American Son Blog 2

Earlier, I Read the next two chapters of Brian Ascalon Roley's book, Americam Son.  In the first chapter, Betino sent another letter to Ika to tell her that hid daughter's are about to graduate from Ateneo and one of them is getting a degree from Harvard.  Betino continues to express his concern with Ika's two children not only for Tomas but especially for Gabe.  In the letter he said, "I think you are right to worry about Tomas's influence on his younger brother.  It is with great anxiety that I read both of his imitation in dress of his older brother and of their increased fighting."(57).  From looking reading this letter, it is implied that Gabe is gradually becoming a disrespectful rude, mean, and wannabe Mexican gangster in LA.  The letter thorouhly shows that Betino is continuing to offer her sons to come back to the Philippines where the boys can go to a private school with supervision and be disciplined.  Not like the ones in America that are permissive according to Betino. Betino continues to explain that the kidnapping cases in the Philippines are extremely exaggerated but the crime their is still bad but they live in a secluded area.  I have lived and grew up in the Philippines for 9 years and even though I lived in a seclude place, crime happens a lot every day near where I lived so kidnapping cases may be exaggerated but the crimes being commited in the country is something not to ignore at all. 
In the third chapter, the date was 1993 and it was somewhere in another California.  Gabe woke up early in the morning stole Tomas's car and his favorite dog, Buster, to sell.  This was probably a method of revenge to get back at Tomas for selling Johan in the previous chapter.  After malking the deal, he makes a stop at the gas station to fill the car with gas.  Gabe then said, "As I pump gas a family in a white BMW with plates that tell me that they bought it in Newport Beach regard my brother's Olds suspiciously.  Which tells me they have had encounters with gangs before.  They look sporty, the blond boys back with their colorful windbreakers, crusted with slat and rolled up to their pale knobby elbows.  Probably they werere on their way up to Mammoth for camping.  They look like they might bv nice people, but the oldest one mad- dogs me while the gentle- faced smaller one holds on to his brother's arm, then buries his face shyly into his brother's shoulder.  They probablythink I am Mexican.  I hook the pump before the car is filled and pay the attendant and leave."(61- 62).  Gabe's observation shows that wealthy Americans particulalry white people, make assumptions of people who are different than they are both in class and in color.  This may not be a big issue in America but its still a continous social issue because Deerfield's population is mostly white and wealthy and they judge peopel for all the advantages they do not have in life.  I wish rich people should be considerate that what they are doing is wrong.  They think that they are more superior than people who are in poverty but they are not as they seem to be.  Judging makes you a monster both outside and inside and people who live in poor neighborhoods tend to strive hard to success and it is a fact that happens a lot in life.  Later on he goes to a small town on the way to Oregon with motels and diners in the area.  At first he did seem anxious that people will judge him on his appearance but it was not the case.  They accepted him for who he is possibly because he came from a tough life environment just like the folks in the in the diner.   
Later on he made to another smal town and needed help in fixing his brother's car that broke down that night and so he got a guy to tow the car.  His name was Stone and at first Gabe was a little bit mistrusting to him but after offereing a drink and lunch, he did not seem so bad.  Stone later recommends Gabe to move his family to his town somwhere in California where its safe and non violent because Stone took pity for his family especially for Ika who was scared of drive by shootings.  From learning from these two chapters, there are a lot of misconceptions that people make of other people so it would be best that they should get to know the person first before judging them.