Invisible

Sara Domínguez is one of the novel’s five protagonists and narrators. She attends Conrad Middle School and is assigned to community service with the other members of the group. Sara is a dynamic character who begins the story as someone who is reserved and soft-spoken. Initially, George labels her as “that weird loner girl that no one talks to” (30), and it takes a while before he learns to look beneath the surface and appreciate his fellow students for who they truly are. Despite her early difficulties with George, Sara demonstrates empathy when the other students fail to do so, such as when she helps George back to his feet after he trips and falls. Sara seems to always be the brunt of laughter, and people misjudge her as being strange and unapproachable. However, George is soon surprised to find that she is easy to talk to. Sara is from Mexico and knows both English and Spanish, and she lives with her papi while they await the arrival of the rest of their family. At school, she keeps her hood up and often thinks to herself about how “no one listens” (111) or sees her for who she really is. Eventually, Sara is encouraged by Dayara to open up to others and find her strength, and she starts speaking out about the things that bother her. With her new friends, Sara displays Kindness Inspired by Adversity and weathers the Unseen Pressures on the Children of Immigrant Families.

Dayara Gómez is one of the five protagonists and narrators of Invisible. Like the other members of the community service group, she has had many experiences of racism and stereotyping that have made her less willing to open up and show her true self. Dayara’s tendency is to react to such demonstrations of prejudice with anger, but unfortunately, this reasonable response only serves to isolate her further. However, with the help of her new friends and the knowledge that she has a place among them, she starts to open up. Dayara’s family comes from Cuba, and because she only immigrated recently, she has yet to learn English. Throughout the day at school, she hears key words that her teachers and peers use to label her: “Problem kid. Late to class. Late homework. Graduate late” (75). She struggles to complete her homework, as the words tend to appear like a jumble on the page and she is too nervous to ask for help. She finds that Miguel shares a similar insecurity, and together the two of them agree to reach out for what they need. Dayara’s stubbornness and hot-headed nature also come in handy when the students need to distract Mrs. Grouser. She also displays Kindness Inspired by Adversity in her efforts to relate with and help Celeste and her daughter.

Miguel Soto is one of the novel’s five protagonists and narrators. Like the others, he attends Conrad Middle School and experiences a dynamic shift in his character after encountering this new group of peers and working with them to help Celeste and Lisa. Miguel’s family is from the Dominican Republic, and while he knows some English, he primarily speaks Spanish and is proud of his Dominican heritage, as is evident when he proclaims, “Not all the same. I am Dominicano” (7). Miguel has a sense of humor as well as a slightly meaner side to his personality, both of which emerge when he annoys Mrs. Grouser or pokes fun at George or Nico. Miguel likes to draw and is very skilled at it, but his father discourages this talent and tells him to “focus on what matters” (59), which in his mind, is to play baseball in order to eventually gain a scholarship to a good college.

Miguel’s predicament is reflective of a wider issue of pressure and expectations that many children of immigrant families experience. In the eyes of his family, Miguel is expected to excel and get a scholarship so that he doesn’t wind up working a low-paying job, and because he still has a long way to go before he completes middle school and high school and starts thinking about how to make it in the adult world, such considerations are far beyond what his young mind should have to consider at this point. Thus, the expectations of his family, while well-meaning, become a source of stress and anxiety for him, and it is only with the encouragement of his new friends that he finally learns that he can embrace both baseball and art and remain true to himself and his family.

Nico Piñeda is one of the five protagonists and narrators of the story. He is a student at Conrad Middle School who is stereotyped and judged based on his wealth. As a result, he feels the need to live up to the reputation he has established. Nico is a recent immigrant from Venezuela and knows very little English, which becomes a source of isolation and frustration for him. He anxiously awaits the arrival of the rest of his family and fears for their safety. He also fears that circumstances may conspire to threaten his own security and well-being while he lives with his aunt, for she lives in a child-free retirement community and receives frequent criticism from her neighbors for allowing Nico to stay with her for so long. At the beginning of the narrative, Nico gives the impression that he is lazy and arrogant, since he doesn’t jump in to help pick up garbage and leftover food as readily as the others. His defensiveness occasionally comes through in the form of bullying, as he laughs when George falls; he also insults George for knowing English but not Spanish. Nico also tells Sara, “Things turn out better when you don’t speak” (102), and makes fun of Dayara for getting angry. Still, despite his flaws, Nico shows himself to be a caring and considerate person after overhearing the others talking about how he seems not to care about anything but himself. He helps Celeste find a job and points her toward places that offer free food; thus, in the end, he proves himself to be instrumental in getting her the help she needs.

Principal Powell oversees Conrad Middle School. He is a stern man who regularly reminds the students of their obligations and who wants to uphold the school’s reputation as one that cares about the community. To enforce this, he finds out which kids have not performed their community service and puts them to work. Principal Powell is constantly reminding George of his responsibilities and the importance of performing well if he wants to attend Porter High. The pressure and expectations placed on George by Principal Powell are unique to him, as Principal Powell views the other Spanish-speaking students through a stereotyped lens and feels that George has more potential than they do because of his fluency in English. Even so, Principal Powell is guilty of stereotyping George as well, for he tells the boy that he will be grouped with students like himself for his community service project; this offhand comment reveals that he assumes all Latinx students to be the same. Principal Powell is also a dynamic character, not a static character, because he does achieve a measure of understanding and empathy for the five students in the end. However, his learning curve is minor at best, and as a secondary character, he does not change drastically enough to be of any notable significance. Primarily, his priority seems to be maintaining the school’s reputation, and he revels in the attention and positive gossip that the students’ good deed has brought to the school.

Mrs. Grouser is the school cafeteria worker and the supervisor for the students’ community service hours. During these times in the early morning, they are responsible for cleaning up leftovers and any food waste and litter that gets left outside in the field. Mrs. Grouser is a static character who is not only grumpy and rude, but also clearly racist, for she heavily stereotypes the students based on her own bigoted assumptions about their intelligence, intentions, and heritage. Mrs. Grouser sees the kids as one monolithic group and fails to acknowledge their individuality. For example, she is shocked to find out that Sara speaks English and labels Dayara a “problem child”; likewise, she questions George for not knowing Spanish. Her criticisms and accusations are wildly erratic and are based in ignorance rather than on logic or understanding. When she finds out about the students’ generosity to Lisa and Celeste, she reacts with anger, insisting that their disregard for school rules is the most important aspect of the incident to focus on. She does not care about Celeste and her daughter, nor does she congratulate the kids for their show of kindness. As a result, Principal Powell becomes frustrated with her and decides to discipline her for her poor treatment of the students.