Living Up The Street

Soto often talks about his violent nature as a child; specifically, how he was always getting into fights that he often provoked. How are these fights connected to his circumstances? What commentary is being made about the link between violence and environment? 

Television plays a large role in Soto’s childhood. What does TV symbolize for him as a child? 

The stories in the book follow a linear timeline in that the first half of the book chronicles Soto’s childhood and the second half follows his young married life. Taking this into consideration, is Soto a static character? If not, how has he changed by the end of the book?

Many of the stories deal with Soto’s identity as an American with Mexican roots, or a “Chicano.” How does Soto define himself as a Chicano, and how does this definition evolve throughout the book?

In the following quote from “Black Hair,” how does Soto link poverty, physically demanding work, and what it means to be Mexican? How does his perception change over time?

As I kid I chopped cotton and picked grapes, so I knew work. I knew the fatigue and the boredom and the feeling that there was a good possibility you might have to do such work for years, if not a lifetime. In fact, as a kid I imagined a dark fate: To marry Mexican poor, work Mexican hours, and in the end die a Mexican death, broke and in despair (123). 

Many of the key details—such as his relationship with his stepfather, why he ran away, and what happened to Carolyn—are omitted from the book. Why do you think Soto chose to omit these details? What effect does it have on the reading of the book?

While this collection is considered nonfiction, could it also be labeled as autobiographical? Why or why not?

Consider the title, Living Up the Street. What is Soto referring to? And how does this title indicate the importance of place in the book?