Junot Diaz- How to Date

Junot Diaz's "How to Date" depicts the struggle of a young Dominican boy living in an urban area looking to impress a girl that may be white, a "halfie", or a girl from the neighborhood. Depending on the ethnicity of the girl he's referring to the speaker will say very different things to impress her, and she will also act differently according to her ethnicity. Throughout the poem the reader can't be positive he's Dominican and I believe Diaz purposely does this to make the reader feel the different emotions and mindset that the speaker is going through. By the end it's clear it is a poor Dominican boy living in the city, who has to hide his family's "government cheese" so as not to embarrass himself in front of his date.
I think Diaz's work is commenting mostly on the experience that many immigrants have in America. In social situations many people feel pressure to act accordingly depending on the ethnicity of the people interacting. This creates stress for the individual and I think this story is a response to that pressure. The story also conveys the pressure in American culture on men to play it cool in regards to women and to try to remain in control of the situation, and that it's okay to change your personality in an effort to do so, and to ultimately get laid.