Luis J. Rodriguez

Born in 1954 In EL Paso, Texas Luis J. Rodriguez is an American poet, novelist, jouralist, critic, and columnist. He is recongized as a major figure of comtemporary chicano literature. He is best known for this book that I'am reading Always Running: La Viva Loca. He has won an award from Carl Sandburgliterary award. He is a founder and a co-founder of many organizations including the Tia Church Press, which publishes unknown writes work. Poems he has published My nature is hunger, The concrete river, poems arocss the pavement, and Trochemoche. His non-fiction books are Hearts and hands and Always Running: La Viva Loca, Gang Days in L.A. His fiction Books are Music of the mill, The Republic of East L.A., and America is here.

Conflicts/Problems

One major conflict in the story is in the second page of chapter two. When Luis and his friend tino trespass onto a local elementary school. they climb over the fence and start to play a half-court of basketball when they suddenly hear a yell "you boys get over here by the fence now!". Luis and Tino make a run for it then Tino climbs onto the cafeterias rooftop when suddenly he is shot by an officier and is killed lying dead less on the roof.
The second conflict is when Luis and his friend chicharron go to the beach along with several other friends. Some white officiers that where acting like teens started to talk smack to Luis and his friends. And the officiers said "well why don't you come up here and do something" Luis and his friends rush to the top of the hill and when they try to make a move on the white guys they pull out their fire arms and report themselfs as officiers and that Luis and his friends where being arrested.
The thrid conlfict was when Luis and his older brother where jumped by older teens on bikes while they where out buying supplies from the store on the otherside of the train tracks. They where told to not come to this side of the tracks again.

Setting

The story takes place in East L.A. mainly in Watt's thats where they lived and spent most of his childhood there. It is where most of his problems/conflicts occur. The family constantly moved place to place because his family was poor so they would move in with family members but this was there main location during the story. Watt's was on the otherside of train tracks that sperated them from the city of SouthGate. Watt's was gang territory that where young Luis wintess shootings, beatings, murders, suicides, arrests, and durg deals happning. It was a place of crime that claimed frineds and family members. It was a dangeros place for young Luis to live.