The U.S. / Mexico Border

The border between the United States and Mexico is a fundamental focus of all three parts of the narrative. Several of the physical, or geographical, components of the border (particularly the Rio Grande, which makes up part of the actual border, and the desert on the American side) serve as triggers for both psychological and physical suffering, for both the author and the migrants whose situations he considers.

Mexico

The central American country of Mexico is an important setting for significant sections of the narrative. The author portrays a couple of his experiences there as being formative in terms of his identity and perspectives, while the crime and suffering there are fundamental triggering components for the migrants attempting to make new lives for themselves in the United States.

The United States

This is the book's primary setting, in that the author makes his...