The Madonnas of Echo Park

The fourth chapter of The Madonnas of Echo Park is narrated by a bus driver named Efren Mendoza. Efren is a rule-follower to the extreme, and he is grateful for his job. He left home at an early age, when he was jumped by his brother in a gang initiation. Both his brother, Manny Jr., and his father, Manny Sr., were members of the same gang, and he strives to rise above their criminal legacy.

He resents other Mexican-Americans who have failed—in his mind—to improve upon their situations with hard work, remarking critically upon immigrants who never learned English. He feels that the attitudes of illegal immigrants reflect poorly on Mexican-Americans like himself, to the degree that he says he wishes he could work for the US Border Patrol. He abides professional rules even when encountered with ethical gray areas, refusing to intervene against a passenger who regularly exposes himself to young girls. He explains that the only time he (slightly) bent the rules was for Felicia, whom he believed was flirting with him. After Efren asked Felicia on a date and she turned him down, he staunchly reaffirmed his commitment to following the rules at all costs.