Guálinto is an academically gifted, introspective boy growing up in the fictional town of Jonesville-on-the-Grande. His father names him after George Washington with the hope that he will grow up to lead and help his people. With a fairer complexion than many of his peers, he is constantly pulled between his Mexicotexan heritage and the Anglo-American influences of his education. He frequently experiences anxiety and conflicting loyalties, struggling to reconcile the historical narratives taught in school with the reality of his family's life on the border.

Feliciano is María's older brother and a former member of the *sediciosos*, a group fighting to return Texas to Mexico through armed revolution. Following a family tragedy, he abandons the rebellion to become the patriarch and provider for his sister and her children, moving them to Jonesville-on-the-Grande. He is resourceful, politically savvy, and fiercely protective of his family, successfully climbing the local socioeconomic ladder while hiding his revolutionary past.

María is the mother of Carmen, Maruca, and Guálinto, and the sister of Feliciano. She is a traditional, deeply religious woman who relies heavily on Mexican Catholic teachings and folk medicine. Her emotional state is highly variable, shifting from fiercely loving to violently angry. She expects strict adherence to cultural virtues, particularly from her daughters, while generally deferring to the men in her life.

Miss Cornelia is a cruel, prejudiced grammar school teacher in Jonesville. Fully supported by the school administration, she frequently targets her Mexicotexan students for physical and emotional humiliation. She actively attempts to suppress their cultural heritage and takes particular offense when a Mexicotexan student like Guálinto displays academic brilliance.

Carmen is the eldest child of María and Gumersindo. She is a highly intelligent and studious girl who displays a strong sense of moral independence. Despite her academic gifts, she faces the dual disadvantages of racism and sexism, frequently sacrificing her own educational and professional opportunities to care for her family members during times of crisis.

Maruca is the middle child of the Gómez family. She struggles academically, quickly growing tired of the classroom, and exhibits a capricious, hot-tempered personality similar to her mother's. Independent-minded, she frequently clashes with the strict expectations of her family and actively pursues her own romantic interests despite societal disapproval.

Gumersindo is the fair-skinned, redheaded father of Guálinto. Born into wealth in Mexico before coming to Texas, he is highly educated and maintains a peaceful disposition, explicitly rejecting the violent rebellion favored by his brother-in-law Feliciano. His tragic early death—and his final wish that his son be raised without hatred—casts a long shadow over the entire family.

Lupe is the younger brother of Feliciano and María. He is a hot-tempered, vengeance-driven leader within the *sediciosos* rebellion, fully committed to armed conflict against the Texas Rangers. Unlike the family-oriented Feliciano, Lupe prioritizes the revolutionary war effort and the pursuit of wealth and military rank over domestic stability.

El Colorado is a large, redheaded classmate of Guálinto. Though initially intimidating, he quickly reveals himself to be a loyal friend and protector on the playground. He frequently gets into fights due to his size and reputation, and he later drops out of school to work at a local billiards hall.

Known early on as "La Nena Osuna," María Elena is a beautiful student from a prominent, wealthy family. Her family explicitly identifies as "Spaniards" to distance themselves from the working-class Mexican community and align with white high society. She becomes the object of Guálinto's intense, long-lasting infatuation, though she keeps him at a distance.

Orestes is an older boy in Guálinto's class who was held back a year due to a long illness. The son of a car mechanic, he comes from the same Dos Ventidós district as Guálinto and helps the younger boy survive the harsh environment of their prejudiced classroom.

A prominent, older white citizen of Jonesville and the political leader of the local Blue party. He operates a powerful political machine and owns the cantina El Danubio Azul. He recognizes Feliciano's intelligence and recruits him into his political network.

Initially known only by the nickname "El Negro," Don Santos is a former revolutionary compatriot of Feliciano. Born to a creole Mexican father and a Black mother, he faces intense racism that leaves him isolated from his own family. He adopts a highly opportunistic and nihilistic worldview, eventually acquiring wealth through smuggling across the border.

The unnamed mother of Feliciano and María, she serves as the spiritual matriarch of the family during their early years in poverty. She is responsible for altering the name "Jorge Wachinton" into the unique moniker "Guálinto." She dies shortly after the family buries Gumersindo, before they can secure a better life in Jonesville.

Buddy is a local white teenager from a politically connected family in Jonesville. He enters into a relationship with Maruca Gómez García, creating a severe scandal that forces the two families into tense negotiations.

Martin is an important member of Jonesville's Blue party political machine and the father of Buddy Goodnam. Feliciano once saved his life during a violent raid by Texas Rangers. Despite this old debt, Martin operates with an opportunistic mindset when dealing with the Mexican community.

MacDougal is a white Texas Ranger commanding a squad hunting for revolutionaries near the border. He views Mexican citizens with intense prejudice and suspicion, actively searching for excuses to execute figures like Lupe García.