Waiting and Waiting, For what?

                                                    Desiree Perez

The labor exchange had a huge effect in the story, nor only for Candido and America, but for Delany, Kyra, and his whole community. On one side you have Candido and America who need work to hopefully save enough money to have “The American Dream”, in the United States. America who is pregnant during most of the book needed money to support for all of them, due to the fact Candido could not work because he got hit by Delaney car. During the book the labor exchange did not help Candido and America not enough to get out of the woods, but enough to have food and clothing for a while.

            On the other side of the Delany had paid no attention to the labor exchange until Kyra had mentioned it. The only reason Kyra did something about it was because it was getting in the way of her business. Why the labor exchange was so valuable is because no matter how differently both sides were living they were still both really affected it for different ways. Kyra didn't know that by her wanting to take the labor exchange away how difficult America and her unborn baby as well as Candido were going to survive in the woods. Instead the labor exchange was something both sides had to deal with. One side wanted the exchange completely gone to help their business, and side wanted it for a better life.

            My idea about the exchange is mutual. Yes, I feel like everyone has the right to work for a job. So, I feel like if you are working at the exchange then you should get paid for how hard you work for it. America had spent eight hours straight scrubbing Buddha’s with harsh chemicals that were peeling her arms. She stated in the book “All this for twenty- five dollars”. But then I feel like if there are many Mexicans in one spot and is hurting their business then that should be fixed. People work just as hard as the people standing there for tucks to have their own business and should not feel the need to have it ruined by other people.

            What I got out of this book was that people work hard for what they want in life. It may not be the right people that get it but to never give up on what you want. As well as some people just have bad luck.