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Memo, a young adult who has been a successful actor in El Salvador, arrives in the US with hopes of duplicating his successes. His cousins, Violeta and Marcelo, offer support in their different ways. Among the cultural adjustments that Memo faces are his lack of English and his perplexity in learning about the language and culture. Marcelo's humor and common sense ease the situation to some degree. Spurred on by Violeta (who reinforces in Memo the necessity to support himself in order to remain in the US), he is obliged to accept jobs that are outside his experience. His fortunes begin to change when, as a US resident, he is drafted into the US Army. From there, after some theater experience, he is able to resume his life as a performer and obtain a bachelor's and a master's degree. His struggle leads to rewards.
Readers who have experienced the multi-dimensional conflicts and rewards of acculturation, as well as the positive and negative aspects of personal and group expectations—in other words, nearly everyone—can relate to Memo's story. It is reminiscent of the autobiography of Latino producer and actor Desi Arnaz, who wrote about working in a pet shop and as a waiter until he began to work in a band. He would later form his own. US citizens who have lived in the States in relative ease can learn many lessons from a book such as this. gaining specific awareness from the experience of a person, even a fictional one, who comes to the US to try to work and live successfully within systems that are difficult and sometimes hostile. Meléndez's opus has messages for everyone about what America can be.