Efrén’s mother
Efrén’s mother is a symbol of sacrifice. Efrén’s mother wakes up early to prepare her children for school before going to work. Efrén notes that his mother serves the children all the food, and she remains hungry because the food is not enough. Similarly, Efrén observes that his mother risks burns while preparing food for the family. In addition, Ama works for long hours in the factoring ironing garments, but she creates time to care for the family. Consequently, Ama is an emblem of personal sacrifice for the sake of her family.
Food
Food symbolizes communion. When Efrén notifies his father that Ama is returning home, a church service is organized to celebrate her homecoming. Neighbors come with different types of food to celebrate their unity and reunion. Therefore, food is an important symbol of bringing people together.
Coyote
The coyote symbolizes the rampant corruption on the border between the United States of America and Mexico. A coyote is a person who colludes with border migration officers to sneak in undocumented immigrants from Mexico. For a person to cross from Mexico to the United States of America illegally, a coyote must first be paid. Efrén’s father mobilizes funds from friends and his saving to send to Ama so that she can pay a coyote to gain illegal access to the USA. When Ama gets the money, she pays and returns home safely to reunite with her family.
