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Mona's cousins were the founders of F-Troop and she started to like the gang life."I still believed my father's warnings about the gang,but my resolve was already slipping,giving wat to a giddy infatuation"(pg.37). Mona's feelings were changing and she was getting fascinated with the gang life because her cousin Jesse James was bleeding out and running from cops.Mona would later on be hanging out with the former gang F-Troop.

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Being in a gang comes with a lotto take you need to fight,have eachothers back,and even kill for our barrio.And in Chapter 3 "Street Games" talks about two kids getting into a fight from different gangs,one from Untied Browns and F-Troop."Marty and his friend Roister,were driving past the school when they saw two rivals,Potato and Trino.They all exchanged words as the car passed by,Trino threw a rock that thudded into the side of the vehicle.Marty and Rooster did a quick U-turn and jumped out.Marty had his knife with him,and Rooster grabbed a hammer from the trunk.On the sidewalk,Potato had his blade out already,The knife went through Potato's throat, the tip coming out the other side."(pg.44,45).This quote explains that you need to fight for our barrio and maybe even lead to killing your rivals.

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Drug abuse was one main thing that was talked about in this book.People in F-Troop would use drugs and trip off them,even Mona's husband Frankie would use drugs even though he had children and a wife.Mona never used or touched a drug because she was scared what will happen to her,like example a girl who took some she didn't even know her own name,and this other girl was sexualy assulted because she couldn't stop or control herself.Mona was afraid she'll take advantage of or something bad would happen to her.Chapter 5 it quotes "I had never minded drinking,but drugs scared me.I had seen friends lose control and I had even been at a party once where a girl got so high on heroin that she didn't even know her name.Later,I heard,some of the gang members ran a train on her that night,taking turns raping her while she was too groggy to fight back or even care."(page 68)

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Frankie and Mona's relationship was toxic and Frankie would put hands on Mona throughout the relationship and marriage,Mona thought it would stop if they got a baby but it didn't.Frankie just hit Mona more and more and he would apologize every time but he would still do it.In Chapter 9 this quotes "I was watching the vatos clumped up together on my couch,waiting for their response, so I never saw the backhand coming.The slap caught me right under the chin and I flew backward,tumbling into a table,knocking over a second lamp.I saw stars and had a hard time pulling myself upright."That will teach you how to talk to me!"Frank was towering over me" (page 176,177). This was the first time Frankie ever hit Mona and it was in front of his friends because Mona was telling Frankie things and told him to kick out his homeboys out because they aby needed sleep and so did Mona.

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Theme 5 Your Past Doesn't Define Who You Are

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Theme 5 Your Past Doesn't Define Who You Are

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Mona's past was really rough she changed that when she went to her counsullar and got a job at a police station.As Mona grew up she loved the force but Frankie told her to leave school and work and she did do that and instantly regretted it.Mona got a tattoo for her husband Frankie but she changed that and said it was meant for her son Frankie Jr. Ruiz. "These days I tell people that the "Frank Ruiz" written on my tattoo is for my son,Franke,not his father.I cannot separate myself from who and what I was before,and  I can't erase the things I have done that are wrong-they are permanent,just like the image on my wrist.For better or worse,it defiantly shows where I have been and who I am.The image is a pierced but undying heart and it coils down my wrist.It is my past,and I am it."(Chapter 15 pg.338)