Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America

The girls move back into their high-end dorm for their sophomore year. In the meantime, Yadira’s two youngest siblings return to the U.S. with a man who is paid to transport them, as Alma must stay in Mexico. Alma wants to return to have her child in the U.S., but no coyote will take her, as transporting a pregnant woman across the border is difficult. The political climate heats up, as Tancredo proposes building a fence across the border. Clara and Yadira spend all night waiting in line for hockey tickets with Luke, while Yadira lives with Zahra, a student from Somalia, and their room becomes "a hub of social activity" (116).

The author attends a Social Inequality class with Clara, Yadira, and Marisela. The white students dominate the conversation, while the students of color often remain silent: “The girls from Roosevelt said they had grown weary of trying to educate other students about what it was like to be poor” (182). The professor, Lisa Martinez, is a Chicana who wants to help minority students feel at home at the University of Denver. Martinez meets with the students of color in her class and encourages them to speak up more, but what they could contribute feels too personal to speak about in class.