Race and nationality play fundamental roles in the book. This theme shapes the interactions among students, teachers, and townspeople. It permeates the characters’ lives at every moment. Mrs. Zajac is concerned for Puerto Rican students because of the racism she sees and the statistics that show they are more likely to have children early or drop out. She tries to minimize her own bias, taking advantage of opportunities to go to Puerto Rico and to go to bilingual services at her church. She tries to notice when she is having a biased thought and to see the situation from a different perspective. However, Mrs. Zajac is rare. Most of the teachers around her complain about their Puerto Rican students, and many townspeople around her complain that Puerto Ricans have caused all the town’s problems.

Mrs. Zajac tries to provide her children with experiences that show that both white and Puerto Rican people are capable. She pairs Alice, an upper-class white student, with Judith, a poor Puerto Rican student, to give them both the chance to learn from each other and develop positive perceptions of “the other group.” However, both Judith and Alice develop more typical friend groups, and while they like each other and become friends, they do things like eat lunch with their same-race friends.