The vignette that stood out most to me in “The House on Mango Street” is on page 36, “Those Who Don’t”. The message of “Those Who Don’t” is that from an outsider’s point of view, the neighborhood they live in seems dangerous and unwelcoming but to them, there is a strong sense of community. The people others seem weary of are people Esperanza sees daily and knows personally. This also highlights racial bias. Her neighborhood is mostly people of color, “all brown around” find comfort in this. This reminded me of The Bronx. Growing up there my entire life, I can see the beauty in my borough that others might not. Places like The Bronx have a strong community that goes on for generations. Outsiders may think the neighborhoods are scary but you grow to know the people around you personally. Going to another place like a residential area of Manhattan is a culture shock and less inviting because of the foreignness and racial disparity. When I started going to school in Manhattan when I was younger it was new and scary to not be around as much of my community as I was used to.
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