I was very pleased and moved with the storyline of Detained in the Desert. This book really got me to want to shout out for social justice, mostly because I know that scenarios like these do exist in our world. I myself have been racially profiled due to my color of skin; let me tell you it was not a joyful experience or one that I will ever forget. Unlike Sandi, I didn’t resist on showing my identification because I figured if I did resist or question the officer I would end up arrested or worse. In fact, like Sandi, I wish I had said, “No! I am not showing you any stinking badges, cabron!” (33) At that moment I felt as if “the law”, the officer, was my enemy instead of being someone that would protect my rights and keep me safe. Furthermore, I was also grateful for the mention of the loss of …show more content…
I’m sure there are others that have decided to act in this manner in order to protect themselves from bias comments. Actually, my brother-in-law (a first generation Mexican) and sister (a second generation Hispanic) are perfect examples for they preferred that their children only speak English. Every time I mention the topic they respond by saying, “ No, there’s no benefit in them learning how to speak Spanish… If they want to, they can learn it when they are older… They’ll only get ridiculed and mistreated if they speak Spanish where we live.” Perhaps, Sandi’s mother thought the same way and thus didn’t encourage her daughter to keep their culture alive. I felt Sandi’s shame in not knowing Spanish when she said, “Well, I don’t, all right. Why didn’t you learn Spanish?” (58) I was glad that at the end of the play Sandi began to change her perception on the value that her Mexican heritage really had. Moreover, Sandi’s life experiences made me question how different her life would have been if she had stayed true to her culture and