“American History” Elena, a teenage Puerto Rican, nicknamed Skinny Bones, narrates the story “American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer. This story takes place in a multifamily apartment building in Paterson, New Jersey. The neighborhood was predominantly Jewish. It is now mostly Puerto Rican and African American. Shinny Bones is a loner who hates her skinny body. She is tormented by the kids in her neighborhood and is attracted to other underdogs like herself. She started to like a country boy from Georgia named Eugene. Because of his accent he is labeled a hick and is also an outcast. Eugene and his family move into a house in which an elderly couple lived in. Eugene also likes Skinny Bones but is to shy to say so. They eventually begin hanging out. Shinny Bones imagine them living in the house he lives in acting like the elderly couple. Eugene invites Skinny Bones over to his house to study and she can’t wait. On the day she is suppose to go over to his house, they get the news of President Kennedy’s death. Everyone is devastated in her neighborhood including her parents. She wants to be sad but she can only think of going over to Eugene’s. When she arrives at the home, a pale woman answers the door. She asks about where she lives and talks down to her. She tells her Eugene does not need to study with her and sends her home. She is heart broken as she returns home in tears. Skinny Bones wants to fell bad about the president but she could only feel the pain for herself. Skinny Bones is a young girl who is tormented by other kids. She intentionally “runs in” to a new boy she likes named Eugene. He likes her as well and they became friends. They make plans to meet at Eugene’s house to study. Her mother does not like her wanting to have anything to do with Eugene. She thinks she will get hurt. During he friendship with him the President gets killed. She does not have much feeling about it because she’s so excited about going over to her friends’ house. When she get to Eugene’s house the person who answered the door spoke to her like she was beneath them and Eugene was to smart and didn’t need to study with her. She was sent home and the door was shut. She returns home heartbroken. There are people in the world who believe they are better than others because of their race, culture, wealth, etc. This writer understands the pain of this young girl. She only wanted to be friends with someone and she got hurt because of someone else’s ignorance.