"It usually happens when I hear someone talking in Espanol. You see, I don't do Espanol either. I use to do Espanol, but it got me in a lot of trouble." (Herrera 175)
-In this quote Herrera is talking about speaking spanish. It's interesting that through the whole book he speaks so much of his culture but only at times like these shows his experience with it. The fact that he gets in trouble for speaking spanish is an interesting thought because that proves his point that American culture is so oppressive when doubled with a different culture such as chicano. The way he speaks about not being able to speak spanish seems kinda of reserved, he doesn't necessarily feel bad about it, its just easier.
"The explosion was the secret. The flavor, let's call it a flavor; it set out on its own. So fast, so alive - it disappeared. Then, I appeared."
-The above quote is from Herrera's last stanza in the last piece of work in the book. The piece is called "How to Make a Chile Verde Smuggler." While there are many different meanings that could be taken from this passage it struck me he was talking about his creation into the world, possibly his conception and birth. How he was made out of this "flavor" or this overpowering force, and it is what makes him and drives him. This could be love, although in the beginning he mentions the chiles from Food City and the "flavor" he speaks of could be related so, possibly, he is referring to his culture, because chiles are a very large part of chicano cuisine and one that he enjoyed. If this is the case he is trying to say that he is his culture, he is what makes it up, it lives inside of him and inside of his family and friends, He smuggles that culture around with him at all times, kindof like smuggling a chile....or being a chile verde smuggler.
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