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Home Run Derby: Uno’s Time Has Come
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Mexican WhiteBoy, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race and Identity
Fate vs. Opportunity
Violence, Power, and Coping Mechanisms
Coming of Age
Family, Friendship, and Culture
Summary
Analysis
1. Sofia and Danny head to the cul-de-sac where the derby is and cross paths with Uno. Uno tries to brag to Sofia about all the home runs he’s hit, but Sofia says she didn’t see them. She jokes around with Raul and Chico and then introduces Danny to the boys, saying he’s a better baseball player than any of them. Chico and a boy named Skinny Pedro dispute this, and Chico and Uno try to hustle Danny into paying five dollars to enter the derby. Sofia doesn’t let them and tells Danny it’s actually two dollars.
Uno feeling jealous about Sofia and bragging to her may suggest that he is developing romantic feelings for her, even if he’s not yet aware of them. Sofia is proud of and protective of Danny. Whereas the others see him as an outsider, Sofia cares for and accepts Danny because he is her family. Chico and Uno lying to Danny to get him to pay more hints at how scarce money is in the community.
Themes
2. Danny and Sofia watch as Uno pitches to Raul. Uno jokingly insults the other players, and Sofia says the other boys have taken after him and started doing the same. She calls them vatos, saying “They all think they’re black now.” Raul hits the ball, and Uno picks it up and whips it at Raul, knocking him off his feet. Sofia explains to Danny that each player gets two outs, and if someone hits a batter with the ball before they can run to the garage door, it’s an out.
Vato is Spanish slang for “dude,” or “man,” and it’s specifically used in Northern Mexico and Southern California. Most of the characters intersperse Spanish slang throughout their speech, which suggests their inclusive culture. It becomes clear here that everyone sees Uno as Black, even though he’s also half Mexican. Sofia even attributes Uno's behavior to his race.
Themes
3. When Danny goes up to bat, Uno asks how he wants the ball pitched, but Danny doesn’t answer. Growing up, he’s learned to keep quiet—all the other kids at his school in Leucadia ignore him because he’s Mexican. Danny’s dad doesn’t speak much either, and Danny never learned Spanish. As he steps up to bat, Danny notices a man wearing a Padres hat watching the kids play. Danny doesn’t swing for the first two pitches even though they’re in the strike zone, and the other kids laugh at him. He wonders if he'll eventually be friends with anyone there.
Leucadia and National City are in the same metropolitan area, so it’s striking that Danny experiences prejudice against Mexican people in Leucadia while the National City population is mostly Mexican—the area is highly segregated. The circumstances around Danny’s dad are mysterious. It is not clear why Javier is in Mexico, and it’s odd that Danny never learned Spanish. Presumably, most of the kids from National City learn Spanish from their Mexican parents. The Padres are San Diego’s Major League Baseball team.
Themes
4. On the third pitch, Danny hits a home run that soars over two houses, shocking everyone watching. Danny remembers Danny’s dad once telling him that being a good pitcher is more important than being a good hitter because the pitcher controls the game. Ever since his dad told him this, Danny has focused on improving his pitching more than anything. But he loves hitting, because “it still makes him feel alive to crush something with a bat.” Danny compares this feeling to an earthquake inside his body. He then hits two more home runs. Uno becomes visibly frustrated and starts pitching inside, almost hitting Danny, which upsets Sofia.
Danny’s reason for wanting to be a pitcher shows that it’s important to him to feel in control. The satisfaction he gets from hitting echoes this sentiment. Danny’s success may irritate Uno because Uno wants to be the best player, and Danny’s skill threatens Uno’s pride. It may also be because if Danny can hit more homeruns than Uno, Uno won’t be able to win money from the derbies. “Pitching inside” means throwing the ball too close to the batter’s body. Uno may be trying to hit Danny, trying to intimidate him, or just trying to strike him out.
Themes
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5. Danny swings and hits the ball that Uno pitches, but he lets go of the bat. Lolo catches the ball, getting Danny out. Suddenly, Chico notices that the bat went flying behind Danny and hit Manny in the face, who is covered in blood. Uno rushes over and holds Manny, calling for Chico to get his brother’s car. Shocked and scared, Manny apologizes repeatedly through tears. Enraged, Uno approaches Danny and pushes him, asking why he hit Manny. Danny doesn’t say anything, making Uno angrier. Sofia tries to intervene, but Uno punches Danny in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Danny accidentally lets go of the bat by accident due to Uno’s inside pitch. Uno’s behavior here is emotion-driven and out of control—it is clear to everyone that Danny didn’t hurt Manny on purpose. Uno is upset that his brother is hurt, but it’s likely that Danny’s successful hitting also contributes to Uno’s anger that drives him to punch Danny.
Themes
6. Danny’s head takes a hard hit, and the last thing he sees before falling unconscious is a girl bringing a towel for his bleeding head. In a letter Danny later writes to Danny’s dad, he recalls the time they spent together just before his dad left. His dad was watching him because Danny’s mom was gone for the week, though Danny didn’t know why. As the two walked home from a baseball field, Danny’s dad said, “I did somethin’ crazy, boy,” and he said that things would soon change. Then he stopped and pointed out a hawk in the sky. Danny stared at his father and wondered whether he would be like him when he’s older.
In Danny’s flashback, Javier says that things are going to change as a result of something “crazy” he did. He likely means that he will soon leave, but Danny doesn’t process what his dad is saying. This flashback is the first appearance of a hawk, an important symbol throughout the book. Hawks symbolize Danny’s desire for his father to protect and guide Danny, so the hawk in this flashback may foreshadow Javier leaving his family.
Themes
7. Danny wakes up momentarily and recognizes the girl with the towel as the half-white girl he noticed before, and he thinks she’s very pretty. She seems concerned for Danny, but she’s speaking Spanish, so he can’t understand her.
Considering how segregated National City and Leucadia are, Danny probably rarely sees other people who are half white and half Mexican, so this girl stands out to him. She is the only one who comes to Danny’s aid after Uno punches him, even though she and Danny haven’t met.
Themes
In the letter that Danny will later write to Danny’s dad, Danny explains that he understands why his dad doesn’t want to live near white people anymore, and that Danny thinks he has become “more Mexican” lately. He writes a twisted version of what happened at the derby, telling his dad that he punched Uno for bothering Sofia.
Danny doesn’t seem to know why Javier left. He assumes that it’s partially because Javier wanted to get away from white people, but it’s not clear how Danny comes to this conclusion. Danny lies to Javier in his letter, writing what he thinks would make his dad proud instead of the truth. Since Danny thinks that Javier wants Danny to be “more Mexican” and doesn’t want to be around white people, Danny might blame himself for Javier leaving.
Themes
