Gabe
Ika’s younger son, Gabe, can be seen as a multifaceted symbol in the novel, changing with the circumstances that he finds himself in. For the most part he symbolizes innocence as well as the potential of a person to rise beyond his circumstances to become a force of good; he resists Tomas’ urgings and taunting to join him in his criminal ventures and genuinely cares for his mother, manifesting his love for her by keeping out of trouble. However, because of his eventual participation in Tomas’ criminal activities, it can also be said that Gabe is a symbol of failure as he isn’t strong enough to fight the inescapable cycle of violence that plagues poor migrant families in the US.
Tomas
Ika’s eldest son symbolizes a whole generation of young men that struggle with their biracial identity. Tomas is the product of two races and two cultures---neither of which can provide him however with a satisfying answer to the question “Who am I?” Tomas is belligerent and there doesn’t seem to be any clear reason for his rage but it can be surmised that part of his anger is rooted in that sense of constantly being the odd man out.
Ika
Ika, like her children, is symbolic of many things: she embodies the positive, nurturing presence of the maternal, all the disenfranchised first-generation migrants, but more importantly---and tragically--she embodies the silent struggle of women living trapped in abusive relationships. Ika embodies all these elements, a poster child for a socio-cultural fish-out-of-water phenomenon that many migrants experience, and silently enduring horrible physical, emotional, and financial abuse as she attempts to be the glue that keeps her family together. Despite the difficulties they experience though she continues trying to do her best to raise up her boys the only way she knows how: conservative, Catholic, and Filipino--a recipe for disaster in a poor, rough, SoCal neighborhood.
Tomas’ Car
Tomas’ car is the symbol of his power and authority; or at least he’d like to think that he had power and authority--and his car is an excellent embodiment of Tomas’ actual impotence. His car allows him to come and go when he pleases, wherever he pleases. His car was purchased through his hustling--proof positive that he is, at least in this regard, a man who can provide for his own needs. This sense of pride however is quite misplaced, as the car is old and rundown, breaking down when Gabe uses it as an escape vehicle.
Attack Dogs
In a similar fashion as Tomas’ car, the attack dogs that he breeds and sells to Hollywood celebrities are symbolic of power and to a large extent, symbolic of how Tomas sees himself: a vicious, dangerous animal that demands respect, but a dangerous animal that is on the end of a chain held by somebody else.
