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Moving in
Esperanza and her family move to a new home, on Mango street -
Family
Esperanza introduces us to her family, talks about her mothers hair, her name (which she got from her grandma), her brothers and sister -
Cathy
Esperanza meets her neighbour Cathy, who soon moves away (she believes the neighbourhood is getting bad) -
Lucy and Rachel
Esperanza meets two sisters who need money to buy a bicycle, so they buy it together and ride around the neighbourhood -
Meme and Louie
Meme Ortiz and his family moved into Cathy's old house. Louie and his family live in the basement of Memes house -
Louie's cousins
One of Louie's cousins took Esperanza and other kids on a ride with a stolen car (he was later arrested). Marin (the other cousin) is a girl with interesting dreams and goals, who talks to Esperanza about boys -
Alicia
She goes to college and studies hard so she can move out, but her dad thinks it's her place to take care of him. He doesn't believe she sees mice around the house -
Heels
Esperanza, Rachel and Lucy wear high heels around the neighbourhood and get unwanted attention from older men. They get catcalled and scared -
Elenita
Esperanza pays a "witch woman" to read her future, but leaves disappointed -
Canteen
Esperanza wanted to eat at school but got humiliated when Sister Superior thought she lived in a very poor house -
Dress and shoes
Esperanza goes to a baptism party for her cousin. She has a new dress but old shoes and feels embarrassed. She forgets about them while dancing with her uncle -
Job
Esperanza is nervous on her first day at her job (a photo lab). She meets an older man who later forcefully kisses her -
Abuelo
Esperanza's grandma has died. She comforts her father and breaks down the news to her younger siblings -
Aunt Lupe
Aunt Lupe is a former swimmer who suffers from a disease. Esperanza and her friends make fun of her and she feels really guilty after Aunt Lupe dies -
Geraldo
Geraldo is a boy Marine met at a dance. He died but it seems like nobody cares about him -
Ruthie and Earl
Two neighbours that Esperanza often sees in her neighbourhood but doesn't know much about them -
Mamacita
She is a woman who lives across the street and almost never leaves her house. She refuses to speak English and wants her child to know Spanish because she values her heritage -
Rafaela
Her husband doesn't leave her house because he thinks she's too beautiful to look at. She wishes she could go out and dance -
Sally
Esperanza is jealous of Sally because she's very pretty. Sally has a lot of problems at home, because of her abusive father. Soon, she thinks she escaped him when she married a man, but he's also abusive -
Minerva
She and Esperanza read and write poetry together. Minerva is already married to an abusive husband -
Advice
Mother gives Esperanza advice to stay in school and study hard. She is convinced she will do that, but will never forget where she came from -
Carnival
Esperanza was raped by a few guys. She wants to know why Sally never came back when they made plans -
3 women
Esperanza met 3 older sisters, they told her to come back for others when she leaves the Mango Street -
Wish
Esperanza really wants to have a house of her own, where she has her freedom and independence. As she writes, she promises to come back for the ones who can't leave