Rodriguez grew up in Sacramento, California, the third child of Mexican immigrant parents. From a young age, he loved books and he achieved great academic success, earning degrees from Stanford and Columbia, as well as…
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Rodriguez’s Mother
Rodriguez’s mother is depicted as the biggest advocate of his education, which she sees (at least according to Rodriguez) as an opportunity for job advancement. As a new immigrant to America, Rodriguez’s mother received…
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Rodriguez’s Father
Rodriguez’s father grew up as an orphan in Mexico and immigrated to America with the hopes of becoming an engineer. A series of disappointments led to Rodriguez’s father living a life of “dark factory jobs,”…
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Rodriguez’s Siblings
Rodriguez has an older brother, an older sister, and a younger sister. The reader learns few identifying details about the Rodriguez siblings, and Rodriguez never divulges their names. The siblings have all grown up to…
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Rodriguez’s Grandmother
Though her life and death are wholly encompassed in the first chapter of the book, Rodriguez makes it clear that his grandmother played an important role in his life. She grew up in Mexico and…
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