Chapter 26

Summary
The chapter started with Carlos Bulosan talking about changes in their world. Though it entailed
some sacrifices and death but he was looking forward to it. This started when his friend Pascual
died and Jose was sent to jail. The chapter also talked about their venture in creating a company
that was writing literatures for the Filipinos, but unfortunately the company did not last long but
they were still trying to revive it even to a point when Carlos friends were working long hours
and was not eating properly just to sustain the company. Felix Razon also wanted to revive the
company by working seven days a week. When Carlos went back to Santa Maria valley he found
out that the Filipino Workers Association was disintegrating and he and his two friends wanted
to create a branch in Central California for the union activities. Carlos also tells us about the
difficulties that their association experienced through the years like the burning of their office.
The association was not that powerful because they were not united with the Mexican workers
association, which mean they both have separate demands to their employer which the employers
would not acknowledge. Towards the end of the chapter they were trying to set a meeting with
the Mexicans but they were told that their permit to hold a meeting was revoked and they held
the meeting outside of the city which was raided by the police and eventually captured Carlos
and Jose. After they were released from jail they went back to Lompoc to find out that a strike
was in progress with the lettuce worker and they decided to meet with the leader Helen in her
hotel room.

Table Characters
Macario threshold guardian
Pascual - mentor
Jose allies
Gazamen - allies
Felix Razon - allies
Helen - shapeshifter
Mr. Magna - herald

Chapter 27
Summary
In this chapter Carlos and Jose was working with Helen during the strike, though Carlos has
already some suspicion in her he still accepted position in the strikers organization because he
wants to be involved. Helen in the other hand wants to sabotage the delivery of goods of the
farms that they are working for even though Carlos thinks that is dangerous because it is guarded
by patrols. The following day a local newspaper published that the rally was funded by
communist and triggered the anti-rally support by the town which eventually broke the strike.
Helen ran away after that which increased the suspicion of Carlos. Carlos then went to Macario
to convince him to live with him and to continue his education but Macario was quite hesitant.
He then went to Amado and found out that Amado was doing quite well but he was disappointed
that Amado was starting to be Americanized and was not willing to help Macario pursue his
college studies. When Carlos was attending a seminar regarding labor he saw Helen again. Helen
went with him and was convincing Macario about her ways. One day Carlos confronted him and
Helen admitted her point of view and said that Filipinos should not be in America in the first
place. Carlos hit him and she ran to the streets. Later Carlos heard that she was beaten to death in
Visalia.

Table of Characters
Macario allies
Amado - trickster
Helen - shapeshifter
Jose - allies