In Tony Went to the Bodega but He Didn’t Buy Anything, Martín Espada shows how culture shock can affect someone who is a minority. The poem starts off by telling us “Tony’s father left the family” (line 1) and immediately I felt sad for Tony, but then it goes on to say that he was a boy who was “nine years old who had to find work” (lines 4-5). Not only does Tony not have a father figure growing up, but due to his financial situation, he now must find a job despite being so young. This is not uncommon because race and socio-economic status are tied, so many minorities have to find jobs at younger, even illegal ages to support their families.
At the bodega, Tony not only learns more about his workplace, he learns more about Latino culture. Music is very important in Latino culture, so that is why he “learned the steps of the dry-mop mambo, banging the cash register like piano percussion” (lines 9-10). At the bodega, Tony felt more at home because of the environment, and the fellow Latinos in it.
When Tony grows older, he goes to law school in Boston with a scholarship. When Tony goes to Boston, he “left the projects too” (line 17) just like his father. Tony was no longer home so he couldn’t continue to work and help his family. This made me think of how his father did basically the same thing, but Tony was going to school
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Many Latino cultures eat rice and beans as a staple of their meals, and that’s what Tony came from. Tremont Street in Boston is a very culturally diverse area, with a large Latino presence, so moving there was a success to Tony. Although people may see success as moving into an expensive loft or buying a big house in the suburbs of Boston, he was happiest where he felt most at home. This poem shows that really no matter where you are, there will be people like you and you can find a place to fit in even if it takes