Summary

“With His Own Two Hands” by Albert Garcia tells the story of a Mexican-American man named Enrique, who recalls his relationship with his grandfather while waiting for a colleague in Los Angeles’ Union Station.

When he was a small boy, Enrique used to admire his grandfather for the man’s strength, and for his stories about being a cowboy, fighting in World War II, and building his house in Texas with his own hands. Enrique recalls how his grandparents lived in the countryside, raising animals, and the stories he loved to hear as a child from his grandfather. The grandfather had to give up school to make money for his family by singing on the streets. He subsequently immigrated to the US and join the army.

However, when Enrique became a teenager, he began to feel ashamed by his grandparents being Mexicans. He called himself Ricky S and used to...