, Efrén calmly walked over and extended his hand. The kids watching all booed and hissed before heading off in different directions.
“Thanks, David,” Efrén said. “That was really cool of you. Even after what I did to you, you still had my back.”
David just kind of shrugged. “Just returning the favor.”
“Favor? What favor?”
“When I moved here, you never treated me differently, even if I was the only white kid on the entire block. You always called me an honorary Mexican and introduced me to your friends, and showed me the ropes. You even taught me all the Spanish words I needed—starting with the bad ones.”
Efrén laughed. Suddenly, the world didn’t feel like such a horrible place. Sure, there was someone on campus who didn’t like Latinos, but right now, that didn’t matter. Efrén had his best friend back.
“Well, I’ve got your back too,” said Efrén. “That’s why I’m dropping out of the race.”
David shook his head. “No, thanks.”
Efrén squished his eyebrows together. “Dude, you’re my best friend. I can’t run against you. You deserve it. You proved that today. Besides, after what happened to my poster . . . I don’t want anything to do with any election.”
David shook his head. “You can’t quit. I was running just so people would stop thinking I was stupid. But I would be stupid if I let whoever messed up your posters win. No way. You will be”—he held up his hands in the air—“our next PRESIDENTE.”
“I don’t know. Besides, what about you?”
David smirked. “Vice president is more my style. Come on, F-mon, do it for your Amá.”
Efrén looked up. “Wait. You know what happened to her?”
“Yep. My grandma heard about it while at the 99 Cents Store. Unlike you, she trusted me enough to tell me. Yesterday, I sat across the street from your apartment for hours, hoping to see your Amá again.”
Efrén pressed his lips together—felt them trembling.
“F-mon,” David continued, “why didn’t you tell me?”
Efrén looked down at the ground. “I tried. It just hurt too much to say aloud.”
David’s eyes blinked overtime. “Dude.” And without saying another word, he leaned forward and gave his F-mon the longest bro hug the school had ever seen.
“You forget. Your Amá’s treated me like I was her son. More than my own mom, even. I’ll never forget the year your Amá bought me a belt for my birthday. Said that she was tired of seeing my calzones.”
Efrén started to laugh-cry. So did David.
“Seriously, this school needs you,” said David, wiping his eyes.
“You really think I could make a difference?”
David nodded. “Yeah, I do. You taught me that the color of my skin doesn’t matter. Only now, this school—heck, the whole world, needs to be reminded.”
A voice chimed in. “Is this a private party, or can we join in?”
It was Jennifer, along with Han.
Efrén wiped his eyes dry. “We were just talking.”
“Yeah, obviously,” said Han.
Jennifer pulled Efrén’s resignation letter from his sweater pocket and waved it in the air. “So, what are we going to do about what happened?”
“Yeah, Mr. Presidente?” added David.
Efrén reached for the letter and held it up close as if he could hear it speaking to him. He took a long breath.
“So?” asked Han.
Only Efrén didn’t answer. He looked up ahead at the wrought-iron fence surrounding the school and sighed.
He walked up to the cold fence, curling his fingers around the solid bars. He thought back to el Muro, the border wall. Back to the faces he’d seen. Men, women, and children waiting in line to see the people they love.
Muro kids. That’s what he, Max, and Mía were now. From now on they’d each have to poke their fingers through the bars simply to feel Amá’s touch.
Her touch. Something Apá would now be without. With him unable to go anywhere near the wall, he would never get to see her again.
NO! Efrén could not give up.
He would not give up on back scratches, morning sopes, or the funny character voices Amá made during bedtime readings. Ever since he could remember, he’d seen Amá and Apá pulling off different milagros out of thin air. Whether the miracles were scraping together money for food or sewing together a pair of pants out of one of the house towels for the twins to wear, Soperwoman and Soperman always found a way of providing for the family.
He would NOT be a Muro boy.
Not today. Not ever!
David, Jennifer, and Han came up to him.
Efrén turned to them. “I can start a campaign to educate parents. Let them understand their rights. Maybe get a few schools to join us. You guys will help me, right?” Efrén asked.
Everyone nodded.
“Okay.” With his mind finally made up, he tore the resignation letter in half. There would be no quitting today. No, for all the semillitas like him, he couldn’t stay buried any longer.
The time had come for him to be the change he wanted to see.
The time had come for him to be Soper too.
To be . . . Soperboy.
Glossary
Adiós, mijos. ¡Los quiero mucho! — Bye, kids. I love you all so much!
Agua fresca — fresh flavored water (usually made with fruit, roots, or herbs)
Ahora, ¿cómo consigo más dinero para cruzarla? — Now, how am I supposed get more money to get her across?
Amá — term of endearment for Mom
¡Ándale, burro! — Come on, donkey! (Comparable to a horsey ride)
Apá — term of endearment for Dad
Apá, ¿qué estás haciendo? — Dad, what are you doing?
Apestoso — stinky
Aquí están. — Here they are.
Arco — arch
Arco de la Revolución — a giant arch (historic landmark in downtown Tijuana, Mexico)
Arroz con leche — rice and milk dish, similar to tapioca pudding (served for breakfast)
Avenida Revolución — Revolution Avenue (a major street leading to downtown Tijuana, Mexico)
Ay, Amá. — Oh, Mom.
Ay, amor . . . — Oh, love . . .
Ay, mira no más. — Oh, just look at you.
Ay, muchacho. ¿Qué tanto estás comiendo? — Oh, boy, how much are you eating?
¡Ay, qué bueno! — Oh, good!
Ay, qué cosa tan inútil. — Oh, such useless things.
Barriga — belly
Bien, Apá. — Good, dad.
Bien bonito — very pretty
Bien chuecos — really crooked
Bien guapos, los dos. — Very handsome, the two of you.
Bienvenidos, niños. — Welcome, children.
Buenas noches. — Good night.
Buenos días. — Good morning.
Cafecito — coffee
Cajeta — similar to caramel, made with goat’s milk
Calzones — underwear
Chancla — sandal or flip-flop
Chet-tos — common mispronunciation of Cheetos
Chillones — colloquial term for “crybabies”
Chisme — gossip
Chismosos — nosy, meddling people
Churros — fried dough treat(s) sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon
Chusma — riffraff, troublemakers
Claro que sí. — Yes, of course.
Comadres — relationship between a child’s mother and godmother (also a term of friendship among close friends)
¿Cómo están l
os gemelos? — How are the twins?
¿Cómo sigues? — How are you doing?
Concha — bread roll with a crunchy, shell-like sweet topping
Coyote — nickname given to people who deal/arrange transport of undocumented people across the US border
¡Cuidado! — Careful!
Cundina — a money pool where people contribute and take turns receiving a large share of money. Also called a “tanda”
Dios(ito) — God
Disculpe. — Excuse me.
Don — title of respect, similar to using “Mr.”
Doña — title of respect, similar to using “Mrs.”
¿Dónde está Amá?” — Where is Mom?
Dulces — candy
Efrén . . . te amo. Muchísimo. — Efrén . . . I love you. Very much.
¡EL ARCO! — THE ARCH!
El Chapulín Colorado — comic Mexican superhero (aka The Red Grasshopper/Captain Hopper)
El Cucuy — Latino version of the boogeyman
Él era una semilla. — He was a seed. (Metaphor)
El Muro — Mexico–United States border wall
Elote(s) — corn
¿En serio? — Seriously?
Enchilada(s) — a rolled tortilla lightly fried and covered in chili sauce
Ensenada — a coastal city near the border of Mexico in the Baja California Peninsula
¿Entiendes? — Understand?
Eres una semilla. — You are a seed.
Estoy buscando a alguien. — I’m looking for someone.
Estoy limpiando. — I am cleaning.
Excelente — Excellent
Farmacia — Pharmacy
Flan — a spongy, custard-like dessert sweetened with condensed milk and vanilla extract
Frijoles — beans
Frijoles, frijoles, de las comidas más ricas, ¡lo más que comes, lo más que pitas! —Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot!
Gatito(s) — kitten(s)
Gemelos — twins
Gracias. — Thank you.
Gracias a Dios (Diosito). — Thank God.
Gracias, maestra. — Thank you, teacher. (The title of “teacher” is used as term of respect)
Guacamole — an avocado dip containing tomato, onion, and lime juice
Guayaba(s) — tropical green fruit with a soft, sweet middle, aka guava
Hasta aquí llego. — This is as far as I go.
Hermanitos — siblings
Hola, buenos dias. ¿Algo de tomar? — Hello, good morning. Something to drink?
ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Jarritos — a popular brand of Mexican fruit-flavored soda sweetened using cane sugar
Juez — a judge
Jugos — Juices
La migra — slang for immigration enforcement, such as the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
La migra la tiene. Los descarados de ICE la recojieron buscando trabajo en una fabrica. — Immigration enforcement has her. The despicable people at ICE picked her up while searching for a job.
La Sra. Solomon me dejó los niños. Están bien. — Ms. Solomon left the children with me. They are fine.
La Tierra de los Olvidados. — The land of the forgotten.
La Virgen María — The Virgin Mary
Lalo — nickname for Eduardo
¿Listo(s)? — Ready?
Lucha libre — Mexican style of wrestling
Macetón — stubborn
Maldito cartel — deplorable cartel
Mariachi — traditional Mexican band
Masa de maíz — white maize flour used mostly for tortillas, sopes, and tamales
Mentiroso — liar
Mi mamá no tiene papeles. — My mother is undocumented.
Mija — term of endearment for a girl (or “my daughter”)
Mijo — term of endearment for a boy (or “my son”)
Mijos — my children
Mijo, despierta. — Son, wake up.
Mijo, les hice un caldito de pollo bien rico. Por favor, entra. — Son, I made you guys a yummy chicken soup. Please, come in.
Milagro(s) — miracle(s)
Moco de Gorila — a popular brand of hair gel in the Latino community
Mole — a popular Mexican sauce (similar to barbecue sauce) made with hot peppers and chocolate
Muro kids — a term used to describe children who only see their family across the border fence wall
Nescafé — a brand of instant coffee popular in Latino culture
Niños — kids
No. Está bien. Déjala. Es demasiado pequeña para entender. — No. It’s fine. Let her be. She’s too young to understand.
No, gracias. — No, thank you.
No, gracias. Tal vez después de la escuela. — No, thank you. Perhaps after school.
¡No importa! — It doesn’t matter!
No, le robaron su bolsa con todo su dinero. ¡TODO! Incluso el dinero que pedí prestado. — No, they took all of her money. EVERYTHING! Including all the money I borrowed.
No. Ni siquiera lo pienses. — No. Don’t even think about it.
No. No sé. ¿Qué puedo hacer? — No. I don’t know. What can I do?
No se preocupen de nada. Ese tráfico es maldito. — Don’t worry about anything. Traffic can be awful.
No seas payaso. — Don’t be a clown.
No te preocupes de nada. — Don’t you worry about a thing.
No te preocupes, hijo. Tu madre volverá. Te lo juro. — Don’t worry, son. Your mother will return. I promise.
Nopal(es) — edible cactus plant
Nos quisieron enterrar, pero no sabían que éramos semillas. — They tried to bury us, but didn’t realize that we were seeds.
Nunca — never
Nunca olvidaré. — I will never forget.
Oye, estoy muy orgulloso de ti. — Listen, I am very proud of you.
Paletas — frozen fruit bars
Pan dulce — Mexican sweet bread
Para presidente — for president
Pediche — someone who repeatedly asks for things or lives off others (freeloader)
Periquito Blanco — “White Parakeet”
Pesos — Mexican currency/money
Piojitos — made-up term for scalp massage (literally “little lice”)
Pobrecitos — poor kids
¿Podrías tomar nuestra orden, por favor? — Could you take our order, please?
Polleros — nickname given to people who physically transport undocumented people across the US border.
Ponte trucha. — Stay alert.
¿Por qué no se van a ver la televisión? — Why don’t you go watch some television?
Presidente — president
Pronto, mijo. Te lo juro. — Soon, son. I swear.
Pulparindo — Mexican candy made with tamarind fruit, sugar, salt, and chili peppers
Puro — pure
¿Qué puedo hacer? — What can I do?
¿Qué te pasó? — What happened to you?
¿Quieres tratar? — Want to try?
Ranchero — ranch style cheese
Rompope — eggnog-like drink that usually contains rum
San Ysidro — border town on the US side
Sarape(s) — traditional blanket that usually has striped patterns and bold colors
Semillitas — seeds
Señora Nava, ¿cómo está? — Ms. Nava, how are you?
Sí — yes
Sí, aquí está, escuchando. — Yes, he’s here, listening.
Sí, ¿bueno? — Yes, hello?
Sí, claro. — Yes, sure.
Sí. En serio. — Yes. Seriously.
Sí, gracias. — Yes, thank you.
Sí, mijo. ¡Ay, cómo te extraño! — Yes, son. Oh, how I miss you!
Sí. Sí entiendo. — Yes. I understand.
Sí. Sí. Hablaremos más tarde. — Yes. Yes. We’ll talk later.
Solo (solito) — alone
Somos semillitas — We are
small seeds.
Soper — Efrén’s own personal take on the word super (combination of the words sope and super)
Sopes — fried round saucers of corn dough topped with refried beans, cheese, lettuce, and choice of meat (salsa is optional)
Sus caras se les van a quedar así. — Your faces are going to freeze like that.
Taco Loco — (literally “Crazy Taco”) restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico
Tajín — a type of lime chile powder used on fruit and vegetables
Takis — a spicy brand of rolled, lime flavored corn tortilla chips
Tamarindo — tamarind
Tapatío — a brand of hot sauce
Taquitos — rolled and fried tortillas usually stuffed with meat, potato, or beans
¡Taxi! ¡El más barato! — Taxi! Lowest price!
Te veo mañana. — I’ll see you tomorrow.
Telenovela — soap opera
Tía — aunt
Tijuana — a Mexican border city
TJ — abbreviation for Tijuana
Tortilla — a thin flatbread made of corn or wheat
Tostada — fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, beef, lettuce, tomato, and salsa
Traficantes — (drug) traffickers
Tranquilo — (be) calm
Travesuras — mischief
Traviesos — troublemakers
Troquita — food truck
¡Un gatito! — A kitten!
¿Ustedes lo—? — You guys—?
Veladora — religious prayer candle
¿Y Apá? — And dad?
¿Y tú, Mía? ¿Estás ahí? — And you, Mía? Are you there?
¿Y tú, mijo? — And you, son?
¡Ya cruzó! — She (Amá) crossed!
Zapatería — shoe store
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I need to thank my children for asking me to write this book. The request came at a time when I had pretty much given up on my dream of ever seeing my work published. Still, I wanted to write something special for them. Something that mattered. Something that highlighted the beauty of our Mexican lineage. Something that would help them to see that our people are worth being written about. Something to make them proud. They both provided me with the energy and motivation to make this happen.
I also need to thank my wife, Esther, for being there for me on the long nights, for picking up the slack whenever my energy gave way, and for her love and support. I could not have done this without her.
To write this book, I took parts of my own childhood (both good and bad) and intertwined them with parts of my present life. Because of this, I thank everyone who ever played a positive role in my life. This includes my entire family: Abigail, Isaac, Esther, Francisco, Martha, Jeff, Alma, Edgar, Karla, Willie, Destinee, Marco, Max, Mía . . . and of course, my Amá, María Elena (the heart and soul of this story).