Background Information Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida by Victor Martinez

The Characters Father – doesn’t work; drinks a lot; aggressive demeanor Mother – strict parent figure; cares deeply about the family Nardo – older brother; self-centered and usually lazy Magda – older sister; rebels against her family; becomes pregnant Pedi – younger sister; not old enough to care for herself Manuel (a.k.a Manny) – main character; tells the story; tries to find his way to adulthood

Minor Characters Mr. Hart – Manny’s teacher; gives money to Manny to help him get school supplies The Garcia brothers – conflict with Father; bully Manny Albert – Manny’s friend Lencho – head of the boxing team; member of the Berets until he gets kicked out Eddie – member of the Berets; likes to steal

The Setting Sierra Nevada Mountains in Fresno, California

The Projects Government “projects” are neighborhoods of housing for low- income families.

Some Background Knowledge: Miscarriage The natural death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. The most common symptoms of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding with or without pain. Miscarriage is the most common complication of early pregnancy. Miscarriage can occur for many different reasons.

Mexican Gang Life Hispanic/Latino racial and ethnic group gangs reflect differences in region, economic situation, social status, immigration status, generations and cultural characteristic. Mexican American Gangs Southwest/Border region Multi-generational “cholo” family based Neighborhood/Territorial based networks Hispanic gang members, as with other ethnic groups, are predominantly males. The percentage of youth self-identifying as gang members who are female has been reported to range from 8 to 38 percent.

Mexican Family Culture The general culture of Mexican families has a strong foundation in unity. As with any culture, family life is as much individualistic as it is communal. There were clearly defined roles for mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters in Mexican families. Marianismo is the term for the distinct role of women. Machismo is the term for the traditional role of men. Women typically portrayed a submissive and dependent role in the marriage relationship. A mother was the heart of the family: the one who cooked, cleaned and cared for the children on a full-time basis. Fathers generally took charge of family decisions, and their authority was rarely challenged by either the mother or children.