Masculinity

While The Devil’s Highway attempts to explore some of the economic reasons that the Wellton 26 decided to journey through the desert to the United States, the book also suggests that societal codes and expectations of masculinity are partly to blame for “the thing that happened,” as the Border Patrol call the deaths of the Yuma 14. Throughout the book, Urrea shows how the different people involved in the events take certain actions in accordance with their ideas of what it means to be a man.

To begin with, the Wellton 26 are all men, and as their backgrounds show, they have a strong belief that they must, as honorable men, provide for their families. Chapter 11, “The Names,” eloquently describes the different motivations the men had for their journey to El Norte. Overwhelmingly, their rationales involve providing for their families. Reyno Bartolo Hernandez, who wore green socks from his wife...