Even though El Claro was a small, isolated town, his parents had boxes full of books and newspapers, and it was during those early years that he developed his love of literature.

He has asserted that one of the reasons that pushed him to move to the U.S. was the desperation he felt when, in 1939, two of his younger sisters died of pneumonia.

Throughout the years, Méndez had developed a relationship with teachers and professors at the University of Arizona and Pima Community College.

In 1970, he was subjected to an examination by a group of university professors, and was awarded a teaching position in Pima Community College.

The central character of Loreto Maldonado, an old man reduced to washing cars in his final days, also allows Méndez to flashback to the Mexican Revolution.

Méndez introduces characters from a variety of backgrounds in order to illustrate the multiple cultures that exist on the border—not just Chicano, but Mexican, Yaqui and US as well.