Contrast how the two girls treat Esperanza.

Isabel, Juan and Josefina's daughter, teaches Esperanza how to take care of the babies and do chores. She is younger than Esperanza but has a great deal of maturity and knowledge about living in the camp. Isabel's dream is to go to school so she can learn English. She loves hearing stories about Esperanza's privileged life in Mexico.

Marta lives in an adjacent camp with her mother, Ava. Marta fights for the rights of migrant workers and organizes a strike. She often mocks Esperanza for her privileged upbringing and lack of experience doing manual labor. When immigration officials break up the strike, however, Esperanza helps Marta hide.