Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass

Clara is a single mom who works long hours of physical labor to support Piddy. When she is with her daughter, she is stern and formidable, especially in her opinions about what is best for Piddy. She fears that Piddy will end up like Yaqui by acting tough and dressing scantily. In her mind, “The worst thing you can be is a chusma. She thinks we get a bad rap as Latinos, which she’s always trying to undo by being extra quiet and polite all the time” (9). Clara acknowledges the negative stereotypes against the Latinx community, so she scorns anyone who perpetuates them and tries to counter them with her behavior. Her steadfast beliefs are a sign of love for Piddy because she only wants what is best for her daughter. Clara declares her love when she talks about Piddy’s father: “He didn’t know what he wanted, Piddy. But I wanted you—more than anything. You are the only good thing that man ever gave me” (203). Despite the man’s betrayal, Clara loves her daughter with her whole heart. Ultimately, everything she says or does is out of love for Piddy, even when Piddy thinks otherwise.

This declaration of love comes when Clara reveals her history with Agustín Sanchez. After being abandoned and learning her fiancée was already married, Clara became the stern woman that Piddy knows. A talented pianist who was once full of life, she cast aside her music and joyfulness when Agustín left. Piddy reflects, “That’s the only dream she’s ever told me about, but she won’t say too much else, since piano music reminds her of my father. Our piano is a relic from when my parents were together” (51). Because the thing she loved most, the piano, is associated with the man who betrayed her, Clara does not play anymore and has lost her zest for life. However, Piddy catches glimpses of the woman her mother used to be, like at the Avon party when she spies Clara in the kitchen “hips moving in a seductive swish from left to right,” which she has “never seen her do […] before, not once” (113). Clara still loves music, indicated by the swish of her hips, but Piddy’s shock at seeing her mother move like this shows that Clara has deliberately stifled this side of her. Yet, once she clears the air with her daughter and once Piddy transfers back to her old school, Clara, too, is reinvigorated with music and joy.

Lila is Clara’s best friend and is like family to Piddy. When Agustín lied to Clara and then abandoned her, Lila stood by her friend’s side. Likewise, she is always there to support Piddy for practical things like taking her bra shopping or doling out advice when needed. Lila plays a central role in the theme of Community as a Support System. Once Lila knows the extent to which Yaqui has been tormenting Piddy, she explains why the bully acts the way she does. When Piddy admits to being scared, Lila consoles her, “I know. But it’s you that has the real strength in all this Piddy. You just don’t know it yet” (220). In her response, Lila does not tell Piddy not to be afraid but, instead, validates her emotions. However, she also adds encouragement by letting Piddy know that she already possesses the strength she needs.

Lila is also an integral, well-liked part of the social community at Salón Corazón. As a result, she is often either the center of attention or partaking in gossip. When describing the salon, Piddy notes, “Gloria’s next favorite is Lila naturally. In fact, Lila’s the favorite champú girl around here, making even more tips than the hairdressers” (60). Lila’s popularity is evident not just in Gloria’s approval but also in the tips she receives from customers. Typically, salon workers who shampoo hair make smaller tips than the hairdressers themselves but not in Lila’s case. Her likability results in customers seeking out her love advice, especially because she is dating a handsome police officer named Raúl. Furthermore, they genuinely enjoy her company and attend parties at her apartment where she sells Avon makeup as a second job.

Yaqui Delgado is the antagonist who bullies Piddy for supposedly flirting with her boyfriend. She is prone to fighting and makes Piddy’s life miserable with both physical and mental torment. Physically, she throws chocolate milk at Piddy and beats her up right outside Piddy’s apartment. When Yaqui attacks her, Piddy thinks, “Yaqui is a rabid boxer, her fists balled. I tower over her by several inches, but not even my size helps. She’s done this before” (161). Piddy’s description fits the trope of a menacing villain. The word “rabid” depicts a wild, animalistic ferocity that invokes the idea of being vicious for the sake of being vicious. Furthermore, when Piddy notes that Yaqui is a “boxer” and has “done this before,” she emphasizes Yaqui’s history of violence. However, just as damaging is the mental torment she inflicts such as sending her friends to threaten Piddy before she even knows who Yaqui is. This, coupled with her lunchroom stare-downs, instills a fearful anxiety in Piddy that is often debilitating. Ultimately, Yaqui negatively impacts Piddy’s physical and emotional well-being.

Although Yaqui appears to be a flat villain, Medina provides reasons why she behaves this way, creating undercurrents of sympathy and demonstrating that people are complex. From a tough part of town with no parental support, Yaqui has been left to fend for herself. At one point, Lila tells Piddy that Yaqui’s life is essentially “beat or be beaten” (219), and she explains that in a few years, “‘she’ll still be there—same as always in her old neighborhood—a nobody with nothing. And guess what? That’s her worst fear” (219-20). Lila notes that Yaqui is jealous of the future Piddy has because Yaqui herself sees no way out of her tough life. Although her actions are reprehensible and cause trauma to Piddy, Medina’s inclusion of Yaqui’s backstory reveals the source of her anger and how bullies are complex humans too.