Bourgois
Bourgois's name is a nod toward Marxism, a theory that commented on class division and injustice. Basically, the idea is that the people in El Barrio, or the hood, don't trust him because he is white. The assumption is that he doesn't have the credentials to be "respected" in the hood because as a white man, he is unfamiliar with the struggle that shapes life in the hood. They even suspect he is a cop. The symbolic character points toward the chronic cultural differences caused by disenfranchisement and systemic injustice.
The motif of coolness
To Bourgois, the idea of "respect" means something very different than it means in the Barrio. One might even say that what he really wants isn't to be respected, but to be regarded as cool. The motif is a symbolic reminder that he doesn't really understand the truth about systemic injustice. These people are often mistreated because of their race, especially by law enforcement and by the state, so that their fight for respect is a fight for equality and access to opportunity; he wants something different because of his privilege.
Privilege through motif
Bourgois tries to fit in, but there are aspects of his perception that leave him blind to what the differences really are between him and the people of East Harlem. He thinks that it's basically like a cultural echo chamber, and perhaps it is that, but not for the reasons he suspects. Through motif, it is revealed to the reader why is chronically unable to see the truth; he doesn't have conceptual grounds to understand their struggle because he is insulated by the opportunity and access that he thinks everyone always has.
Drugs as a symbol
Bourgois sees drugs from the side, not really understanding the horror and tragedy of Barrio boys slinging dope to their own community. There are gangs that compete for control that are not playing. They are real sources of authority that use fear and the constant threat of death to enforce their territory, which means that the streets are always in wars over who gets to sell to whom. There are inherent dangers, because someone could die from bad dope—but to Bourgois, he thinks of it like a game until he starts to see the intensity of the drug trade, and until he sees a few gang conflicts. Then, he starts to see what drugs really represent in the community. They are their own currency.
The symbols of oppression
By antagonizing the community, the police officers enforce a law that is not designed to fix the problems that long-term racism and disenfranchisement have caused. They treat the communities as if they are all villains, and Bourgois starts to see throughout the story that actually, there are systemic issues that make this reality what it is. He sees the people who want to escape, a symbol for the trap of poverty, and he sees the way the law gets enforced. He learns that El Barrio is itself can be seen as symbolic manifestation of injustice against the poor.
