Bodega Dreams Character Analysis

Julio Mercado

Julio is the story’s narrator and protagonist. The world of Spanish Harlem, in which the book is set, unfolds through Julio’s eyes. When Julio is young, his white teachers at school discriminate against him because… read analysis of Julio Mercado

Willie Bodega

Willie Bodega, after whom the book is named, is the story’s antihero. In his youth, Bodega was an idealistic Young Lord activist who had grand plans for improving Spanish Harlem, a deeply impoverished neighborhood. He… read analysis of Willie Bodega

Sapo

Sapo is Julio’s childhood best friend. Sapo is scrappy, happy-go-lucky, and fearless: he famously bites people while fighting them. Sapo has a lot of street credibility, and he protects Julio while they’re growing up… read analysis of Sapo

Edwin Nazario

Edwin Nazario is a savvy, streetwise, and cunning lawyer who pairs up with Bodega to realize Bodega’s dreams for the Spanish Harlem. Nazario is highly adept at swindling people and often uses his skills to… read analysis of Edwin Nazario

Nancy “Blanca” Saldivia

Blanca is a young Latinx woman who’s married to Julio. She’s beautiful and intelligent, and she’s pregnant with the couple’s first child. Blanca is a devout Christian, and her religious beliefs cause a rift… read analysis of Nancy “Blanca” Saldivia

Veronica “Vera” Vidal

Vera is Blanca’s aunt. She left Spanish Harlem many years ago to move to Miami with her rich Cuban husband, John Vidal. Like John Vidal, Vera tries to mask her Latinx heritage by… read analysis of Veronica “Vera” Vidal

Deborah “Negra” Saldivia

Negra is Blanca’s more devious sister. While Blanca is religious and adamantly opposed to using drugs and breaking the law, Negra has been sneaking out to party since she was a teenager. She has… read analysis of Deborah “Negra” Saldivia

Alberto Salazar

Alberto Salazar is an undercover journalist who is killed early in the story, before he can expose Bodega’s criminal activities. Much of the book’s plot revolves around the aftermath of Salazar’s murder. Julio thinks that… read analysis of Alberto Salazar

Aaron Fischman

Aaron Fischman is a mobster who controls property in New York’s Lower East Side. He’s also known as “The Fish of Loisada.” Most of the book’s characters think that Aaron Fischman is responsible for setting… read analysis of Aaron Fischman

John Vidal (Vera’s husband)

John Vidal is a rich Cuban immigrant who lives in Miami. He’s married to Vera, although Vera’s mother pushed her into the marriage because John Vidal is wealthy, despite the fact that Vera has… read analysis of John Vidal (Vera’s husband)

Claudia

Claudia is Blanca’s friend from church. Claudia is a 29-year-old Colombian immigrant who needs to get married to secure a green card so that she can stay in the United States. Blanca and Julio… read analysis of Claudia

Nene

Nene is Bodega’s brother. Nene seems to have some form of intellectual disability, as he struggles with adult conversation and mostly talks in song lyrics. Nene is entirely under Bodega’s care, which implies that… read analysis of Nene

Roberto Vega

Roberto Vega is a 17-year-old boy who’s being anointed at the church Blanca attends. He gives a sermon depicting women as inherently promiscuous people who need to be saved by men. Quiñonez uses Roberto’s sermon… read analysis of Roberto Vega

Mr. Blessington

Mr. Blessington is a white, prejudiced English teacher who oppresses Latinx children (including Julio, Sapo, and Blanca) by dismissing Latinx culture as inferior. He thinks that Latinx students are destined to wind… read analysis of Mr. Blessington

Julia de Burgos

Julio de Burgos is a Puerto Rican poet who lived and died in Spanish Harlem. Growing up, Julio, Sapo, and Blanca’s school is named after Julia de Burgos. Despite this, a racist… read analysis of Julia de Burgos

Geran

Geran is an old man who immigrates to New York at the end of the story. Julio, who’s inspired by the late Bodega’s support for the Latinx community, offers to host Geran and… read analysis of Geran

Fat Tony Salerno

Fat Tony Salerno is an Italian mafia boss who used to run Spanish Harlem’s criminal underworld. When Fat Tony Salerno goes to prison, he sells many of his properties to Bodega, which kicks off… read analysis of Fat Tony Salerno

Popcorn

Popcorn is a gay man who was found stabbed to death on his rooftop several years ago. The police didn’t pursue the case because the media didn’t make a big deal about it. Quiñonez stresses… read analysis of Popcorn

Minor Characters

DeJesus

Detective DeJesus is a Cuban police officer investigating Salazar’s murder along with Detective Ortiz and Captain Leary. He is racist against Puerto Ricans, despite the common struggles faced by both Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants in New York.

Ortiz

Detective Ortiz is a Puerto Rican officer investigating Salazar’s murder along with Detective DeJesus and Captain Leary. Ortiz respects Julio for standing up to DeJesus’s racism against Puerto Rican people.

Captain Leary

Captain Leary leads the investigation into Salazar’s murder. He’s not really interested in the case and just wants to tie up the loose ends quickly and easily. Quiñonez uses Captain’s Leary’s disinterested attitude to show that the police don’t take criminal cases in Spanish Harlem very seriously.

Victor

Victor is Negra’s husband. He has a passionate but rocky—and often violent—relationship with Negra.

Pastor Velasquez

Pastor Velasquez runs the Pentecostal church that Blanca attends. He often stresses that religion saved him from a life of drugs and petty crime. Blanca is close with Pastor Velasquez, but Julio believes that the Pastor’s religious attitudes are sexist and disempowering for the Latinx community in Spanish Harlem.

Googie

Googie is Roberto Vega’s older brother who struggles with a drug addiction. He lives in Chicago.

Blanca’s mother

Blanca’s mother is a Latinx immigrant who single-handedly supported her family and raised her two daughters Blanca and Negra. Blanca thinks that her mother is a good example of a strong, empowered woman—but Julio thinks that society held her back by denying her an education.

Mr. Tapia

Mr. Tapia is a Latinx immigrant teacher at Julio’s school. He tries to empower the Latinx students and protect them from teachers like Mr. Blessington, but he has little power.

Hipolito

Hipolito is a young boy who immigrates to New York at the end of the story with his grandfather Geran.

Mr. Cavalleri

Mr. Cavalleri is a mafia boss who lives in Queens.

Inelda Aldino

Inelda Aldino is the woman who stabbed and killed Popcorn.

Junior Jiga

Junior Jiga is a young Latinx boy who’s been given this name because he carries around a jiga (knife) and slashes people’s faces with it when he gets into fights. Quiñonez mentions Junior Jiga to highlight the pervasive violence in Spanish Harlem, where the story is set.

Lucy

Lucy is Blanca’s best friend in school.

Rita Moreno

Mr. Tapia mentions Puerto Rican Hollywood star Rita Moreno to inspire his students to believe Latinx people can achieve great things against the odds.

Reggie Jackson

Mr. Tapia cites Latinx baseball star Reggie Jackson to inspire his students to believe Latinx people can achieve great things against the odds.

Doña Ramonita

Doña Ramonita is a woman who runs a botanica (a store that sells religious goods). She enacts indigenous rituals for the Latinx community in Spanish Harlem.

Bodega Dreams

Ernesto Quiñones

Bodega Dreams Characters