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The core value of humanity emphasized in Bodega Dreams is loyalty. This is the defining characteristic that changes the main character Julio to see beyond himself and understand what it truly means to be human.

Julio distances himself from the Spanish-Harlem Community, choosing to go to college when very few people did. However, Julio understands the loyalty between him and his childhood friend Sapo, who chose the opposite path of Julio.

Despite not wanting to associate with Sapo knowing that he can only bring trouble, he understands the loyalty that bonds them formed through their childhood.

Through this loyalty and connection with Sapo, he meets Bodega. Bodegas plan is to bring social change to Spanish-Harlem by providing them with money, housing, schooling, etc, in exchange for their loyalty. What Bodega emphasizes in the story is the necessity of loyalty in order to bring change. For example, Bodega sets Julio and his wife Blanca in an apartment in return for loyalty and Vera. Through similar circumstances, he wants to establish a thriving community in Spanish-harlem.

Bodega however is blinded by his love for Vera, a relative of Julio, who, with the help of Bodegas assistant Nazario, kills Bodega.

Despite this, it is through bodega that Julio learns what loyalty can truly lead to. This is represented at the end of the story where Julio dreams of a thriving Spanish Harlem, one that Bodega attempted to create. "Tomorrow Spanish Harlem would run faster, fly higher, stretch out its arms farther..." (214). This how loyalty can truly create something great and is a representative quality of humanity.

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What are the shared experiences of humanity?

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What are the shared experiences of humanity?

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The shared experiences of Humanity in Bodega Dreams are the problems the community faces. Spanish-Harlem, as described in the book, is impoverished. This creates a set of problems shared among that specific community. This includes the lack of representation within schools. Julio mentions this, stating, "So, since we were almost convinced that our race had no culture, no smart people, we behaved even worse." (10) Julio refers to "we" as the kids within his community. This problem was specific to them and is only shared among them. This creates a sense of shared experience.

Through this shared experience and lack of Latinx representation, many chose to do something about it. "Finally, when we knew our demands weren't going to be met, when we knew... the sanitation department wouldn't even lend us brooms to clean our streets, we had no choice but to take over the streets of East Harlem.” (32). What this represents is a shared experience being put into action. Bodega speaks to Julio about how lack of representation and shared experiences led to change.

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What is it that shapes people’s sense of culture and community?

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What is it that shapes people’s sense of culture and community?

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In Bodega Dreams, loyalty shapes the sense of community. It is through loyalty that bonds are grown and people become closer. For example, loyalty is demonstrated in the connection between Sapo and Julio, "My father understood where we were living... He knew the importance of having someone there to watch your back. It was important to have a pana, a broqui." (10). The bond between Sapo and Julio represents how loyalty can connect  people. Despite the bond being formed during childhood, it connects them throughout the story even after they defer paths.

Similarly, when Julio's apartment catches on fire, it is the loyalty of the community that brings them together. "He compared the fire tragedy like the ones that occurred in the mother island, or our other Latin countries, where the most important form of help you got was from your neighbor, not the government." (147). This exemplifies the necessity of loyalty in order to bring the community closer. Especially in Spanish-Harlem where parts are neglected and deprived of government services.