American Street

When Fabiola’s uncle purchases the house at the corner of American Street and Joy Road, he does so in hopes of achieving the elusive “American Dream” of upward mobility and financial success “He thought he was buying American Joy,” says Matant Jo to Fabiola (57). The American Dream becomes conflated with freedom itself. But as the author notes, this American Dream proves very hard to achieve in reality. As a poor immigrant, it is much more difficult in American to ascend to a higher class, so immigrants such as Phillip and his family end up in communities where there is little money and little hope for a better life. 

The constant, violent death that surrounds 8800 American Street also reflects the volatility of American life, showing that many people will fail to achieve the American Dream, ultimately paying with their lives. The American Dream is seen as a deadly curse in the story about 8800 American Street, but the author implies that Fabiola may finally break that curse: “Death parked itself on that corner of American and Joy […] waiting for the day when one girl would ask to open the gates to the other side” (219).