Sapo

Illustrator

Vera, Blanca's sister, stabbed her boyfriend Victor because she found out he went out to the movies with another girl. Victor denied it but he actually did have another girlfriend. She worked at the local hospital and Victor did not want to go there because she was on her working shift.

Travel Tracer: Book 3

Book three begins with the day of Bodega's funeral. Chino first finds Sapo by tracing a flying a kite, which what he did when something really bad happens. Sapo was founded on the roof, where they had reflected and reminisced. After, Chino goes home and decides to confess what he knew about Bodega and Salazars' death to the cops. Then transitions to Bodega's funeral service held at church where everyone paid their respects. Then at the cemetery, crowds gathered, but when the crowd left, the cops came. They arrested Vera, Nazario, and Nene.

Illustrator

This is an image of R.I.P murals in the Spanish Harlem. Chino was a great painter and once painted dozens of R.I.P.s for money. Even at school all the teachers would like them. After Bodega's death, Sapo suggested Chino to do one last R.I.P for Bodega.

Summary Rounds 6-9

Chino reconsiders Bodega's offer and accepts it for something in return. Bodega wants to reunite with his love, Vera, Blanca's aunt, and Chino went through an illegal situation between Negra, Blanca's sister, and her husband, Victor, to try to find information about Vera to exchange with Bodega for a two-bedroom apartment for his building family. When Chino and Bodega meet to share information, Chino also meets Nazario, but during an arguement about a guy named Albero Salazar. When Blanca found the document for the new home, she is happy but angry at Chino not sharing this information. Blanca also asks Chino to find a way to legally get a green card for her friend, so he goes asks Sapo who only knows junkies who will marry her. Once Chino and Blanca moved into their new apartment,Chino found out that Alberto Salazar was murdered and he knew who the murderer was because of  a bite mark on his shoulder, Sapo.

Questions

Why does Chino begin working with Bodega? Why does Bodega get a chicken sacrificed? What illegal things do Chino and Blanca do? What were their intentions? How did Bodega get all his power?

Time Tracer

TIME TRACER 

The novel Bodega Dreams, takes place in Spanish Harlem, New York, more specifically in East Harlem, where the majority of Hispanics, the most being Puerto Ricans, reside and live under the guidance and property of Willie Bodega.

Summary chapters 1-5

Julio is a kid from Spanish Harlem in New York City. He is half Puerto Rican and half Ecuadorian. He has a bestfriend named Enrique but he likes to go by Sapo and he is also Puerto Rican. They grew up together. Sapo always defended Julio. Julio wanted a knickname therefore he got into many fights so he could be known. He was given Chino as his aka. Chino was a painter and did RIP frames. As they grew up Chino liked a girl named Blanca who was a church girl. After High School, Chino and Blanca ended up together. They both go to college. Blanca is pregnant. Chino helps Sapo by letting him keep his "stuff" in his house, drugs. Sapo introduced Chino to Bodega because Bodega wanted something from Chino. vodega was telling Chino how he doesn't sell rocks but he sells dreams. He helps out the community in return for loyalty. He wants Chino to work with Nazario, a lawyer, so they can improve the community. Chino refuses because he has doubts about Bodega's speech.

Spanish Harlem; El Barrio

Spanish Harlem is located in the northeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is the largest predominate Latino community made up of Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigtrants. East Harlem also has the highest violent crime rate in Manhattan and is the second highest in problems of public housing in the Unisted States. Tenements were very crowded, poorly maintained, and targets for arson. In the 1960s and 1970s, Spanish Harlem was the most concentrated area struggling with gang walfare, drug abuse, and ccrime and poverty.

Questions

 Why do you think Chino fought all those fights to acquire a nickname?Why were nicknames in Spanish Harlem so significant?

Do you think Chino friendship with Sapo is good for him and his american dream?

How are Sapo and Chino different? how do there american dreams differ?

 How do you think Willie Bodega changed from being an activist to a drug dealer?  How has his view of the world changed from when he was an activist?