Into the Beautiful North

by

Luis Alberto Urrea

Wino is a dump dweller who drives an ancient and decrepit Oldsmobile. He works with Atómiko to connect Nayeli and her group up with a coyote to take them over the border. To Nayeli's surprise, Wino loves Tijuana and is an excellent tour guide—though he's also crass and vulgar and honks the car horn in the rhythm of an obscene song. When the coyote fails to get Nayeli successfully across, Wino does her a favor and calls on his uncle to smuggle Nayeli to the US using a drug trafficking tunnel that goes under the US-Mexico border.
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Wino Character Timeline in Into the Beautiful North

The timeline below shows where the character Wino appears in Into the Beautiful North. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15
Male vs. Female Heroism Theme Icon
A man named Wino jumps out of the car and jokes with Atómiko and Tacho in broken English. Nayeli... (full context)
Female Friendship vs. Romance Theme Icon
...nothing on TV, and Yolo suggests that he and Nayeli are going to get married. Wino turns out to be a fantastic tour guide, and he drives them through the neighborhoods... (full context)
Borders and Ownership Theme Icon
Racism Theme Icon
Disillusionment and Idealization Theme Icon
Female Friendship vs. Romance Theme Icon
Atómiko and Wino negotiate with a coyote. The girls are scared of the coyote, and Tacho tries to... (full context)
Chapter 18
Disillusionment and Idealization Theme Icon
Female Friendship vs. Romance Theme Icon
...Nayeli pulls on her clothes and is irritated to find Atómiko outside her room with Wino. She finds a payphone and calls Irma. When Irma picks up, Nayeli begins to cry.... (full context)
Borders and Ownership Theme Icon
Male vs. Female Heroism Theme Icon
Female Friendship vs. Romance Theme Icon
Back in the hallway, Wino and Atómiko lament Tacho's fate. Yolo and Vampi open the door, and they discuss the... (full context)
Chapter 19
Borders and Ownership Theme Icon
Disillusionment and Idealization Theme Icon
Wino drives Nayeli, Yolo, and Vampi out past the Tijuana airport to a muffler shop. Yolo... (full context)