The American Dream takes different shapes for the novel’s two main characters. For Rico, the United States represents glamor and adventure. He is eager for the chance to earn money, buy a car, and experience American culture, so he thinks little of the danger and hard work his journey will require. As Victor says, “Rico wanted all the things that money could buy. But just as much, it was the adventure he was after” (7-8). Victor, on the other hand, has first-hand experience with the dangers immigratingto the U.S.; his father was killed there while working a construction job. Rather than adventure, the U.S. represents a chance for Victor to earn money to support his family: “It was clear as can be, what I somehow had to do. Only in El Norte could I earn enough money soon enough” (20).

Over the course of the novel, the boys’ perceptions of the promise of the American Dream are challenged.Rico, who initially expects his journey to be simple and sees the U.S. as a boundless “land of opportunity,” finds his path difficult and the country disappointing (6). Though he has money to cross the border following a coyote, a supposedly easier mode than Victor’s, he faces just as many hardshipsas Victor does.