Chapter 3: Foreign Ground

      ·         “Just as the street corners of the Bronx had changed, so had the public schools.  Things were falling apart, and the halls of school were no exception or refuge from the chaos outside.” (Page 47)

This quote reflects the theme of change and diversity because it shows how the Bronx public school system had drastically deteriorated after the family’s move there.

      ·         “Up and down the street were entrepreneurial immigrants in colorful clothes – embroidered guayaberas and flowering kente and spray-painted T-shirts – hustling everything from mix tapes to T-shirts to incense from crowded sidewalk tables.  The air rang with English and Spanish in every imaginable accent, spoken by parents barking orders to their children or young lovers playfully flirting with each other.” (Page 48)

This passage shows the diversity of the Bronx neighborhoods caused by the influx of immigrants who introduced new foods, clothes, languages, and products.   

      ·         “Drugs were not new to the Bronx.  Marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine all took their turns as the drug of choice.  But crack was different.  After it officially introduced itself in the 1980s, it didn’t take long for crack to place a stranglehold on many communities.” (Page 50)

This quote shows the change and diversity of the Bronx as it lists the role of various drugs, and shows the terrible effect crack had on Bronx communities.

      ·           “Wes walked through his new neighborhood, the fourth he could remember living in so far in his short life.  He’d called this place home for only the last four months.” (Page 55)

This quote portrays change in Wes’ life because it explains how he had to get used to every new neighborhood he moved into, which was many.

      ·         “Aside from the carbon-copy houses, there was nothing uniform about this working-class neighborhood; it was filled with people of all shapes, colors, and backgrounds.  The only thing most of them had in common was that they came from somewhere else, and for most of them, Dundee was a better place to be.” (Page 56)

This quote shows the diversity of Wes’ new neighborhood, because it describes Dundee as a sort of refuge for several different kinds of working-class people.